Attaching a deck ledger to the house?
GolfBob
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
Hi all, I am trying to add to an existing deck above a walkout basement door. Above the door is a bay windows in the room above. Because of that I need the deck to be below the bay windows but above the walkout door. The only place to attach the deck ledger is to the exterior 2×6 wall. There is a header over the door that I might be able to bolt-through. Can I put 2×10 blocking between the remaining 2×6 wall studs and put a jack stud under those? Would that hold? Would it pass code?
Replies
Greetings glfbob, As a first time poster Welcome to Breaktime.
This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again.
Perhaps it will catch someones attention that can help you with advice.
Cheers
Do I understand it that you can't lag the ledger into floor joists? If the deck is at the same elevation as an interior floor you should be able to hit joists or at least through-bolt into the rim jopist or banding, not ideal. Check with codes. If you ask around at the township you will often find someone who will help you with what's OK or not.
That's correct. I have to attach it about 2 ft below the joist/rim of the upper floor. I am thinking I'm going to have to put post near the house and build a free standing deck.
I would think that a ledger not lagged into the full meat of floor joists or at least a rim joist would overstress the wall it is attached to, pulling it out and away at the top or bottom of the studs. Not being an engineer, I would go with a freestanding structure and not loose any sleep. My belief is that a ledger fastened into a rim/joist combo uses the shear strength of all of the nails holding the joist down, the subfloor, and the floor plate above in conjunction with the strength of any lags screwed into solid wood (eventhough this is an endgrain screw and so is weaker than a crossgrain screw). Fastening a ledger at the top or bottom of a wall seems to stress fewer nails at the weakest part of the stud, the end be it top or bottom. I would worry that the load from the deck might pull outward on the top of the wall, levering it out from under its top plate. This is based on an understanding from just experience and some instinct, an engineer or carpenter with more experience/education may say otherwise.