A chilling tragedy at Library Gardens in Berkeley occurred ten years ago today, June 16th, 2015 when a deck collapsed with thirteen people on it, killing seven people and leaving six people permanently injured. This is why we inspect.
Take a moment to remember the victims of Berkeley who lost their lives that terrible night on June 16th 2015 – Ashley Donohoe, Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai “Nick” Schuster, Lorcán Miller, Eimear Walsh and Aoife Beary and the survivors, who remain permanently injured, Clodagh Cogley, Seán Fahey, Conor Flynn, Jack Halpin, Niall Murray and Hannah Waters.
This should never have happened, yet it did. Poor construction practices and in my opinion outright negligence caused this accident..
In somber remembrance of the victims of the Berkeley balcony tragedy, we want to remind everyone that this is accident is why we inspect. This can never happen again, this is why SB326 and SB721 are now in effect. As professional inspectors, we take our duty to save lives and property very seriously.
Please get your decks inspected, the life you save could be your own.
If you have been following our blog for any time now you know that we have been railing against the practice that is roiling the inspection industry where unethical inspection companies are using Engineers or Architects to robo sign reports that they have written after they have done the inspection. Sb326 clearly requires a licensed architect or engineer to perform the inspection however some companies are trying to deliberately circumvent that requirement and are using contracted labor to do the inspection instead of an architect or engineer.
We made up this form that you should ask your inspection company to fill out and certify/attest that their inspections follow the letter of the law and that a architect or engineer shall be performing the inspection.
William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC recently completed an SB326 inspection in Simi Valley at an older condo complex. The association has numerous styles of decks and stairs and landings serving the upper units.
As experts in waterproofing and investigating decks we had our suspicions about the integrity of the decks and stair landings. Using our trusty moisture meter, our instincts proved to be correct in our inspection.
Unfortunately (or fortunately) we discovered many stair landings have hidden dry-rot issues that we uncovered. We also found numerous decks with dry-rot around the deck drains where water had intruded into the plywood substrate and framing. While these problems won’t be inexpensive to fix, the association is fortunate we discovered them early, before a landing rotted out and collapsed or someone’s foot went through a dry rotted deck.
Hidden dry-rot at stair landing. More hidden dry-rot High moisture reading in a stucco covered support column Deteriorated steel stairs. Dangerous railing is loose and unable to prevent someone from falling off if they leaned on it.
Experience matters when it comes to performing deck inspections. We’ve been doing inspections of decks and stairs since 2005, and have investigated and fixed thousands of decks as a waterproofing contractor since 2003. As balcony inspectors, we partner with an award winning structural engineer to provide the highest quality inspections that we can.
Contact us today to get started on your deck inspection project. The deadline isn’t that far away. Call Bill Leys direct at 805-801-2380 or use the contact us box on the left side of the page today!
We love getting positive feedback, I mean who doesn’t?
We don’t ask our clients to review us or praise us, we think that’s kinda cheesy. However we love unsolicited emails like this one that came in today.
“Hello Bill, Thanks again for the work done with ABC HOA. I’ve received high praise from the Board that they really respect your findings and knowledge of the inspection process.” Kevin HOA Manager
See the difference between William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC vs our competition and get in touch with us for a free EEE evaluation and proposal.
Guaranteed no conflicts of interest, competitive costs, award winning structural engineer and an expert ex Waterproofing contractor. Can they say that?
Contest us via the contact box to the left to get started.
A 9 year old child is lucky to be alive and only suffered some relatively minor injuries when the railing on a deck he was playing on gave way and he fell from the second story deck to the ground.
Our screen grabs from a TV news channel shows just how bad a shape the railing that still remains on the deck is in.
Stiles on the right side of the deck are obviously in poor condition. The whole front part of the railing is gone, indicating widespread dry-rot and likely improper fastening of the railing to the posts.The remains of the railing lay below the upper deck.
I’ve seen similar railings like this in the past where a carpenter uses a nail in the top of the railing and one on the bottom to attach the stile. This method is not a very good method to achieve a 200 pound resistance to someone leaning against it, and especially for small children who are probably leaning on the stile’s themselves. These cheap wood stiles will often rot out in a few years from being exposed to water.
