Just finished tearing off a 20 year old deck off the side of a 100+ year old post & beam. Deck was never flashed, rotted off the house, rotted the sill, etc.
We just finished repairing the sill… major PITA.
The siding on this house is 1×8 T&G with a V detail on the edge. There is no sheathing on the house, nor building paper. So I’m just trying to think of what the best practice would be for this situation. Here are the 2 options I came up. Feel free to share which one you think is better, or another solution.
1. Install a layer of Grace directly onto the framing, dropped a couple inches below the sill. Install the ledger spaced 1/2″ off the framing, then an L flashing, and then building paper over that as high as i’ve peeled off the siding. So that’s one thought…
2. The other thought is install 3/4″ PT ply over the sill at the height of the ledger, wrap with the Grace. Flash that with a Z flashing, more Grace over the Z flashing onto the framing. Then install the ledger as previously described, L flashing, and building paper over that.
maybe its six of one, half a dozen of the other…
Replies
BEST way is to treat the 1x8 like the wall sheathing it is, and install house wrap over it and a real siding.
so your suggestion is that I try and sell the customer on installing new siding over the existing?!SHould I also try and sell him on the benefits of a rain screen detail while i'm at it???
Yes, you should try to sell them on siding and a rain screen, for the ideal situation. But what k1c says is also fine if you can't sell them on the upgrade.
Freestanding decks are also a great idea. You could set the support posts away from the house two or three feet, run a girder over them, and cantilever the joists back toward the house.
Even better would be to make it free standing and not attach it to the house.
I considered that.The existing foundation is rubble stone and my experience is that these walls usually splay out as they go down (since most never had footings). And I don't want to dig down 4' next to it... i don't know if it would survive.
Usual practice for deck is to cut the siding above the ledger and a bit more for flashing reveal, so I would start from there. Siding is never part of the structure for a deck anyway, so I would cut the siding, install 2x beam so that bolt or screw can hold, like a regular house. Then flash all around, coming from under the siding and over this beam. Use copper if budget allows, for better look. Use weather seal only where fasteners will penetrate or to separate pt from metal. From there, it should be normal deck installation, starting with air space and pt ledger. Hope this helps.