Some of you may wonder if Juliet Decks fall under the New SB326 Guidelines. Well, It depends on whether they are metal or wood framing; you have the ability to step onto the deck, and if the deck was intended to support a person's body weight. Most Juliet decks are not actual functioning walking substrates and have limited access which doesn’t classify those decks as SB326 conformity.
However, as you can see in these photos, these particular Juliet designs would fall under SB326 scrutiny, even though they are considered to be “Metal Framing" but should still be considered as potential hazards and treated as such; our recommendation to ‘decommission’ and to seek either a new design and completely remove this feature with an engineering approach.... and this why?
There is ‘Full Access’ to these decks, which allows a person to place full weight on the deck.
The decks are supported and attached by only 4 lag bolts with no additional bracing.
Not sure if the original intent for the Juliet decks was to only place flower pots: there is no load-bearing calculation to determine the maximum weight allowance to make that assumption if safe for full body weight.
The Juliet Decks are constructed with metal and have suffered a tremendous amount of ‘Salt Water Air’ exposure which accelerates rust and compromises structural integrity.
Keep in mind, just because your decks may not fall under SB326 doesn’t automatically imply that they are safe. And with no maintenance or warranty program to keep these decks functioning then the liability and odds of a major failure are on the horizon.
If you’re not sure if your decks are in compliance or safe, then give High End Development a call... We offer free onsite evaluation, supported by independent engineer recommendations to put your decks and peace of mind in our hands!
925.687.2540 | info@highendmail.com
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