The codes in place to guide the construction of porches and balconies are to help keep the public safe. Our staff works hard every day to ensure that the buildings you live, work, play and learn in are safe. Probably the most important thing I tell people is not to overload the deck.

When I saw that, I had been planning on issuing this for a while, so I thought now would be a good time to get the alert out while it's fresh on everybody's mind.

It gives us a chance in the building code industry to publicize some things and get people aware.

If it's already (significantly) damaged, though, you're looking at a major project of several thousand dollars.

It's a fun food, it's easy. The popularity has gone coast to coast, border to border, driven by restaurants and retail. The ingredients, the ease of procuring them, the number of restaurants and food-service operations -- it's easy all around.

We inspect existing ones when people start coming in to expand them, convert them into sun rooms, anything along those lines.