Nailing Deck Ledgers
To the Editor:
I read with interest the article "Deck
Support: Making the Crucial Connections"
by Christopher DeBlois (Practical
Engineering, 3/96). Mr. DeBlois highlights
the main loads that act on a deck,
that is, the weight of the deck and the
live loads that act vertically to load the
deck/house connection in "single shear."
Another important consideration in the
design of a deck is the tendency for the
deck to pull horizontally (laterally) away
from the house. In the deck collapses I
have researched, the deck/house connection
failed due to inadequate singleshear
fastener resistance, coupled with or
followed by withdrawal of the fasteners.
As Mr. DeBlois points out, bolts are
the best choice for attaching a