Q. I recently moved into a poorly maintained home that was built in the mid-’70s. It’s clearly
time to replace the rotted-out deck, which was built with untreated, stained wood. My question: How do I properly attach the new deck to the house? The old deck’s ledger board was simply nailed onto the wall, and there’s ample evidence that water is finding its way into the basement framing and under the door onto the main floor. In fact, I’ve already replaced some spongy underlayment inside the house in front of the deck door. There must be correct methods of attaching decks to houses, and I want to make sure my new deck won’t develop the same problems. Any advice would be appreciated.
A. During my years as a contractor, I replaced countless decks that had exactly the same set of problems as yours. I always marvel that there aren’t more news stories about decks caving in under the weight of moonlight cocktail parties or family reunions. Decks were the rage of the ’70s, but that was also the Dark Ages of proper construction techniques. Before the ’70s, people used redwood and cedar because of their naturally rot-resistant properties (treated wood wasn’t widely available). Redwood and cedar became expensive, so a lot of decks got built from cheaper, conventional untreated lumber or newly developed, inferior treated woods. Remember that thick, paint-like redwood stain? Well, just below the surface, bacteria and fungus were feasting on the new deck as soon as the last nail was hammered home.
