Deck Ledger Mounting System for Masonry Veneer (and Other Challenging Cladding)

A new ledger mounting system from Simpson Strong-Tie solves a challenging deck connection. Deck ledgers can’t be mounted to brick or stone veneer cladding on homes. Masonry veneer is only designed to support its own weight and nothing else according to the Brick Industry Association; and there are two sections of the International Residential Code prohibiting ledger attachment.

So what can you do when building a new deck on an existing house clad with masonry veneer? The conventional work-around is to build a self-supporting deck. That means an additional row of footings, posts and a beam along the building that will clutter usable space beneath the deck.   SSTs new BVLZ system supports a deck ledger to the house without applying any load onto the existing brick or stone veneer. The ledger is suspended by two 14 in. structural screws driven diagonally upward into the house rim joist and spaced off the cladding by an adjustable stand-off they call a ‘compression strut’. The screws and strut are attached through a heavy 12 gauge G-185 / ZMAX coated steel ledger plate screwed to the face of the ledger between deck joist positions. You can think of the support working like a rock climber rappelling down a cliff. The screws are like the rope suspending the climber and the stand-off is like the climbers legs.

There are bracket-type systems for mounting a deck ledger to a veneer clad house but they are designed to be installed before the brick or stone is installed. The BVLZ system is installed over existing cladding by just drilling three 1-1/8 in. holes through the veneer per connection. A guide in the kit orients the hole drilling process.   The supporting ledger plates are screwed to the ledger at the intervals based on the joist span and live load requirements. Then the ledger is lifted to the wall and the diagonal screws are driven through the guide holes in the ledger plate, through the ledger, through two of the holes drilled in the masonry and into the rim joist. The compression struts are adjusted to press against the wall sheathing.

Though the BVLZ is designed for use on brick and stone veneer clad homes it will also work on homes clad with adhered stone/brick systems, EIFS, and walls covered with exterior insulation beneath the cladding.

The BVLZ system is listed in an IAPMO UES report. The kits include ledger plate, compression strut, plate to ledger mounting screws and 2 -14 in. TimberHex screws and will cost between $35 – $40 each and available in 1 unit and 4 unit packages for $130 – $150.

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