The lags should pass through by at least 1/2" on the back side of the band board. Then the deck can be set as much as 7-3/4" below the top of the door sill. This is a laser level that attaches to a tripod. Sheet metal flashing prevents water from seeping into the seam between a deck ledger board and a building. The third connection method uses a maximum 1/2" space between the exterior sheathing and the ledger. Lay out the joists on the ledger as shown here. The ledger board attaches to the house framing and supports the pergola rafters. Like a roof truss, floor trusses are created through joining standard lumber, typically 2x3 or 2x4, with metal connectors. 1. Center the ledger in the cutout, leaving 1-1/2 inches on either side for the end joists. Installing the ledger would be no problem, except that there's a tall window at the end of my run. Choosing wrong height or location. 2. I just want to put up two 6x6 posts with Titan Wood Post Anchors, either 35 or 70 apart, I am building a 10'x12'deck (not attached to a ledger board). The spacing of your structural screws depends on the type of house rim you are attaching to and the length of the joists. Do not pound the nail entirely. Galvanized metal touching aluminum causes corrosion. The two main reasons a deck collapses are improper fastening or connection means and water damage causing structural weakness. 7. for those who like the flow-through design. A deck ledger cannot be attached to the rim board of a cantilevered floor. Hold the ledger against the posts and the bottom of the header. DO NOT install the joists until the ledger is bolted in place. They then use the ledger as the basic point of reference for determining footings, posts and all the framing. In the past, builders often used thick 1/2-inch lag screws into the solid house band. They work especially well with a lean-to shed.. It is difficult to get the dot to shine at the exact height of the ledger, so have it shine a small distance below your mark from step 1. Note that many newer houses are built using engineered floor truss systems that require special ledger board attachment techniques. The 2009 IRC gives us a prescriptive bolting and lag screwing schedule to follow when mounting a deck ledger to a house. Using badly bowed board. This piece of wood is known as a “ledger board,” or a “ledger” for short. in your case) with lag screws or through bolts for vertical load, and also provide 2 threaded rod connections for lateral loads. Do not drive the structural lag screws at this time, because you do not want them to get in the way of the joists you will install later. Important Note:  Be sure to verify the structural fastener attachment spacing and installation with your local building department for your specific situation. To fasten a deck ledger to an exposed basement wall, use the same “through bolt” procedure as … Galvanized metal touching aluminum causes corrosion. Joist hangers are galvanized metal brackets that are affixed to the ledger boards and rim joists of decks. By clicking GO!, you acknowledge that you have read Trex's Privacy Policy. Not using redwood, cedar, cypress, or pressure-treated stock. If you are attaching a deck to your existing home, you will probably use a ledger board. One of the most important connections when you build a deck is the ledger board. In areas with heavy snowfalls, it may be desirable to have the finished deck 1 1/2 inches or so below the sill. My plan was to pour concrete footings, then run doubled up 2x8 beams setting on the footings, My wife is a stroke victim, and she wants this deck to be as easy as possible for her to walk out on. lag screw and ½ in. You bolt this board to the house and hang the deck on it, thereby attaching the deck securely to the house. Use a ¼-inch wood bit to drill pilot holes for the fasteners. The board is attached to a house and the deck joists are fastened to the ledger board with special structural metal joist hangers. The finished deck height is 1 inch below the bottom of the sill. Adjust the brace on one end to position the ledger exactly at the correct height and tack this end to the sheathing with a 10d nail or deck screw. Ideally ledger board should be attached to the band (ledger) board that’s on the building, in your case that is not an option and depending on the height of your existing garage and location of the shed you next best option would be to attach or rest new ledger board on to the top plates. Any one of these five ledger connection methods, properly installed, will give you a reliable, long lasting deck that is secure. The top of the ledger board should be lower than the desired top of the finished deck by one decking board’s thickness, plus the thickness of the flashing (usually 1/8 inch). In this case, the dot is 7 3/4 inches below the ledger height. They work just as well to connect rafters to top plates. This is a huge help in positioning the ledger accurately on the layout line. After properly installing the flashing, install the siding above the ledger as needed. In this case, measure down from the bottom of the casing by the thickness of the decking, plus the 1/8-inch thickness of the flashing. Measure the width of the outside wall, and cut the board with a circular saw to the same length. This is very desirable in areas with snow or wet climates, as it provides an additional level of protection from water entering the home. Lag screws are the traditional and recommended way to attach the ledger to a building. A proper connection should be sufficiently strong and water tight. Never install a ledger board with nails. It is certainly not a job for a weekend carpenter or DIY'er. You may need to pry the upper board out a bit, and you may need to remove some nails. Lay out the joists on the ledger as shown here. It is one of the most common ways of connecting the ledger to the band board. Use bolts made specifically for screwing into steel or metal if attaching wood flush onto a … Although more work it is absolutely a bullet proof solution. Snug one about 2 inches deep on each end of the ledger location between the mudsill of the house and the foundation. Slip the siding up under the siding board above. In these cases, you will want to build a free-standing deck frame. Then align the upper rim at the drawn line. The ledger is made of the same material as the rest of the framing—usually pressure-treated lumber. How to Attach Floor Joists to a Ledger Board. The rim board must be solid sawn lumber or certain types of engineered rim board. If you are attaching your deck to a ledger board then you must know how to do it properly. There are many different types of laser levels available at prices ranging from $200 to $1,000. maximum lag screw location configurations associated with mounting to This may be hard to explain, but here goes. bolt, ½ in. Fasten the ledger to the "rim joist" (aka blocking, etc. In the photo here, the door casing has been cut to the desired top of the deck, so the decking can just slip under the casing. The