Hi,
I’m planning on completely rebuilding a small deck off the back of our house. I bought Taunton’s “Build a Deck” book but I have a couple of questions.
1) The current deck has the ledger connected to the frame of the house (part of the siding was removed). The current deck has no flashing etc. Anyways, how do I flash the ends of the ledger? I am planning on adding a joist on the two ends of the ledger. Should I remove the siding including the width of these two joists? I know how the flash the top but the book doesn’t really explain about the sides. If the siding hole is big enough for the widths of the end joists, then the end of the siding will be on the outside of deck. I’m just curious about the small space between the end of the last outside joist and the beginning of the siding.
2) Also, the current hole in the siding is directly below the kitchen door. As I said earlier, there currently is no flashing. The book says to slide “L” shaped flashing behind the siding. Since the door frame is right at the top of the existing hole, how would I install flashing directly under the door? (On the sides of the door it won’t be a problem. Do I just have flashing on the two sides and caulk under the door? Do I have one long piece of flashing which I cut out the space for the door frame (not sure how easy that would be).
I mostly just want to make sure the connection to the house is properly flashed and caulked. Any help would be appreciated.
Edited 7/1/2004 12:36 pm ET by nic
Edited 7/1/2004 4:34 pm ET by nic
Replies
Not to bait anyone but......
Someone HAS to know the best way to flash/caulk the sides of the ledger when building a deck..
I'm just a rookie who needs some help ;)
I just tried this, so I know it works: Go to "Fine Homebuilding" by clicking on the little box at the top of the screen. Then click on archives of past articles and for subject choose Decks and Porches and under categories choose "Decks". There are 17 articles--the one that is probably closest to what you want is in the Nov. 1985 issue and is calledd "Deck Design". There are others that look good too. One of those should tell you everything you need to know. (or just look it up in your past issues)
hmmmm. I've already bought the Taunton Deck book and they glossed over the side ledger part (besides that the book is great). To view the article cost 3.50 and I don't even know if my question will be answered (I kinda doubt it since the whole book didn't mention it). Maybe it isn't that big of deal but it seems kinda important.
I was just hoping someone who had built a deck before could say what they did to the side of the ledger.....
this is more of a bump than anything..
If I am hearing ya right, you mean the area where the outermost joist attaches to the ledger?..if so, just caulk where it meets the house, being a verticle space, it is not a water trap. I don't usually do anything there..unless siding is butted to it.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Nic,
Don't take my advice as authoritative, but to get the ball rolling....
I would flash the end the same way you flash the top, only turned ninety degrees. Have L shaped flashing that you slip under the siding and over the end....maybe even have it bend around the front of the ledger.
The real tricky part here is the corner where the top flashing meets the side...I would have the side flashing cut so the leg against the house goes up above the top of the ledger and the leg on the ledger bends down onto the top of the ledger.
Then the flashing on top has the leg on the house (under the siding) go past the end of the ledger and the leg on the ledger bends down over the end of the ledger.
If that all makes sense. A great flashing job shouldn't need caulk, but the top corners at the ends of the ledger could use a bit of good quality caulk.
I would do as you described at the doorway. But if you can get any upturn on the edge of the flashing that's against the house, do so. Even 1/8" would be helpful. Caulking here is not a bad idea either, especially at the sides of the door where you created the corners in the flashing by cutting out the verticle leg for the sake of the door.
The whole time I'm doing stuff like this, I think about that drop of water coming down the wall and I make sure what I do keeps that drop on the outside.
But you also have to make sure you leave the bottom of the ledger in such a state so if a drop gets in, there is a place for it to get out.
Rich Beckman
Another day, another tool.
The purpose of the flashing is primarily to protect the house, not the deck. Flashing should be applied accordingly. You want to keep the moisture in the area of the ledger from getting into the house and from collecting between the ledger and the rim. You want the water to run over the flashing, thus avoiding getting in behind the ledger. There are many ways of achieving this, as some of the others have posted. Unfortunately, I find that in the last two years here in the Kansas City area, not one deck that I have seen installed has been flashed or even had the ledger and bolt holes sealed with caulk. I think this is a disaster waiting to happen in the next ten to twenty years when rims start rotting, especially with stucco houses. I have built several decks, all of them freestanding. I do not like to weaken the integrity of the siding. If I ever build a deck large enough and high enough off of the ground so that it requires mechanical connection to the home, I will be very careful to address the issue of flashing.Les Barrett Quality Construction
Nic, the flashing 'system' for the ledger needs to extend at least a foot past the ledger on either side. The metal Z-flash used on top of the ledger does not extend, but the felt behind it does. The Z-flash does not need to flash the ends of the ledger either (my opinion) because what you've already done behind the ledger should already be more than adequate.
There's no way to simply remove one board in the area of the ledger and have adequate access for paper and flashing. For example, if you're installing a 24 foot deck on a 32 foot wall, remove all 32 feet of siding from the below the ledger to about a foot above it.
Start with a piece of new felt over the existing, at a height just above the ledger height. Install the ledger over the new felt, and then install a metal Z-flash over the ledger. You will have to have this piece made by a sheet metal shop. On the last deck I did I had a Z-flash made at 2" x 1-3/4" x 1/2". That means it goes up the wall 2", out over the ledger 1-3/4", and down the face of the ledger 1/2". Once the Z-bar is installed, add a final piece of felt that starts on the horizontal surface of the Z-bar and goes up behind the existing felt at least a foot.
A final note... I use a 2x ledger but I attach vertical strips to the back of it... rips of PT lumber 1/4" thick and 1-1/2" wide... 16" on center at the bolt locations. This way the ledger is not flat against the wall but is held out by 1/4". That air space allows some drying back there if there's condensation or other moisture. That's why I say the Z-flash is 1-3/4" and not 1-1/2" projection.
Below are a drawing and a photo that hopefully will help. Don't skimp on the flashing detail. Once you've done this, you can re-side the area and then start building the deck.
http://www.bailerhill.com/ledger1.jpg
http://www.bailerhill.com/ledger2.jpg
David, that's a very clean installation, but how do you attach your hangers and joists, when the flashing sticks out and over like that ?
Use snips to notch the flashing for the joist hangers, and notch the tops of the joists (just a saw kerf will do) so the flashing isn't pinned in there... although I suppose it could be. Main thing is to install the Z so that it's not level, but pitched away from the house a hair.
David does nice work, and I fully agree with his method of puting spacers behind the ledger. I like to put a big strip of ice and water membrane on the wall tucked up under the siding and hanging down below any wood (if just above the foundation) or over flashing that protects siding below the deck. I then use 2x4 spacers to keep the ledger 1-1/2" away from the house and my lags or bolts go through these. There is no flashing over the PT ledger. Any water that lands on the ledger goes behind it and drips free to the ground.
Aluminum is very susceptible to the corrosive effcts of the new ACQ PT lumber. Now, I just use the roofing membrane where possible. Next time I need metal, I'll be looking for copper ($ouch$!).
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
Nic: I think the reason you won't often find these details in books or magazines is that these situations vary so much and are often unique to a particular job. Just apply common sense and try to visualize what water will do. Flashings must go under anything above them and over anything below them. Vertical joints should overlap at least a couple of inches. Don't create any pockets that can trap water. Try to imagine how any water running down the side of the house will be conducted away from wood and to the ground.
It's good that you are thinking about these things. That puts you way ahead of many people. A bad ldger - and there are many of them - can cause terrible damage to a house.
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA