Can a deck be built without a ledger board?

A house with a brick veneer, which you cannot attach a ledger to. Or even a house with stucco, yes, you can bolt the ledger to the house, but the building envelope’s damage makes it better not to attach the deck to the house.



Building a Deck Beside the House but NOT Connected to the House.

Floating Deck Footing Frost Deck Footing
Labour 30 Minutes 2 hours

Can deck be wider than ledger board?





As a general rule, you should use the same size of board for the ledger as you plan to use for the joists. You can use a larger board, however, if it allows for a better connection to the house framing. Calculate the length as 3 inches less than the width of the deck framing.

Does my deck have to be attached to my house?

Without any solid attachment a house, your deck will sway and wobble. It needs bracing, especially if it is high off the ground.

How do you attach a ledger board to an existing deck?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: One. So now that you have your ice and water shield on now you can attach your ledger board. So once you determine your height you level it off we'll put some temporary screw in for now to hold it.

Do freestanding decks need footings?

According to the main code provision for footings, the only requirement for building a deck that is freestanding is that it must have a minimum footing depth of 12 inches below the undisturbed ground surface. There is no need to extend a footing below the frost line, as is required for standard decks.

What is a non Ledger deck?





A freestanding deck is a self-supporting deck structure built independently from a house wall ledger board attachment. Some freestanding decks stand alone in an open area. Above-ground pool decks are often built freestanding in this fashion.

Can I use a 2×8 for a ledger board?

placing a 2×10 ledger board against a 2×8 rim joist is irrelevant and should not compromise the safety of the structure at all under most conditions. Check with your local code enforcement agency and local structural engineers to be sure.

How wide should a deck ledger be?

Ledger shall be a minimum of 2×8 nominal. Where guards are required, outside joists and rim joists shall be a minimum of 2×8 nominal.

Should deck joists be 2×6 or 2×8?

For upper-level decks, 2×10 is recommended as the minimum size to use for strong guard post connections. 2×6 joists should only be used on ground-level decks that do not require, and will not provide for, any guards.

How many lag bolts for a ledger board?



The International Residential Code lists two fasteners for directly attaching ledgers to a house: 1/2-inch-diameter hot-dip-galvanized hex-head machine bolts and 1/2-inch-diameter hot-dip-galvanized lag screws.

Do deck rim joists need to be doubled?

It is advisable to increase the rigidity and strength of your deck’s rim or perimeter in order to reduce bounce and provide a solid foundation for your rail system. This can be accomplished in a couple of ways. You may want to install double rim joists across long sections to respond to the flexibility of the material.

How much weight can a ledger board hold?

The ledger is 10′ long so every foot of ledger must be designed to carry at least 200 lbs of load.

How thick should a ledger board be?



The decking is 1-inch thick, so the top of the ledger is 1 1/8 inch below the bottom of the sill.

How many footings do I need for a 12×20 deck?

Quick Attached Deck Footing Chart

Size of Deck Beam Size Number of Footings
16′ x 16′ (3) 2×8 3
20′ x 12′ (2) 2×8 3
20′ x 14′ (2) 2×8 3
20′ x20′ 2 beams (2) 2×8 6 (2 rows of 3)

How do you attach a ledger board to a house?

Attaching a Ledger Board to Your House

  1. Remove Siding. Determine the outside dimensions of the framing for the deck and add ½” to 1″ to that length. …
  2. Important. …
  3. Set the Height of the Ledger Board. …
  4. Block Joists from Inside the House. …
  5. Install First Flashing Piece. …
  6. Bolt Ledger in Place. …
  7. Install Second Flashing. …
  8. Attach Joist Hangers.


Is a ledger board necessary?



A deck ledger board is needed to support one end of the deck joists with a deck beside a house. The ledger is fastened to your adjoining home, distributing half of the deck weight and live load (forces applied to the deck such as furniture, people, etc.

How do I attach a ledger board to a house with vinyl siding?

Snap a chalk line, cut out the siding and tack up the ledger board. Then slip flashing behind the siding, covering the top edge of the ledger. Start by making an outline on the siding where you want to position the ledger board.

Can you attach ledger board to foundation?

When attaching a ledger board to a masonry wall, you will want to first cut the ledger board to size and have two helpers hold it in place so you can drill two holes every 12” through the wood where your bolts will be installed.

Can you use Tapcons for ledger board?

Titen HD anchors (Tapcons on steroids as some call them) even in galvanized finish are not to be used in exterior application. Never to be used to attach Ledger Boards.

How do you attach a ledger board to a house for a patio cover?



Attach the ledger with 1/2-inch-diameter lag screws or bolts every 16 inches (or as specified by local building codes). Slip stainless-steel washers between the ledger and the siding to allow water to flow behind the ledger. If you can’t get behind the joist to cinch down nuts, use lag screws.