Replies

1. 
   Gary_Rowland | Sep 30, 1999 05:26am | #2

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   Ed, if your house is built using truss joists, then the 'band' that your deck would bolt to will only be a sheet of 1/2 inch waferboard. If it is standard framing and the deck steps down no more than 6 inches, then I would recommend bolting to the house, but also have supports at the house for extra support. Also, if you frame your deck parallel with the house, then most of the load will not be resting against the house anyway. Good luck, keep safe.

2. 
   Guest_ | Sep 30, 1999 06:05am | #3

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   Ed Not only is it not necessary it's not even the best way. It's usually done because it is faster and cheaper that way. Fastening it to a brick house is more troublesome than most other materials as it requires longer fasteners and care going through the brick. The time and effort of making it freestanding is negligible. Check local codes for how much clearance is allowed between the house and deck. Skip

3. 
   Aaron_M | Sep 30, 1999 08:52am | #4

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   Ive been building custom decks for years, and I ALWAYS attach them to the house. For brick veneer, use six inch expansion bolts laid out in between your joists. These dont have to go through the house to recieve washers and nuts. I dont think I can agree with it taking to much time. I would much rather spend my time with a drill than a shovel.

4. 
   Guest_ | Sep 30, 1999 05:11pm | #5

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   Ed, I've built many decks both ways. When I did the deck on my house, I built it completely freestanding and I think that that is probably the superior way. From on top, it looks no different than an attached deck. I like the idea that there is no ledger up against the house for junk to accumulate in and decay the house and deck. And when the deck has reached the end of its life, it will be much easier to remove and there won't be a mark on the house. It probably is slightly more work though. Jon G.

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 01, 1999 01:11am | #6

   *Thanks for your opinions. I'll keep 'em all in mind.Now I gotta find out where those pesky sewer and gas linesare buried before I dig those post-holes. Once again, thanks.

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 01, 1999 03:29am | #7

   *To avoid digging those holes, how about using deck blocks? I did a deck about 5 years ago and it hasn't moved since. Just take awat the grass and top soil, fill in with gravel/stone dust and voila. works for me.

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 01, 1999 04:15am | #8

   *Depends on frost line. Our. inspector wouldn't allow blocks; we need 24" deep footings.A suggestion: to dig postholes rent one of those machines. I haven't tried it yet but hear very good reviews. I keep cheaping out on it, but I'm damn tired of posthole digging in clay/rock after about 20 in the last few months. be extra careful of buried lines!

1. 
   Guest_ | Oct 01, 1999 04:42am | #9

   *24? Shit we need to go to 48+. 24 would be a breeze.For best results and ease of building I pour concrete piers about 8 inches above grade and use post anchors/standoffs.Setting a post in concrete ,in my opinion ,is a bad practice.

2. 
   Guest_ | Oct 01, 1999 05:39am | #10

   *And the phone lines! I called ahead of time and had the lines marked. They mismarked by a good foot and I broke into the cable. They sent me a bill for $985.00!!! (The law says one must stay two feet away from the markings...but the law only applies to digging with power, not manual post hole digging). We are still in discussion.Rich Beckman

3. 
   Guest_ | Oct 01, 1999 07:21am | #11

   *The benefits of a semi-southern latitude. (But at about 21" the clay becomes a shade softer than granite.) More months in which to pour concrete, too. Agreed about the posts in concrete, though when you don't have lateral bracing what're you gonna do? I like the pier above grade (make life as hard as possible for those termite b*stards), but a lot of people hate to see concrete for some reason.

4. 
   Guest_ | Oct 01, 1999 07:24am | #12

   *Same rule here -- you can dig as close as you like by hand. Which were you doing??? How much did you swear, and which words did you use?

5. 
   Guest_ | Oct 01, 1999 10:02am | #13

   *I was digging a post hole with a post hole digger (throw it down, pull the handles apart and pull it up). It was the eighth hole, I hit it at 30 inches deep, the same depth that that previous seven holes found hard pan....Hell, I didn't even know I hit a cable until the next morning. Only broke maybe five of the wires in the cable.Now when I got the bill I used a few words....Rich Beckman

6. 
   Guest_ | Oct 01, 1999 06:17pm | #14

   *ED You didn't mention Miss Utility but You are hep right?

7. 
   Guest_ | Oct 02, 1999 07:12pm | #15

   *Gary - I'm surprised to hear that people in your area only use 1/2" OSB as a band board. I would hope that's not common practice in most of the country. Around here, 1" rim joist is generally supplied with the I-joists. It's more than adequate to bolt a ledger to.

5. 
   Gary_Rowland | Oct 03, 1999 04:02am | #16

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   For footings around Atlanta for decks,12 inches deep and 16 inches square is sufficient. Normally, we will pour the concrete about 2 inches above ground level, then stick a 12 inch railroad spike, point up, into the concrete leaving about 6 inches above the crete. The next day we drill a corresponding hole in the 6x6 and set the post. It takes a pretty good wallop before you damage it. It will not work in a situation around cars, but is great for the weekend warrior with his Snapper!

1. 
   Gary_Rowland | Oct 03, 1999 04:11am | #17

   *Ron, it's hard to see between the siding and the inside, but it sure felt like 1/2 inch. Even if were 1 inch, do you think it would support a deck, I doubt it. For that matter, if the deck was coming down, Even a bolt thru a 2x10 would hold the deck up.

1. 
   Jack_Feir | Oct 05, 1999 06:24am | #18

   *Check with your local property tax folks. Where we used to live, a deck attached to the house was an improvement that would increase the assessed value, whereas a free-standing deck was not. Needless to say, I built our deck so it didn't quite touch the house. It helped that this was not a very high deck, so I didn't need the house to give any lateral support.Also, some day almost any deck will wear out or rot, and if it's not attached to the house the demolition will be a lot easier.

6. 
   Guest_ | Oct 05, 1999 09:50pm | #19

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   At some point in the future, we're planning
   to build a deck. We want to be able to walk
   to/from the deck through French doors ( already
   installed ). The house itself is a brick ranch.

   I remember seeing a recommendation somewhere
   about NOT connecting the deck to the house via
   the ledger. Instead it was suggested to let the
   deck be butted up to the house, but otherwise
   be able to "float", totally free of any
   connection to the house. I think the idea was to
   prevent too much stress to the header of the
   house's foundation. Of course, it would still
   be necessary to make sure we had concrete pads
   for the deck supports to rest on.

   Any opinions about NOT tying the deck to
   the house ?

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 30, 1999 04:04am | #1

   *Search the breaktime archives. This has been discussed at length several times.

7. 
   Guest_ | Oct 05, 1999 09:50pm | #20

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   There are some places that want a building permit if the deck is attached to the house, but not if it's freestanding. More important (IMO), how high off the ground is the deck? If it's only a step up from grade, it won't need the lateral support it would if your backyard went downhill from the house, or if you had a walkout basement. Then tying into the house is a must.

   While I'm here, I'm potentially going to put a small balcony out from a master bedroom on the second floor. It'll only extend about 5', but I can't cantilever by tying into the floor joists because they run parallel to the outside wall. The house is brick, too, and I've never attached one through brick before. Any ideas on the best way to do this, or any precautions?