On 8/14/17 10:01 AM, tdacon wrote:
I'll take Mike's word on sealing the ledger. You're talking to
long-time classic wooden boat guys here - my friend is an
English-trained shipwright, and I've owned a classic wooden sloop for
over forty years. So we know caulk. Fresh water leaks are the death
of a wooden boat.

Thanks again,

Tom


My advice was to not use a ledger at all. I advise to use separate
footings/posts and not have the deck physically attached to the house at
all. If digging too close to the house is a deterring issue, then you
could always put the posts 3 or 4 feet away from the house and
cantilever the joists over the beam, to the house.

However, if you decide to use a ledger against the house, just do your
homework first.
It's not just a matter of sealing. You really need to use proper
flashing that goes up under the siding and down over the ledger.

Also, look into the newer technology that uses bolts that go through the
rim joists and attach to the floor joists to prevent the rim joist from
pulling away from the framing.

Honestly, digging a few more posts holes is a lot less work, anyway, and
then you don't even have to worry about waterproofing and ledger bolts,
etc.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
www.mikedrums.com