Do you have a Frost Heaved PVC Deck?
For many deck owners, frost heaves can present a big problem for a number for a reasons. So what exactly is a frost heave? Well when the temperature of the soil drops below freezing, the moisture within freezes and expands. Any structure above this expanding ice such as a footing of a leg that supports your PVC deck, will heave upward because of the expanding- frozen soil. The support leg’s upward movement unfortunately, means your deck will heave upward too.
A question most people ask whether the heave will diminish and drop the deck back down when the weather gets warmer. It may, but not necessarily to the original position. However, the problem will return again when the soil refreezes during the following winter. This heaving motion of your deck is potentially hazardous because it stresses the deck’s load bearing structural members at their attachment points. Particularly worrisome are the attachment points at both the ledger board and the ledger board’s attachment to your house. Repeated heaving over the years only serves to weaken your deck, which could cause the deck to collapse.
Decks at Risk of Heaving
The good news is frost heaves should never be a problem for decks built to code by reputable deck installers. The support leg footings of a properly built deck are located below the frost line. The farther north you live, the deeper your frost line lies beneath the ground’s surface. It is usually the DIY (do it yourself) deck builder who has frost heaving problems. If you’ve recently bought a home and you didn’t ask how its deck was built, or more importantly whether the support leg footing will be below the frost line, then there’s a possibility that it’s a DIY deck.
Frost heaving is particularly acute in areas where the soil has a high clay content, especially expansive clay. Local reputable deck builders are aware of this and will install your deck footings below the frost level where the ground doesn’t freeze. In areas with expansive clay soil, deck builders may take additional measures to prevent the frozen ground from pulling up on the leg above the footing.
Make sure to treat your PVC deck right with the best deck care products, and the proper services. Contact us today at DeckMAX for any of your deck related needs.
