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attaching a deck to brick veneer house

| Posted in Construction Techniques on March 25, 2003 01:07am

Anyone have suggestions for hanging a large deck on a house with a brick veneer?  I have a contractor I do sub work for who is building a new house.  I have built many decks for this builder but never on a house with a brick veneer.  This deck will be 9-10 feet high and he has a concern on how it will attach to the house.  The simple answer is 1/2″ lags and lead shields. But his concern is not the downward forces rather the possible force away from the house.  The brick veneer is of course connect to the house with ties but they are meant solely to anchor the brick….not withstand any large stresses……….I am considering anchoring short lengths of galv. I beam to the house and then having the mason brick around them and then hanging the deck on them.  What do you think??

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  1. BobKovacs | Mar 25, 2003 01:28am | #1

    Why hang it at all?  Set a girder on posts up against (or near) the house, and let the deck free-stand.  Just make sure it's adequately braced against side-sway- especially at that height.  That would be an issue regardless of attachement, actually.

    Bob

  2. mrhodes | Mar 25, 2003 01:52am | #2

    Now, I could be in left field, but I would try to drill through the mortar joint (If that veneer even has mortar).  Drill it with one of those masonary anchors and run a long bolt through into something solid and put a nut on it if you can.  If not use a lag screw.  This way you are actually secured to the fraiming.  Hope that helps. 

  3. archyII | Mar 25, 2003 02:05am | #3

    Bob is right.  It is best not to hang any deck from a house.  Set a set of concrete piers, wood columns and a wood beam 2' out from the house.  Cantilever the joists over the beam keeping the rim joist about and inch or more from the house. Now there are no flashing or sealing issues and you have not added any addtional load to the house.  You need to brace the deck to resist lateral movement.

    1. pjplus2 | Apr 18, 2003 01:51am | #4

      Sorry for the late reply - I am new to this forum and just found this thread. If the house is relatively new, doesn't  Tom need to make sure that the piers near the house are poured into virgin soil and not into soil backfilled into the void left from framing his foundation? I have the same dilemma as my house is only 6 months old and the backfill extends in some cases more than 2 feet from the house  (and down 10 feet due to my basement) . My last house had a few sink holes around the foundation from insufficient compacting so I have to assume that will happen again. I can't cantilever the beams more than 2 feet so "floating" my deck may not be an option unless I can fully compact the soil. Hopefully Tom doesn't have to deal with that situation.

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