On one inspection I did at a property for sale, I kicked the wood stiles with a bit of minor force and the stiles failed. The seller was furious that I “damaged” his property, but I pointed out that if his grandchild leaned on that railing he likely would have fallen 15 feet to a concrete sidewalk below. My answer was I probably saved someone’s life, so fix it properly.
A better method of protecting occupants is to use pre built railings that are made of metal welded together in the factory.
Falls through railings are unfortunately a common occurrence, and many result in death or severe injuries. Years ago a Board member of a condo I managed fell through a dry-rotted railing while on vacation, after a few days he passed away from grievous injuries.
This is another example of why we inspect folks.
When it comes to life safety, don’t fool around folks, the reason we inspect is to prevent accidents.
If you are buying a property with decks and railings, have it inspected by an expert like ourselves before closing.
If you are an HOA get your decks inspected by the experts at William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC. We guarantee that we have no conflicts of interest and that we only work for the associations best interests.
We are pleased to announce that we have been selected to perform a SB 326 inspection for a large HOA in Big Bear. With 90+ decks, stairs and landings the association knew they needed an expert with the experience to properly inspect their Exterior Elevated Elements.
The association manager found us through a referral from a fellow CAI manager, who told them about the positive experience they had with us.
William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC was selected to perform balcony inspections in Big Bear!
We invite you to experience the professional and experienced licensed structural engineers and waterproofing experts that make up our team. Reach out today for your free EEE evaluation and proposal.
We are pleased to announce that we have been selected to perform the SB326 balcony inspection for a large community in Camarillo. With 48 decks and 90+ stairs and landings, the Board of Directors vetted three firm’s qualifications before choosing us as the best qualified inspection firm for the job.
Cantilevered decks like this need to be inspected under SB326 Although the stairs are concrete, these stairs are supported by wood and therefore must be inspected.
“We are pleased to be selected as the best qualified inspection company in Ventura County.” Our reputation as an ethical firm, with guarantees that our structural engineer is performing the inspection of the structural elements and not just robosigning a report assures our clients that they are getting the best value for their money.” said Bill Leys, president of William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC.
We invite your Association to put the expertise of William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC team of waterproofing experts and structural engineers to work on your balcony inspection project. Contact us today using the contact form on the right or call Bill Leys directly at 805-801-2380.
We are pleased to announce that we have been selected to perform the balcony inspections required under SB 326 by the Board of Directors of an HOA in San Luis Obispo.
Tumbling Waters HOA San Luis Obispo
The condominium association has 68 decks requiring Stage 1 inspections. Bill Leys, President of William Leys Waterproofing Consultants said he is extremely excited to see the number of Associations who are contracting with the firm for these important inspections. “We have a lot of deck inspections scheduled for most of the summer and are scheduling some jobs into October already, the demand is really ramping up.” said Leys.
Leys recommends that Associations start getting bids now and getting inspections scheduled ASAP. “There’s a point where we will reach full capacity and I anticipate we will be pretty booked for inspections through the end of the year and into 2024 within the next 4 months. There are not many inspectors and structural engineers who are doing balcony inspections and those that are, are telling me they’re booking up rapidly as well.”
Reach out to us today, drop us an email using the contact form on the left side of your screen, or call Bill Leys directly at 805-801-2380.
We are pleased to announce that Shoreline Condominiums in Santa Barbara has selected William Leys Waterproofing Consultants LLC to perform their SB 326 balcony inspections.
Shoreline Condominiums has over 60 decks, multiple walkways and bridges for pedestrians and numerous stairs supported by wood framing that requires inspection under the bill.
Clients understand how important choosing the right inspection company is to perform these vital inspections and appreciate that I guarantee in writing that I have no conflicts of interest. I don’t own a waterproofing company or have any interest in any company’s products that I might specify to repair your decks.
Call me today to schedule a free EEE evaluation of your property. 805-801-2380. Ask for Bill,bI answer the phone every time and you’ll be in good hands.
Setting the Bar in Coordinating SB 326 Inspections With Independent Structural Engineering Experts & Waterproofing Experts With No Conflicts of Interest
Call 805-801-2380 Coordinating SB 326 EEE Inspections Since 2020 * Waterproofing Consultants * Leak Investigations 