The client wanted to know why the hand rail was loose. We found that the hand rail was still quite sturdy but the board that it was attached to was loose which was a bit of a concern as that board was the joist that held the deck up.

Further investigation revealed that both the supporting joists were badly affected with rot. Had the deck been filled up with a group of people it would almost certainly have collapsed. If you have a deck like this from this era I suggest you get it checked.