Fire-darkened roof framing seen from below. A representative photo of the task, not a record of work at any particular property.
The situation
Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.
On a dry, windy evening, a fire starts on a wood deck attached to the back of a two-story house built in the 1990s. Neighbors call 911. Before firefighters arrive, the deck is largely burned, a wide strip of vinyl siding has melted up to the second floor, the sliding patio door glass has cracked from heat, and smoke has entered the kitchen and family room through the broken door.
- After the fire department leaves, the owners have the patio door opening boarded and the exposed wall wrapped against weather.
- They contact their insurer, photograph the deck remains, siding, soffits and the interior.
- A contractor removes the deck remains and melted siding and finds the sheathing behind it charred in places and smoke-stained across a larger area.
- The rim board where the deck attached to the house shows char, raising questions about the ledger connection.
- The adjuster approves replacement of charred sheathing, sealing of smoke-stained sheathing, new house wrap, siding across the full rear wall for a uniform look, and a new patio door.
- Interior smoke cleaning in the kitchen and family room proceeds while exterior materials are ordered.
- The deck is rebuilt last, under its own permit, with a new ledger properly flashed and attached.
The house was livable during most of the repairs because the interior damage was limited to smoke. The longest waits were for the patio door and matching siding.
Decisions along the way
- IfReplace siding on only the burned strip or the whole rear wall?ThenOlder vinyl fades, so a new strip would not match. The adjuster agreed to the full wall after seeing that the product color was discontinued.
- IfRebuild the deck the same way?ThenThe owners chose different decking material as an upgrade and paid the difference over the like-kind replacement.
- IfRepair the window frames near the deck?ThenTwo upstairs vinyl windows had warped frames from heat and were added to the scope after inspection.
Points worth remembering
- Heat travels up
- Check soffits, upstairs windows and the roof edge above any exterior fire
- Ledger connections matter
- Where a deck attaches to the house, char at the rim board needs a close look before rebuilding
- Permits
- Deck rebuilds generally need their own permit; confirm with the building division
- Smoke still gets in
- A broken door or window lets smoke reach rooms that never saw flames
Common questions
Can the deck be rebuilt before the siding?
Usually the wall is finished first, because siding, flashing and house wrap behind the deck are much easier to install with the deck out of the way. Ask the contractor to sequence the work accordingly.
General information for Westminster, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.