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
