Porches, Balconies, Open-side Floors Or Floor Openings

20YOF COMPLAINS OF LEFT ANKLE PAIN AFTER FALLING OFF HER PORCH. DX: ANKLE PAIN, ANKLE SPRAIN

31YOF STATES SHE FELL OFF A PORCH, HAS PAIN IN HER LEFT SHOULDER AND ELBOW.DX: MULTIPLE CONTUSIONS LEFT SHOULDER AND LEFT ELBOW.

66YOM WAS WORKING OUT ON HIS DECK WHEN HE LOST HIS BALANCE AND FELL. DX: WRIST FX.

69YOF WAS OUT ON HER PORCH IN THE SNOW WHEN SHE SLIPPED AND FELL, LANDING ON HER FACE, HITTING HER NOSE/UPPER LIP. HAD SOME BLEEDING FROM HER NOSE AFTER THE INJURY DX: CLOSED FRACTURE OF NASAL BONE

20YOF, C/O LACERATION TO NOSE AFTER FALLING, TRIPPED OVER DOGS & FELL ON PORCH DX:NASAL FRACTURE, NASAL BRIDGE LACERATION

77YOF PRESENTS WITH RIGHT LEG PAIN TIME FOUR DAYS. STATES SHE WAS CLEANING HER PORCH ON HER KNEES BEFORE THE PAIN STARTED. SMALL ABRASION TO LEFT KNEE. DENIES ANY FALL. DX: ACUTE PAIN OF RIGHT KNEE, RIGHT HIP PAIN, PSEUDOGOUT

20YOM AFTER A SYNCOPAL EPISODE WHERE HE FELL AND HIT HIS HEAD ON THE DECK AS HE WAS LEAVING THE HOUSE DX: SYNCOPE

54YOF TODAY STEPPED OFF HER PORCH & TWISTED HER LEFT ANKLE , DX LEFT ANKLE PAIN, CLSD LOW LATERAL MALLEOLUS FRACTURE, LEFT

35YOF TO ER FOR LOW BACK PAIN FROM FALL ON HER PORCH X 1 DAY, PT SAYS SLIPPED & LANDED ON LOW BACK DX MIDLINE MOW BACK PAIN W/O SCIATICA, EARLY STAGE OF PREGNANCY

69 YOF TRIPPED AND FELL OFF HER PORCH HITTING HER HEAD, ENDORSES DRINKING ALCOHOL TODAY, BAL 134. DX: THORACIC SPINAL CORD FRACTURE

2YOF FELL OFF THE BACK PORCH AND IS NOT LIMPING ON THE LEFT LEG DX: LEFT LOWER LEG INJURY

65YOF PT HAD A FALL; C/O RT HIP PAIN; FOUIND ON PORCH BY BROTHER DX: PNEUMONIA, SEPSIS, ACUTE HYPOXIC RESPIRATORY FAILURE, PULMONARY EMBOLISM

The composite decking on my house is now ten years old. I purchased the home 5 years ago. The composite decks, 360 degrees around the second floor, have shrunk about 2 1/2 inches per board, leaving big gaps between boards. [REDACTED], the deck is cracking, splitting, and warping, making it dangerous for traversing. Five years ago I was told it was [REDACTED] deck. [REDACTED] said ,"No, it is Veranda." I have not been able to find other deck recalls. Two of my old friends have now tripped on the deck.:a 75 year old friend tripped on a crack and I have to do something as this product is unsafe. What can I do? Note the one side of the deck that is covered, not in the sun, has not shrunk, warped or cracked.

Caller is visiting brother who has a composite decking outside. Caller has cerebral palsy (mild C.P.) and walks with a crutch. She was walking on brother's deck and almost slipped but caught herself. Consumer's nephew caught her by the left arm if he was not there Consumer would have fallen back on her head and back. Consumer told this to lady who was taking the report over the phone. This would have caused a huge risk of injury a serious physical harm to Consumer. She is reporting this deck because she believes it to be unsafe, stating that a deck is made for walking and if you can't walk on it without slipping on it then it is not safe. She and her brother contacted the manufacturer with a previous incident on this same deck and does intend to contact them again. Caller states that In a previous incident last year around Springtime one of CPSC's Inspectors came out to check the deck out and almost slipped himself but nothing has been changed. November 10, 2011 the same inspector took a piece of the decking for testing, he doesn't believe it was actually tested and was advised to create another report if anyone slipped on the decking again. First Report #20110726-F220D-1193563 filed by Mr. [REDACTED]; this report has all the information CPSC needs. Consumer lives in Florida. Second Report # 20120813-471B5-1265957 filed by Ms. [REDACTED]. Incident location: Brother's house on a visit to Long Island. Injury information: (Consumer twisted her ankle (right) that was it). Consumer strongly stated this over the phone to the lady over the phone. This is the second incident that happened to Consumer. The first was during the Thanksgiving holiday season last year.

