Can a deck ledger board be two pieces?

If possible, you will want to have the ledger be one long piece of stock. However, if the length is over 16′ – 18′, it may be hard to find a straight piece that long. In this case, two pieces will work. Always try to use pieces that are at least 6′ – 8′ long.

How thick does a ledger board need to be?

Make sure the bottom of the siding will be at the desired height in relation to the decking. In our case, we want the bottom of the siding to be 1/4 inch above the decking, which will be 1-inch thick. So we rip-cut a spacer board to 1 1/4-inches thick.

Does a deck ledger board need to be one piece?

The ledger board doesn’t have to be one continuous board. It can be a series of broken sections if it is solidly attached. This will require extra bolts and installing a 2x nailer across the top of the vent to secure the decking along the house wall.

How big of a board do I need for a ledger?

As a general rule, you should use the same size of board for the ledger as you plan to use for the joists. You can use a larger board, however, if it allows for a better connection to the house framing. Calculate the length as 3 inches less than the width of the deck framing.

Can a deck be supported by a ledger board?

Ledgers should never be merely nailed to the house, and they must always connect to the house framing or foundation— never just the sheathing, which cannot support a deck. The size and spacing of the bolts should be spelled out in your building code.

What kind of lumber do you use for a ledger board?

The ledger board is another joist and is usually the same size lumber as the other joists. It rarely makes sense to use different size joists for the rims joists, ledger and interior frame joists. If you use 2-by-8 joists for the rim joists or ledger, then use 2-by-8 joists for the rest.

What’s the difference between a ledger board and a joist?

Is it because you want to span a longer distance from the ledger to the first beam? You can get more span distance from any size of joists by spacing them closer from say 16″ to 12″. This would then eliminate the need for a special joist hanger to accommodate an oversized joist against the ledger board.