VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Five people were taken to the hospital on Thursday evening after a vacation rental home's deck collapsed in the Sandbridge area of Virginia Beach.
A large family from Pittsburgh had been vacationing at the residence in the 3600 block of Sandfiddler Road when the second-story deck came crashing down onto the pool deck below, where some of the family members were.
The family tells us about 10 people were on the top deck when it gave way.
Sandbridge vacationer Chad Houston said he was taking a closer look at his own rental after the incident happened a few doors down.
"They started to look at our deck almost immediately because it makes you nervous,” Houston said.
A Hampton Roads contractor said the terror they experienced is preventable.
"Honestly, as many people as you can fit on a deck, if it is built properly, it shouldn't go anywhere," Ryan Smith said.
Ryan Smith owns Dream Decks. After viewing photos, he said the deck boards separated from the ledger board, a wooden blank attached to the house itself.
"The joists were not fastened properly to the ledger board and they start separating over time,” Smith said. “Gradually, either the bolts snapped, the nails snapped, or the bolts were corroding."
Smith said that happens easily by the sea.
"Salt air corrodes galvanized bolts twice as fast as it would anywhere else, like let’s say Chesapeake,” Smith said.
Time and weather also break down deck materials, but he said there are warning signs for maintenance.
"Shaky handrails,” Smith said. “Honestly, on that deck that fell, it was probably shaking a little bit. Also, Bounciness like when you are stepping on the deck, it will be bouncy."
He said decks should be inspected annually.
"I would say call a contractor every spring and have them come out and do an assessment because most of the time it would be free,” Smith said.
The rental where the deck collapsed is listed on Sandbridge Realty's website. We tried to reach owner Jim Moffat for comment and find out when the property's last deck inspection was, but we were unable to reach him.
Virginia Beach City Councilwoman Barbara Henley said she asked for this incident to be discussed at Tuesday’s city council meeting.