I inspected a townhouse yesterday built by a well known area builder (2006); he has always built his decks in a similar manner and I always call out the issues. Column attachment was obvious as well as the buried columns. Less obvious was the ledger attachment where the ledger is bolted through the exterior sheathing. A total of three bolts are used to attach this deck to a home constructed with trusses and no perimeter band joist.
Hi…I possed a bolt challenge is the Structural forum. You can check out the last 3 pages, or so. Maybe you can bring this up (if you wish - ie: ledger if a problem). You may find some stuff that will also add to your resources.
Refer to a structural engineer or a licensed contractor. If collapse could caue injury or death I would refer to structural engineer.
oh no, still recovering from your last thread
Oh crap, here we go again!!!
I would not refer a structural engineer in this case. Just a contractor who knows what the heck he is doing;-)
He can use the NACHI equation to check if the spacing is ok.
InterNACHI’s ledger fastener spacing formula provides inspectors with a rule-of-thumb:
On-center spacing of ledger fasteners in inches = 100 ÷ joist length in feet.
A deck with substantially fewer ledger fasteners than that recommended by InterNACHI’s formula may be unsafe.
However, since safety is always a concern it would be better to refer to a structural engineer, unless the contractor you check with is, or has on staff a structural engineer.