Hi Guys,

I would like to add some decks to my house, and I need to rebuild a deck that is in really bad shape that was original to the house. The footings appear  in good shape, I am not sure how deep they go, maybe 20-24 inches.  The deck has not really settled that badly nothing really noticeable. The posts on the original deck are undersized-4×4’s set in the concrete, the reason I say they are undersized is that there is a 12 foot drop from the bottom of the existing deck to the ground. The existing deck is also pretty shaky. I would like to add a deck platform for a walkout basement sliding door unit directly below the upper deck. Any problem with using the old footings? I might use the old posts for the bottom deck and then cut the old 4by4’s off, and use new 4by’s and post footings on the surface of the bottom deck centered over top of the old 4by’s this way the older lumber would be mostly hidden. this would also break the vertical distance and with proper bracing techniques should give me a stiffer deck.Could someone give me some input on this plan, the decks are small 8×12 rectangles?

My second question is what is the proper way to attach ledger boards to brick veneer/block walls, and brick veneer/insulboard over stud walls? This question pertains to the new decks, the older upperdeck will bolt to the band joist. Can I just use lagscrews and shields in the brick veneer, or should I drill into the block? If I drill into the block it seems like the fasteners will have to span the air space and could damage the softer brick, maybe pulling it in when I tighten them? I have seen epoxy fastening systems but they are not used much around here and I don’t think I can find them.

Thanks in advance for replies and any advice would be appreciated.

Chris