Introduction:
Introduction:
If you pass our Application and Screening Test, you may be able to qualify for a Virginia Decking Associate Deck Company and thereby qualify for leads from your area... including any deck plans, porch plans, or gazebo plans that we may sell to folks from your area. More importantly, if you become an Associate, you will be able to offer your potential deck, porch, gazebo customers our very own unique "Design-at-a-Distance" service which will take much of the sales pressure off of you. We will design and sell for you. Virginia Decking will become one of your Deck Designers and one of your Salesmen. The more leads you send us (through your website) and the more leads we help generate for your website (through our website promotion service) the more sales we generate for your company. When you send your leads to your website, they will find instructions that will tell them how to obtain your (our) "Design-at-a-Distance" service.
You will find the Screening Application below. You may print it out and mail it to us at:
Virginia Decking & Remodeling
P.O. Box 41157
Fredericksburg, VA 22404
Or, you may send us an email at the email address below. We will email you back this same application and test you see below. You can fill out the application and take the test right in your email program and then email it back to us. We will grade it and let you know your score. If you pass with a score of 70% or greater, you will qualify to become a Virginia Decking Associate Deck Company. You may re-take the exam once at any time. If you should score less than 70% and want to re-take this exam, let me know you need a copy of "Hints & Tips: A Guide to Avoiding Common Deck Building Problems". I will forward you a free copy of this publication before you take the exam again. Every deck builder should read this publication carefully.
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The Following is the Application:
Name:
Mailing Address:
Daytime Phone:
Does your state or local government require deck builders to be licensed?
Do you have all required licenses?
If you are not licensed, are you currently applying for the required licenses?
Does your area require you to be insured?
Do you have all required insurance?
If you do not have the required insurance, when will you have it?
How long (in years) have you been building decks?
Approximately how many decks have you built or helped build?
Do you have your own truck or van?
Do you have a valid driver's license?
Do you have your own tools?
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The Following is the Test:
There are no "trick" questions and no time limit. You may discuss the questions with anyone and it is "open book" as your teacher used to say. All questions are designed to test your knowledge of basic deck building. If you get one wrong and can give me a good reason why you answered it the way you did, I will not count it wrong. Incidentally, whether you pass or fail this test, you are under no obligation to become an Associate.
1) T or F (True or False): A footing distributes the weight bearing on the post.
2) T or F: Footings should have concrete at the bottom of the hole.
3) T or F: Pre-cast concrete blocks are as good as poured concrete
at the bottom of a
footing hole.
4) T or F: It is OK to dig just deep enough to hit the frost line even if you are still on fill dirt.
5) T or F: Never set the support post IN concrete. Always
rest the post on TOP of the
concrete.
6) T or F: Any wood used for a deck should be pressure treated,
red cedar, redwood or
some other type of wood that resists rot and insects.
7) T or F: All metal fasteners on a deck should be galvanized,
zinc plated or coated in some
way to resist rusting.
8) T or F: It is normally OK to run the decking flush with the bottom of the door threshold.
9) T or F: It is a good idea to always get a Building Permit before building a deck.
10) T or F: Deck boards should be laid by "gapping" them with
something like a 16d nail in
order to let the rain water through.
11) T or F: The deck boards should be laid so that the "cup" of
the end grain is down in
order to minimize warping.
12) Which is correct? Galvanized nails STOP rusting. Galvanized nails RESIST rusting?
13) T or F: Decking installed on a diagonal will actually help
keep the deck in "rack" and
make it less likely to shake.
14) T or F: Never attach a deck to a cantilevered portion of a house.
15) T or F: Never attach a deck to a thin plywood house band board.
16) T or F: I should always have a written contract with my customer.
17) T or F: A deck band (or ledger) board should be attached to
the house band board
with a minimum of 16d nails not less than 6" OC.
18) T or F: Always install a beam (or girder) on TOP of a support
post, not bolted to the
SIDE of the post.
19) T or F: When splicing a beam (or girder), always insure that the
break (splice) occurs
over a support post.
20) T or F: All stuctural members (handrail posts to deck joists,
deck bands to house
bands, deck beams to 6x6 support posts) should be bolted together.
Please go back and make sure you answered all of the questions. Now please mail this to me at:
Virginia Decking & Remodeling
P.O. Box 41157
Fredericksburg, VA 22404
Or, if you received this application and test via email, please email this back to me (Mike French) at the email address below. I will process your application and test and let you know the next step.
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