The job I’m on now… builder built a 6′ x 20′ deck on the 2nd floor and attached the ledger board directly to the T-111 plywood siding. Water/snow, ect sat on the ledger and rotted both it and the plywood behind it. My question is what would have been the proper way to do this?? My fix is to remove the ledger all together, repair the siding and joist hanger the deck joists off the 2nd floor box. I figure if I keep the first deck board back 1/2″ off the siding I should get enough drainage. Anybody else care to venture a suggestion?
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Repair the siding making sure framing behind is sound. Attach a new ledger board by bolting through siding into existing box beam. Be sure to use some type of spacers, either PT rips or small stacks of washers to hold ledger aprox. 3/8"-1/2" off of siding in order to drain/vent moisture.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Thanks for the reply, I tore off the rotten ledger and plywood today and guess what ....no more box. I was looking at the 2nd fl floor joists. The 1st fl top plate was gone also. Some sort of worm like bug I never saw before. It wasn't a termite or a carpenter ant we have plenty of them around. This was something even the exterminator couldn't identify over the phone. He's coming out on Monday. I'll wait till then to figure out whats next.