How to Anchor a Deck to Brick Veneer

[@userfriendly06]

How do you know you're not over tightening? Theoretically, with this method if you kept tightening your lags couldn't you push/pull the brick veneer into the sheathing? I'd rather go freestanding. So many benefits.

[@dmitry6472]

Yes, from my small research of this issue going through brick to reach wood shouldn't be a solution.

[@MrFitness94]

Thank you, man from 6 years ago sharing my same concerns

[@entropypgh]

Simpson makes a bracket (BVLZ) to do this correctly. As @userfriendly06 points out, it would be very easy to over-tighten the lag going straight into the rim joist of the house. The BVLZ basically creates an offset that stops the lag from pulling the brick into that air gap.

[@dgomes265]

He should clarify that the foundation wall would have to be a sold poured concrete foundation. Thinking this would not work on a block wall foundation.

[@adamjlamb]

Georgia/Florida architect here - This is how to install straight from 2018 international residential code (now adopted in many states). This does not show brick, but is a similar condition. The guy in this video is not a hack but he is giving technical information to a broad audience. There are many ways to errantly install this detail, so it really depends on why you are doing it. To ensure code compliance, I recommend hiring a professional deck installer, but if you are willing to do a lot of technical research in the residential building code, the average handy homeowner could figure this out. If you doubt yourself, hire a professional.

[@adamjlamb]

Couldn’t figure out how to upload image, but here’s a link to 2018 IRC (chapter 5): codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2018/chapter-5-floors

[@Googaliemoogalie]

how does one find the center of the floor joist to drill into?

[@jbehzad]

I think you bolt in to the header which all around the foundation not to the middle of floor joices . End of floor joists attached to the headers .

[@Dancorcoran68]

The edge of the floor framing is called a rim board/joist, not a header. Header implies you are spanning an opening.

[@GroundPoundersPlace]

Or bolt a support for the ledger board on the foundation in that case?

[@mikez4132]

Nice idea actually. Or build free standing. Probably could just work with an engineer and your inspector in your town.

[@olgasM3]

Nicely explained. Thank you. Is this typical to pre-war 1900s' building construction as well as contemporary homes?

[@willietheboggle3954]

Do not do this he is a hack

[@GlassTopRX7]

OK I have this very scenario. Brick house floor is about 42" above the ground with brick porch and stair. Planning on building the deck in that corner. From reading through the comments I should build the 12'x12' deck free standing and not physically attatched to the house or porch, correct?

[@baileylineroad]

+GlassTopRX7 Good Morning! First things I should ask is what sort of brick situation is it? Is it a brick veneer or structural brick wall (i.e multiple bricks thick)? Also, How much higher is the brick than the foundation wall below it? If it's easier we can communicate by email: [e-mail]. Take care, Steve

[@GlassTopRX7]

***** I tried sending some messages to your emial but I think I figured how I will do it now. After looking at the designs for freestanding the task seems less daunting. I think this video saved me from making some huge mistakes.

[@willietheboggle3954]

Steve Maxwell first thing you should ask is where to find proper information. It took me one google search to make all your info in this video WRONG

[@spondulip6354]

then where is it? stop bitching and be helpful. @@willietheboggle3954

[@GeraldForsburg]

I disagree about fastening through the veneer. The concept fails when the brick veneer is removed (fails) and there is suddenly several inches of the unsupported bolt in the space. Attached to the concrete is the preferred method. Otherwise, there are a few accepted fasteners that have been tested to work through the brick veneer, but they are angled specifically to maintain the force should the brick veneer fail.

[@rgagnon1008]

I agree, and so does the IRC. A Lag bolt through the ledger, the brick, the air gap, and into the rim board is against code. NO LOAD is allowed to be placed on the brick veneer. This has been in the IRC since the 1950's or so.

[@jaybaraki7103]

Hi Steve, what kind of a fastener and how long it should be to reach the foundation's wood thanks

[@NewWaveSports229]

This is very wrong. You can use a Simpson BVLZ fitting as long as you account for lateral load but the method your described would fail inspection. Id make you add the BVLZ fittings. The method shown still bears on the brick veneer

[@junity1]

@2:25 !! Did he say extend the bolt into the house floor frame ??? This is absolutely wrong !!! Careful what you learn on KZbin !

[@13swe13]

This is NOT correct. Drilling through the brick veneer does NOT meet code. Dropping so you can anchor into the foundation is good, but otherwise you need to find another method. (simpson brackets, posts next to the house to support the load, cut the brick and add brackets, etc...)

