www.DeckFailure.com - The Official Website of Michael Leavitt & Co Inspections

SHAME - DRYWALL SCREWS

This “Hall of Shame” photo shows a joist hangar used to connect the deck floor joist to the ledger board. The manufacture calculated the load and shear strengths of the bracket according to the type of wood and fasteners used. There is an easy rule to follow; consider it the 11th commandment... “Thou shalt not use drywall screws with any metal deck related hangar!”

Bob Mulloy is President of Allsafe Home Inspection Service, Inc. in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and a national presenter on the topic of deck failures. He is a licensed Massachusetts home inspector, a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), and Chairman of the Education Committee for the local ASHI NE Chapter. Bob is also a Massachusetts Board approved continuing education provider for home inspectors. He can be reached at 508-378-7170, by email at rmulloy@verizon.net, or via his website at: