My 'simple' deck expansion in Denver turned into a structural headache

I planned to add a 10-foot section to my back deck last spring, thinking it was just more of the same framing and decking. Halfway through, I found the original ledger board was only nailed on, not bolted, and it was pulling away from the house. I had to stop everything, get a permit I didn't think I needed, and replace the entire 20-foot ledger with proper lag bolts and flashing. The whole thing took an extra two weeks and about $800 in unplanned materials. Anyone else had a 'small' project blow up because of something the last guy did wrong?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly612d ago

Ledger boards are a classic hidden problem. I had to sister new joists under my whole deck when I found rot from bad flashing. Pulling that permit was annoying but it forced me to fix the drainage properly. What did the inspector say about your fix?

emma722d ago

Ugh, I feel your pain. My inspector made me add a metal flashing that extends over the house wrap and tucks under the siding. He said the old way of just caulking the top of the ledger was a guaranteed leak. It was a hassle but now I know it's done right.