This time of year, people enjoy heading out to their deck to enjoy a wonderful spring or summer day but that day could end up ugly if your deck is in poor condition.  Decks have been known to collapse or have protruding nails causing injury to you and your guests. With this in mind, May has been designated as Deck Safety Month by the experts at the North American Deck and Railing Association or NADRA.  They recommend homeowners check your deck before starting to plan any family activities on it.

Decks are exposed to sun, rain, snow and extreme temperature changes over the years which can lead to deterioration.  The need to maintain and inspect them is critical for keeping decks strong and safe. There are an estimated 40 million residential and 10 million commercial decks in the United States that are more than 20-30 years old, so it is important for homeowners to check their deck on a yearly basis.

Older decks require closer scrutiny and regular inspections. Many decks were built before code requirements were established to protect consumers. Some of these older decks may use nails which have a tendency to pop up which could also lead to foot injuries. NADRA has developed checklists and safety awareness information for consumers to evaluate their decks. The information can be found by going to www.NADRA.org.

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