[@richardstreetman998]

This detail is prohibited by the 2009 and 2012 International Building Codes and the 2013 American Wood Council's Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide. Decks at a brick veneer cavity wall are forbidden to be attached to or through the brick and must be supported from the ground.

[@baileylineroad]

+John David Hi John. You're absolutely right about not fastening a deck to a brick veneer. Building inspectors that I've consulted in preparation for this video approve fastening the deck floor to the wood framing inside the brick veneer. I show their approved methods here in this video. The same process applies when fastening a second-story deck to the outside of a brick veneer structure. Thanks for watching. Steve

[@Cpt1nsano]

I was a building official and do not approve of this detail. Couple reasons why; 1) when you load the bolts, they are unsupported at the air gap and therefor have a bending moment. What ends up happening is that the loads still end up transferring to the brick veneer. 2) as contractors torque on the bolts it puts a lateral load on the brick veneer and damage the veneer. They only time this attachment detail is allowed in Ontario, Canada is when using this detail to attach a carport or shed roof to a brick veneer. The proper way is to remove enough brick such that you can attach structural members in direct contact with each other. Common way is to run beams perpendicularly through the veneer into the structural and then attach. Joists can then rest on, or hang off of these beams.

[@willietheboggle3954]

Steve Maxwell I don't care what your "inspector" says. You don't build decks this way. If you have this situation then you build freestanding deck with the ledger bolted to the framing of the house to mitigate side to side shifting. The load needs to be carried by a post and beam structure. Also a critical aspect of your design needs to include proper flashing tucked pointed into the brick to alleviate water ingress that will rust the fasteners and compromise the whole structure. I have fixed several decks that "passed" inspection.

[@willietheboggle3954]

Steve Maxwell the more I read your comments the more pissed off I get. I would not let YOUR dog out on this deck let alone my children. My Moto is I don't build it unless I would put my children in it. There are people taking this info and slapping decks up as I type this.

[@EtoTheKay]

Poor video. Title should be "Exterior Brick Wall Cross Section". He just basically explained what an exterior wall looks like with a brick veneer. The only "answer" he offered was drilling into the foundation. That is only an option if your deck is super low to the ground, which most decks are NOT. 2nd, not all foundation are poured concrete. 3rd, that solution will def not work for elevated decks. Man explains the components of an exterior wall WITHOUT valid solutions as to how to attach a ledger.

[@RealReelzz]

this is wrong! you CAN NOT! I REPEAT CAN NOT! fasten a ledger to brick veneer like he just did!!!! you will fail inspection! 100% Guaranteed! you have to either cut out the brick and secure your ledger directly to the band joist, or you have to order simpson bvlk brick veneer fastening brakets. they run about $30 each and you will need them about ever 22-30 inches

[@ronlaverdiere]

You can not do it or you cannot do it? If you can not do something, that means you can skip doing it. If you cannot do something that means you must not do it. I CAN not eat lunch at noon, but I still can if I want to. I CANNOT eat lunch at noon means I must eat it at some other time. Very different meanings. So if you CAN NOT fasten your ledger to brick veneer, that means you don't need to do it, but you still can if you want to. However the code states you CANNOT do it. Please be careful because wording in any technical document is critical.

[@RealReelzz]

​@@ronlaverdiere wow ur an idiot

[@ronlaverdiere]

​@@RealReelzz You continue to impress me with your profound understanding of language. Again, I will emphasize that in a technical document correct word choice is critical. It can literally be the difference between life or death. If you don't understand that, too bad. Resorting to name calling isn't going to disprove my point.

[@RealReelzz]

@@ronlaverdiere u r an azadiene moron! just k NO w ur deck will never pass code! good luck when u try to sell lmao

[@ronlaverdiere]

@@RealReelzz what is your problem? Why is it you cannot follow simple concepts? You trying to be insulting is in no way doing you any favours. I am not the illiterate fool that cannot comprehend residential building codes. Nor am I the illiterate fool that confuses simple terminology and misquotes those codes. Go ahead and continue to make a fool of yourself if you must but I have better things to do then try to educate someone who clearly refuses to even try learning.

[@Justme44145]

So apparently I'm the only one that noticed that the title actually has nothing to do with the video. The title says "How to anchor a deck to brick veneer" but the video immediately tells you NOT to do this (thank God) and tells you how to do something else (as it should). The title should be "How to attach a deck to a HOUSE WITH a brick veneer" or "Why NOT to attach a deck to a brick veneer".A proper alternative should then be shown.

