Lawsuits filed in Polson deck collapse By JOHN STROMNES of the Missoulian
Building official Melvin and a separate report by an architect hired by the city to inspect the premises after the deck collapsed say the deck was built without the ledger board holding the deck to the wall of the building adequately protected from the weather, exposing the ledger board to dry rot.
Also, metal joist hangers holding the decking to the ledger board were installed on the lower half of the ledger board, adding stress. And lag bolts holding the ledger board to the building were installed in a straight line down the grain of the board, weakening it. It is along this line that the ledger board split, causing the collapse.
'With the dry rot that was observed on the ledger, the lack of lag bolts holding the ledger to the exterior of the structure, the settlement of the foundation, and the load imposed by the occupancy of the deck (my conclusion is) that without major repair this deck would have collapsed if not this night, but at some time,' Melvin concluded in his report.