I had my gazebo collapse under 4 inches of snow and damaging the patio furniture underneath. Luckily no one was hurt. The company behind the gazebo is BOND VAST INDUSTRIAL LIMITED This is the exact model: https://bondvast.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/203465029-Style-Parkside-Wicker-Gazebo?mobile_site=false It comes with 1-year warranty that excludes "extreme weather conditions such as thunderstorm and windstorm". When I contacted the company looking for a compensation I was told the warranty does not cover any "weather-related damage" and the second reason for not being covered was that they discontinued the product. There was no extreme weather when the accident happened. There was no thunderstorm or windstorm either. The product should withstand 4 inches of snow and not collapse. I identified the weak part - a plastic roof connector that has no strength to properly support the roof. I pointed out this to the company and asked to speak with a manager but was simply ignored. This is a dangerous product that can hurt someone and a company that does not stand behind their product.

TREX decking has a flaking issue. We have been trying to get TREX to resolve this issue for years. We have a 3 year old son that we have caught eating the flaking material. The flaking material is large enough to choke our child. TREX has already replaced the TREX product and the replacement product is having the same problem as the original material. TREX is unwilling to refund our retail purchase price as described in the class action settlement. TREX is only willing to replace the product again. Leaving me with paying someone AGAIN to rip out their defective product and replace it with more product. This is the same product that TREX;s own inspector has determined is failing AGAIN. By not giving the consumer the option laid out in the class action suit of a retail eqivelant refund so we can purchase another companies product that doesn't have this same problem, TREX is prohibiting me from fixing this problem and continuing to put our family's health and safety in danger.

The extension ladder was placed on the composite decking for the consumer to do some minor maintenance on the side of his home. The extension ladder rolled backwards into a bush(without being moved) while on the decking causing the consumer to lose his balance. The consumer stated that if the ladder would not have gotten stuck in the bush he could have easily fallen through his window however he was able to safely jump from the ladder and not sustain any injuries. There were other occasions while walking on the composite deck after rain that the surface became very slick and caused him to slip and fall (dates of incidents are unknown). He contacted two different companies 7/20/2011 & 7/22/2011 who advised the consumer when using a ladder on the deck to use an A frame ladder to prevent the ladder from sliding. The consumer is considering removing the product from his deck. No further information was provided he indicated that he would add more information and photo’s once he received the report.

The Trex decking that I had installed is failing--flaking, peeling, etc. This in turn is going to cause structural instability. Trex has offered to send a few boards, but I feel they should replace the decks to ensure structural stability. Despite their warranty, they are unwilling to step up and take care of their faulty product.

I purchased a deck from a local contractor in June 2007 for approximately $14,000.00 I chose the recommended Trex compost wood/plastic material because it was supposed to be virtually maintenence free. The literature stated that it was guaranteed to not warp, bow, splint, fade, spit, crack or be affected by insects. It never needed staining and only to be cleaned with a wood/ compost cleaner and a hose. Power washings not recommended. I noticed the deck was starting to fade and it was not the beautiful "saddle" color it was originally. This was about a year later. I also noticed mold and mildew, so I purchased the cleaning material that Trex recommended. It did not clean off the mold, but lightened it and the faded the deck even more. I noticed that the boards were starting to get wider, and the mold and mildew worse. This has been a process of me contacting the contractor, and Trex. Last spring, I finally got the contractor to come out and look at the deck. By this time it was bowing, splinting, cracking, warping and part of the steps are pulling away.The deck had a 5 year warranty on it from the contractor. The contractor offered to replace 8 boards, and said it was not his installation but, the material itself and I would have to take it up with Trex. I did. Trex sent someone out and I received a standard from letter stating that it was the workmanship, not the material. They claimed that the boards were not installed at the correct measurements. They offered to refund me the price of 25 boards( installation not included) and a kit to clean the deck. I refused and took it up with the MD State Attorney Generals Office by filing a complaint. Trex refused mediation stating that they tried to settle the problem with me already and it was not the material, but the installation. I had 2 other independent contractors inspect the deck and verify that it was not the installation, but again the material that was defective. I have a letter from the one contractor stating

This is a recurring problem that has existed since this product was installed at my house in June of 2011. I had a replacement solid core cellular PVC decking material installed on my dock that is manufactured by Gossen Corporation of Milwaukee, WI and trades under the product name of "Passport Deck & Porch". The manufacturer claims through their local representative dealer/installer and within their product brochure to be foot friendly and I was told I could walk on it barefooted. However, the reality is that in direct sunlight, the temperature of this material is so hot that you get burns to your skin if it comes in contact with the material when the sun is on the product. So far the dealer and manufacturer have told me that I must have overly sensitive feet and that they have had no other complaints from their customers. The previous product that had been on my deck did not get hot like this; and I have since tested some other competitive products that do not get this excessively hot. This product is so hot that my dog will not walk on it when the sun is out as it burns the pads on her feet. So far the manufacturer refuses to acknowledge that there is any problem with their product, have suggested my deck is an anomaly, yet they refuse to come out and stand on their decking material as I have challenged them to do and have refused to make me whole on the $15,600 cost of this very dangerous product that they are selling for home decks, pools and dock applications. I am wondering if there is anyway the CPSC can independently test this material and provide any recourse for me and also issue warnings to other potential consumers of the danger of this material. My second complaint about the product is that despite their claims that "you don't have to worry about slipping..." I have found that in fact it is very slippery when wet even from the dew in the morning let alone other sources of water.