Today’s inspection had screws connecting the ledger board to the house and in areas where I expected lag bolts. The pictures show the areas where I expected to see the screws; on the boards creating the cantilever for the back deck along with at the ledger board. Are hese types of screws allowable?
Also, on the interior, it appears to me as though the rim joist is damaged. In some photos you can see where the screws come through connecting the ledger board, but my concern here is the damage to the rim joist. It’s as though the previous ledger board was ripped off and damaged the ledger board. Can the rim joist sustain this type of damage and still be functional?
I need the expertise/experience of someone who may have seen this before. Any insight would be appreciated.
That is a structural screw that can be substituted for a 1/2” lag bolt if done properly. The 2x lumber at the cantilevered ends would likely require notching into the posts. There is a shear capacity to those screws and you would have to do the math to see if your application is acceptable.
The girders should bear directly on posts. Not seeing lag bolts. No Simpson joist hangers or other related hardware. No diagonal bracing on the deck frame or the beam to posts. Can’t speak to the condition of the rim joist with the limited info from the pics. I would recommend review and repair by a qualified contractor.
I may request an SE review the whole deck structure. Above deck there is a beam supporting the roof structure and the post supporting the beams rests on the deck with no support beneath.
No no no. I would not accept that outer “beam” to be side attached to the posts. Notched and bolted is the only correct way IMO. And the blow out on the back of the outer rim joist/band is just as bad. They just rammed those lags thru there with an hammer drill and never looked back.
That would be my call also. Referring to a “qualified contractor” would be a mistake IMO, as they either don’t want to get involved with another contractors problems, or they want only to get in and out with the cash, thus a crap repair job!
FYI; Those appear to be GRK fasteners. They should have RSS printed on the screw cap, designating them as code approved structural screws. Other screws are not structural. There is an engineering table available for RSS screws when used to secure ledger boards to the house framing. The table is available on the GRK web site that is helpful to evaluate if they are properly installed: spacing and quantity. I keep that table on my clipboard for reference.
There is an engineered solution for the post/rim joist connection, engineered by Simpson Strong Tie. Graphics from the NACHI library:
Thanks to everyone for their input. I’ve seen a lot in the few years I’ve been inspecting but today was a learning experience. I appreciate you all sharing your expertise.
rcloyd
(Russell Cloyd, KY LIC #166164, IN LIC#HI02300068)
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Even with the ledger plates placed at each column, the whole thing looks sketchy to me. I would recommend evaluation by a registered structural engineer.
Do you reference information like this in your reports? I’m inclined to do so, especially when using the narration, “Numerous safety and structural issues observed. Have corrections made using the services of a licensed building contractor”. Thanks for this link!
Not any more, Mike, I am retired, but I did post the details that were not followed on some of the defects I found. Today I would post the link so the client can review themselves.
Those guidelines are for single story decks of a certain size. Though I think it is very useful to have this information and much of it applies to the deck pictured. But the deck pictured due to its size and roof would lead me to believe it was “designed” according to other requirements by the architect. This is one of the reasons why I would elevate it to an SE. Just my 2 cents.