ledger has been dropped another 1/8 inch (for a total of 1 1/4 inches), just to be safe. The fifth ledger board technique involves mounting to a cinder block foundation. Adjust the brace on one end to position the ledger exactly at the correct height and tack this end to the sheathing with a 10d nail or deck screw. Installing the ledger would be no problem, except that there's a tall window at the end of my run. To keep water out, metal flashing is carefully installed behind and on top of the ledger board (flashing is not shown). Pre-drill holes 17/32" to 9/16" diameter. This wood strip allows other pieces to be joined to the wall with relative ease. Both of these requirements are essential. The IRC’s deck ledger fastening table is … This is a side view of the perspective diagram above. A ledger is typically a 2-by-4 or larger piece of lumber attached to a wall or other surface with the use of fasteners such as nails or screws. An important detail is deciding how the joists will hold into place. Snug one about 2 inches deep on each end of the ledger location between the mudsill of the house and the foundation. 1. Make sure the top of the joist is even with the top of the flashing on the wall ledger so that decking will go on evenly. Terms of use. Center the ledger in the cutout, leaving 1-1/2 inches on either side for the end joists. Mark the positions where the joists will go along the ledger board. However, options other than hangers may need to be considered depending on what kind of deck is being built. These articles will teach you how to install flashing and bolt the ledger connection to the house rim. Just imagine having to remove courses of masonry, or lap board siding and then precisely locate the band board accurately to avoid damaging the wrong part of the siding. 3. 3.2 For conventionally framed buildings, the ledger is required to be attached to the band joist 4 in accordance with IBC 5Section 1604.8.3or IRC Section R507.9 as applicable. Table R502.2.2.1. 3.1 LedgerLOK™ Ledger Board Fasteners were evaluated to determine their ability to provide code complying attachment of deck ledger boards to the building structure. Just be sure to verify that this stacking method is permitted in your area. Attach the web brace to the bracket with a hex bolt, lock wash-er and hex nut. Check for level across the length of the ledger board. Cut pieces of PT 4x4 post to fit from the top of the double ledger support to the bottom of the deck ledger above. The ledger board itself is … Set your ledger board on a sturdy level surface. If you plan a freestanding deck (not attached to the house), you do not use a ledger. You can run the ledger between posts, or you can hang the ledger from 2-by-6 lumber. Use a 2-by-4-inch board for a short roof (up to about 8 feet), a 2-by-6 for a longer one. Simpson Strong-Tie category "Screws and Nails" We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience. 3. You may need to pry the upper board out a bit, and you may need to remove some nails. Attaching a Deck Ledger Board to Engineered Floor Joists Floor truss systems are very different from conventional floor framing materials. Use the 1-1/4" spacer board to position the siding at the correct height, and drive nails to fasten it. There are other ways to level a deck that are more affordable. Nowadays, 1/4-inch structural lag screws are preferred. Nails are not designed for this purpose and may withdraw over time. This is a side view of the perspective diagram above. Because a ledger board is very heavy and hard to work with, you need to drive framing nails (16 penny) or screws every two feet to temporarily attach the ledger. The most popular option is a joist hanger. LedgerLOK is the first wood screw engineered to fasten a deck ledger board to the rim joist of a house with no predrilling. Re-check the building dimension. In this second method, 1/2" through bolts are used to anchor the band board and ledger together. To double-check for level, hold a 4- or 8-foot level against the chalk line. Cinder blocks are not as common in residential construction today as they were years ago and because they are hollow connecting a deck to them requires special attention.The hollow core inside the blocks must be filled with concrete so that bolts and epoxy have material to be set into. Consider this method especially if you live in wet climate zone. Check out the steps to install a ledger board correctly. Follow the complete deck ledger installation process from prep to fastening to flashing. Installing a ledger connection to a house after it is constructed is a major job. Ledger Board - Deck Attached: When a deck is attached to the house, a ledger board is bolted to the side of the house. Cut the boards to the desired lengths. I want to install a ledger board on a flat interior house wall (in a 2-story room), from which I plan to hang 2x10 joists (that will run 12' over to another wall). The rim board in the house must bear directly on the top plate of a wall or mudsill of a foundation. Although very rare, decks have fallen to the ground. The large hex-head allows for greater bit engagement, reducing cam-out. Can I attach my deck to a hollow block concrete foundation? IRC So we rip-cut a spacer board to 1 1/4-inches thick. The decking is 1-inch thick, so the top of the ledger is 1 1/8 inch below the bottom of the sill. Properly installing a ledger board for your deck is one of the most important structural components of building a safe and strong deck. Before you fasten the joints with screws take a measurement across the top and bottom of the assembly as shown. To learn more about solutions for free standing decks read this article. Start by making an outline on the siding where you want to position the ledger board. band joists can be avoided. Copyright © 2021 Trex Company, Inc. All rights reserved. This configuration requires access from the basement between the floor joists in order to install the washers and nuts. Use structural screws to attach the ledger to the house, Ledger Board Attachment to a Solid Concrete Foundation Wall, Attaching a Deck Ledger Board to Engineered Floor Joists. My existing deck's ledger board doesn't have flashing. This should still allow for plenty of room to attach the board to the floor's rim joist. Table R502.2.2.1 has three options: ½ in. The deck ledger board acts as a primary support beam for most decks. Toenail decking joists into position along the wall ledger using a galvanized 16d nail. I am looking to install privacy screens on my concrete patio. For a number of reasons. Not following codes. You will need at least one every 20 inches. It gets complicated in a hurry. Make pencil marks at various points on the wall, and snap a chalk line between them. Home  >  Building A Deck  >  Deck Building Code  >  Five Ledger Board Techniques. Use a steel measuring tape, carpenter's square and pencil to mark lines on the board indicating the placement of supporting lag bolts; space the bolts 35 to 40 cm (14 to 16 inches) apart.