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Deck Ledger Connections

Started by Don P, August 03, 2007, 08:33:23 PM

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Don P

Dr Woeste from VA Tech posted this on the inspector's forum today. A good read, most of this appeared in JLC a few years ago. It is very close to the code we've had for the past several years.
http://www.deckmagazine.com/pdf/2007/0707/0707ledg.pdf

Deck collapses injure more people per year than we realize, they typically don't make headlines like tornado's and floods but do injure more people.

Larry

Almost ready to close on selling our home.  The buyer called for a inspection by a PE.  I had a copy of the house plans as designed by the architect and built by me. 

Guess what...the first defect cited..."Lag bolt deck to house as called for on plans".  I forgot and actually found the lag bolts that I bought some 17 years ago to do the job.

I cringe when I read some posts about members substituting ERC for treated SYP in decks.  Sure it may work for the present but when they sell...100 drunks doing the bogie out on the deck and a collapse.  Besides the mental pain...your going to the poorhouse unless you can produce documentation of the wood properties.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Raphael

  I've dealt with the aftermath of two deck collapses (one had a bolted ledger and the other was supposed to but didn't) both times insufficient footings played the major role in the collapse.
  Fortunately the only death was a monster gas grill that wound up in the ravine behind the house when the saturated ground under a footing gave way in the middle of a late spring slush storm.

  My current approach is to build any deck so that doesn't need that connection to remain standing.  (Blessed are the Knee Braces)
... he was middle aged,
and the truth hit him like a man with no parachute.
--Godley & Creme

Stihl 066, MS 362 C-M & 24+ feet of Logosol M7 mill

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