Inspected this house/deck today. I’m concerned there should be more support under the corner of the deck where the rim joist meets the house. There is one lag bolt holding the ledger board and the deck floor joists connect to the rim joist running parallel to the house, so there’s more weight on the rim joist. I know it’s not a long rim joist, buth there’s also the weight from above at this corner. My thinking is there should be another pole under this corner. Any insight would be appreciated!
By comparing the length of that small section or rim joist to the size of brick it looks like it is around 12", supported by only one 3/8" bolt. It doesn’t look like it would take much before the rim joist splits and people get hurt.
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I am not going to comment on the cure, but as Jeff noted, that is a concentrated load on a singular bolt on a deck attached to the brick veneer. Furthermore, this deck would have to be engineered vs using a typical deck prescription due to the roof.
I do not like the bolt patterns, the attachment to the veneer, no visible ledge flashing, and the load points. Personally, I would write pretty hard.
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The best cure is to put a post there. Another case of the builder trying to make things look pretty while ignoring the possible consequences.
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Thanks for the confirmation! Everything I saw kept adding up to “that just doesn’t look right.” I appreicate your feedback.
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It does not solve the other issues, but I agree with you on that one load point.
Not only should there be a post there, IMO, but they shouldn’t have supported the ledger through the brick veneer, that is unless it’s solid mortar, but from here it doesn’t appear to be.
DCA6 Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide Based on 2012 IRC
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Hey Kevin, Thanks for the note. The majority of the time, at least down here in the south, the decks are attached through the veneer. So much that I had to create a canned comment just months into my inpsection career.
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Same here, Anthony. But I will say I have seen some improvement the last couple of years on new construction.
IMO, that is not a prescriptive deck. It has a roof which is not covered in the IRC. I am just adding this for clarification so we don’t hold a multi-story deck, a larger deck or a deck with a roof to this standard, which may be insufficient for a larger deck with expansive loads. However, it is a great guide for some basics.
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I disagree, yes it has a roof, but unless the floor structure is cantilevered, which the one in the OP is clearly not, the same rules would apply to the ledger.
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As others have mentioned, I would not provide insight into the correct solution, as I am not a structural engineer. However, I would point out that the installation appears to be improper and recommend seeking professional evaluation.