Unfortunately, we treat decks (and maybe even balconies, another thread) as if they are a Saturday afternoon, keg of beer with the guys, all owning a hammer and knowing everything, as if they where a simple DIY’er. project. Well... they can fail and hurt people, just like any other structure if not properly designed and maintained. Interior structures need some less maintenance becuase they are protected from the weather. Otherwise, these deck structures need no less attention to design, detail and maintenance than any other structure. We can not keep codifying everything so that just any damn fool can do it, if only he can read the convoluted code and follow it. Building and designing any structure is serious business, and just anyone who owns a hammer and a cordless drill motor may not be qualified to do that work. I don’t have a great deal of sympathy for the know- it-all DIY’er. who builds an insufficiently strong or improperly connected deck, we have determined/allowed that any damn fool should be able to do anything, as long as they pretend to follow the code and pay a fee to the city so they can get a building permit. I think the city should be held more accountable when they supposedly review the plans, collect a fee for doing same, and issue a building permit. I think the old Hannibal rule should apply to these DIY’ers, if you hurt or kill someone, they to join them in their fate. I also think the big box stores should be held more accountable, when they provide some nifty software program which shows the DIY’er. exactly what lumber and hardware the store wants to sell them, and then the fine print says, ‘but we are not responsible for anything.’ I can’t imagine why people don’t shop for heart transplant operations or knee replacements the same way.