[@lamontejohn6244]

You forgot to show the all importantly sheathing - plywood sheeting on the exterior wall and the floor framing BEFORE building the wall. Do your homework before trying to tell others what to do,

[@siraultman7631]

WOW, Do not take his advice. What he is saying is completely wrong, and not to code. You cannot use this method with brick veneer.

[@pimc172]

Which advice? He suggested multiple possibilities. Also, you're not helping!

[@cfry231]

No no no no no no. You do not attach your ledger to or through brick veneer. This practice is completely forbidden. Do not follow this advice. Any inspector will flag this for an engineer to review and the engineer will immediately disallow it.

[@barrycotton9475]

So rather than a step by step of how to do it, he draws some (useful) pictures and then tells you not to do the exact thing you’re trying to do. The alternative won’t work unless I want to excavate 12-18” of dirt first

[@cdmn1270]

if you do a deck attatchment in this fashion , your asking for problems. #1 those lag bolts are NOT designed or rated to support any dead or live load , unless they are driven completely in. #2 how the hell do you know what your lagging into? rimboard? 2×10 rim ? tji w/perpendicular joist? your video is serious "malpractice" and if this is how you leave a job for your clients to depend on and trust the safety of anyone occupying it's space, I strongly urge you to reconsider the information your attempting to distribute.

[@baileylineroad]

Good Morning Darren, Thanks for your note. I appreciate you getting back to me. Over the years I've noticed that deck builders are a lot like farmers . . . They love to disagree. The design details in this video came from my consultation with engineers and a building inspector. Most people anchoring to brick veneer lag bolt a plate directly to the brick, but that's not ideal. The best option is to extend the lag bolts through to the structural frame. This is a unanimous opinion of all the design people I consulted. My own personal preference is to avoid anchoring decks to any kind of wall, but most homeowners refuse to go with a separate foundation next to the house. Either they refuse or they can't because the soil right around the house can't support foundation piers. In cases of a house with a brick veneer and a refusal (or inability) to create a separate foundation next to the house what approach would you recommend? Anchoring only to the brick veneer is definitely a no-no. Bye for now, Daren. And thanks for watching. Steve

[@cdmn1270]

Hi Steve, Thank you for replying. I actually am doing this type of connection to a deck on the second story . First we secure all the brick above the deck by (1) row. We the remove the the brick to access the joist system of the home ,and we remove the remaining joist system (if connected to framing) We the open up the plywood and the rim to access a floor joist to the house That allows us to fasten a dtt2z deck tensioner w/ three quarter all thread sticking to the out side . We then repair the rim and ply . _lh3.googleusercontent.com/LIpZf3bLE1ovvZRcTRRLPEPlxcrC6Yxy8YcXVcLaEa74fNaDpfBQxt594spndmRTBcTJ3WAzyQ_

[@cdmn1270]

_lh3.googleusercontent.com/l8XX5aDZXYFwJ7YbyuALW6XgB8c3X1BZkbLbfL8_zPfCypKhVFUcdhvffUAiYZvUBxMcwpXrYQ_

[@cdmn1270]

Ply wood back on ready to flash _lh3.googleusercontent.com/fkNlxq--tU7FmisLbQ5CIRenol7vLwr-ophmn3W8I8fF3e3OGXqNgn6PYi8nMLPF_Y2tle11Cg_

[@cdmn1270]

All flashed and ready for new ledger _lh3.googleusercontent.com/FIvzRCt4vcl56CZlevye-N5IbN_-oyJfanjlihrlQfSTphHEscGNQdPn-Pxjk7dRy2d6GltCsA_

[@willietheboggle3954]

DO NOT DO THIS. IF YOU DOU YOU ARE A HACK. If You don't know how to do it then you should not be building decks.

[@pimc172]

Poor thinking. We never know how to do something...until we know..

[@ab-qn7kv]

Steve, please reference code manuals before making your videos. You are educating and informing people with unsafe building practices. It is hazardous and irresponsible!!!

[@willietheboggle3954]

Something you are not mentioning is that you cannot properly tighten the fasteners due to the air space behind the brick do not give out information unless you are an expert. fools will take this and put peoples life at risk. Read my comments below for the appropriate method

[@keep1treal61]

Willie The boggle stop being a complainer and give a solution. There’s lots of you people on here doing that. But wait! if you’re not expert don’t say shit. At least video is trying to help bit you are not

[@sherrylkeith6549]

With plans from the stodoys work was really fast.

[@thomasschafer7268]

Haha. Biggest construction joke of the century!!!!