Having a porch or deck attached to your house can provide a great place to just sit back and relax with family and friends. If it's been a while since you've performed any maintenance on your porch or deck, however, it might be falling into a state of disrepair. What's worse is that there might even be a porch code on the books with your local government that you're not aware of.

For example, any raised structure might be legally required to have guardrails or gating in order to prevent a fall. Even if your local government doesn't have a porch code on the books, your local housing authority might expect you to maintain your house's exterior in good condition, and that includes the porch or deck. Here are just some of the ways that your porch, deck or another structure attached to your house's exterior could cause trouble for you.

A Guardrail or Railing That's Wobbly or Falling Apart

If you have children in the home, it should be a top priority for you to keep your porch or deck railing in top condition. The last thing you should want is a little one to accidentally bump into the wrong spot and go falling to the yard or sidewalk below. Even an adult is not going to appreciate it if your porch's railing fails and sends them flying. Your local porch code may require your porch railings or guards to be maintained with proper fasteners in place if needed.

Corrosion or Rot is Creating an Eyesore

Your local housing authority usually has some rules designed to protect the value of the entire neighborhood. If one or more houses start falling into decay, that could bring everyone else's property values down over time. One rule that many housing authorities have for this reason is that any serious damage to the exterior of a home must be repaired as soon as possible. If you have a wood structure like a deck that is starting to rot or any other kind of material that is showing corrosion, you are creating an eyesore for the neighborhood that your neighbors aren't likely to be happy about.

Hire a Local Contractor

Whether it's an actual law on the books with the local government or just a housing regulation or rule that you need to stay on the right side of, take some additional pride in your house and get your decaying or broken porch or deck fixed as soon as possible. Contact a local contractor today to fix your porch violation or any additional problems you might have.