Deck collapse injures 10 in Fairfax

Those decks were not built to hold 10 or more obese slobs at one time.

@perryneheum...if the deck was built correctly it should hold ten depending on the size. Since we don't know how large it was or the wght of guest..don't assume they were obese slobs. Frankly...you sound fat yourself!!

Virginians want LESS government!

Let the decks collapse, thats just a natural occurance in a free market system where shoddy work should put bad deck makers out of business while those who build safe non-collapsing decks thrive.

Virgia doesn't need a building code or inspectors. the free market will solve every problem.

Inspectors just cost tax dollars.

This is all just part of the teabaggers master plan.
No taxes for anything, buyer beware.

Using unsupervised, uneducated labor to build your houses and decks will always result in this type of accident.

jeffreid: uhh, your point is showing; please wear a hat. As a P.E. that has inspected thousands of decks, I can tell you it is not the labor that causes defects, but rather the integrity of the bracing and using proper tensile strength load bearing materials. Also, the Kingstowne area is upwards of 20 years old, so it is no surpise that decks will fail that originally were properly built. Do the "screwdriver test" and shove a screwdriver into the wood above the footers and under the deck in the lateral support areas and see how degraded the wood is. Even the best presssure treated wood will begin to fail after 20 years.

And to the fat comment perry, you could not be more offbase, as some decks have a 60 pound per square inch rating that would hold even the most obese of your relatives, provided they got off your couch and went outside.

I take great offense to some of the comments. The ten women on the deck were mothers, wives, friends and educated hardworking adults. Not obese slobs. I should have been there but I am out of town for the summer. Let's be a little more sensitive, the injured are my friends. Next time it might be yours.