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The Daily Insight

What is a ledger on a deck

Author

Emma Valentine

Published Apr 08, 2026

The deck ledger is the deck floor rim board attached to the house, and it should be positively connected to the floor structure of the main building with bolts or lag screws, not nails.

What is a framing ledger?

The ledger provides much of a deck’s strength; it supports the joists at one end, and it provides stiffness to the framing. … The ledger is made of the same material as the rest of the framing—usually pressure-treated lumber.

Is a ledger board structural?

Attached decks, or ledger decks, are fastened to a building’s wall using a piece of naturally decay-resistant lumber, pressure-treated dimensional lumber, or engineered lumber known as a ledger board; often simply referred to as a “ledger.” It’s usually bolted or screwed to the structural framing inside the adjoining …

What is a ledger in construction?

A construction ledger is a record a company keeps to documents all the charges associated with a construction project. The ledger may also contain information about the contractors who worked on the project and the dates that they completed certain tasks.

Do you need to attach deck to house?

The deck needs to be connected to, and built off of, a ledger board, which is attached to the wall. … A deck will have to support a lot of weight — furniture, barbecue, people — so this is not the job for nails, or even screws, which do not have the sheer strength for this job.

How do you attach a roof ledger to a house?

Attach the ledger with 1/2-inch-diameter lag screws or bolts every 16 inches (or as specified by local building codes). Slip stainless-steel washers between the ledger and the siding to allow water to flow behind the ledger. If you can’t get behind the joist to cinch down nuts, use lag screws.

Is a ledger board a beam?

A ledger board is a horizontal lumber beam attached to an existing wall and used to tie in construction elements such as porch roofs and decks. A deck ledger is installed as part of the deck frame construction. The frame is then attached at either end, with the deck joists butting up to it.

Can a ledger board be 2x6?

Trex recommends 16″ OC at most, 12″ if running the boards diagonally. This is fine for 2×6 spacing. For the ledger, it’s worth replacing so it’s the same size. You might not be able to fully secure the larger hangers to the smaller ledger.

How do you attach a ledger board to a house for a pergola?

Another way to attach a pergola to your home is by using a ledger board that you can attach to your home’s wall. Use galvanized or stainless steel screws to attach it securely to the wall and then run the rafters from the ledger board to the beam on the other side that is supported by the posts placed as normal.

How do you secure a ledger board to concrete?

Use a wood bit to drill ½” pilot holes through the ledger board. Next, use a concrete bit to drill into the concrete wall. Install two bolts at the end of each ledger board. Hammer the sleeve anchor through the ledger board into the concrete wall.

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What is a beam ledger?

noun. a reinforced-concrete beam having projecting ledges for receiving the ends of joists or the like.

How much weight can a ledger board hold?

The ledger is 10′ long so every foot of ledger must be designed to carry at least 200 lbs of load.

Can you attach a ledger board to a mobile home?

Build the roof for the porch onto the exterior wall of the mobile home. Attach a 2 x 6 ledger board to the studs on the wall using lag bolts. The ledger board should be about 1 1/2 inches below the roof line of the mobile home.

How do I attach a ledger board to a house with vinyl siding?

  1. Locate the rim joist and mark an outline on the siding where you want to position the ledger board using a tape measure, pencil and chalk line. …
  2. Cut away the marked area of siding with tin snips.

What size ledger board do I need?

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 you attach a ledger board to studs?

MiTek’s WSWH Washer Head Structural Wood Screw can be used to attach a ledger to studs directly, through 1/2″ APA rated sheathing or through one or two layers of 5/8″ gypsum wallboard (drywall).

Can you attach a deck ledger to wall studs?

Mike Guertin (on Instagram @mike_guertin), a builder and remodeler in East Greenwich, R.I., and a presenter at JLC Live, responds: Yes, it’s technically possible to fasten a deck ledger to the narrow faces of 2-by studs rather than to a solid rim joist.

Does a deck need a ledger board?

Yes, the deck needs to be tied to the house. You will want to install a ledge board that’s lag bolted to the structure of the house. That means through the brick/sheathing and into the rim joist. And, of course, you should use the appropriate metal hanger to tie the joists of the deck to the ledger board.

Can freestanding deck be attached to house?

Free-standing doesn’t mean the deck can’t be attached to the house, it just means that the deck frame must be self-supporting. You can still install a couple bolts or screws into the house frame – just as long as the deck has footings all around.

Should a ledger board be pressure treated?

Installing the Ledger Board The lumber for the ledger and all framing members must be pressure-treated for exterior use. The ledger will establish the height of your deck. This is an absolutely critical connection and must be installed properly to ensure the strength and safety of the deck.

What is another name for ledger board?

The definition of ledger board in the dictionary is a timber board forming the top rail of a fence or balustrade. Other definition of ledger board is Also called: ribbon strip. a timber board fixed horizontally to studding to support floor joists.

Can a ledger board be two pieces?

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 much does it cost to build a roof over a deck?

Average Cost to Build a Roof Over a Deck But we can give you an average range of prices that it would most likely fall within. They include: Adding any deck covering or enclosure will typically cost between $1,000 – $10,000. Adding a covered roof to your deck will typically cost between $3,000 – $10,000.

Can you attach a ledger board to fascia?

If you own a two-story home, you can tie the ledger into a band joist. Find the band joist by measuring down from the 2nd story window. When you attach the ledger boards to the fascia, they should be held securely with bolts through the wall, or you can use lag screws.

Do I need planning permission for a pergola attached to my house?

You will need planning permission for your pergola if it’s on the front of your house. You will need planning permission for your pergola if it is in a conservation area, on the side of your house between the house and the boundary wall. … Any sort of veranda, balcony or raised platform will need planning permission.

How do you anchor a ledger board to brick?

  1. Mark anchor locations on your ledger and drill through the board with a ½” bit.
  2. Position the ledger against the wall and mark the anchor positions through the hole onto the wall.
  3. Drill through the brick veneer with a ½ inch masonry bit in a hammer drill, until you reach the wood frame behind.

Will pergola make house dark?

Will a Pergola make a house dark? When built next to your house, whether freestanding or attached, the Pergola can have knock-on effects. The key purpose of a Pergola is to offer shade but if it is constructed outside of a window this may result in the room feeling too dark.

Should deck joists be 2x6 or 2x8?

For upper-level decks, 2×10 is recommended as the minimum size to use for strong guard post connections. 2×6 joists should only be used on ground-level decks that do not require, and will not provide for, any guards. … Most decking is not strong enough to support longer spans than 16″.

What size should deck joists be?

Commonly used joist sizes are 2-by-6, 2-by-8 and 2-by-10. For example, when you space joists 16″ apart — which is standard for residential decks — a deck spanning 9 1/2′ would require 2-by-6 joists, a 13′ deck would need 2-by-8 joists and a 16′ deck calls for 2-by-10 joists.

How do you attach a hollow block to a ledger board?

When attaching a ledger to hollow masonry block, use adhesive anchors, such as the Epcon A7 from ITW Red Head (800/348-3231, ) or the Hilti HIT HY 20 system (866/445-8827, ).

Can you use Tapcons for ledger board?

It probably did not equate to us getting many new products but there was a lot of good information regarding fasteners and joist hangers. Titen HD anchors (Tapcons on steroids as some call them) even in galvanized finish are not to be used in exterior application. Never to be used to attach Ledger Boards.