Ledger Board

Removable/Access Deck Board

Drainage Notches: It's the responsibility of the ledger board flashing to divert all the water cascading down the face of the siding out over the top of the ledger board. If any water gets behind the ledger board, it will create a moist environment perfect for wood destroying fungi. During a driving rain, the ledger flashing is really put to the test. 

Given this, it makes sense to cut drainage notches on the underside of the decking board closest to the house. These notches will provide an easy way out for water trapped between the first decking board and the ledger flashing. You can do this by setting your circular saw blade at a depth of 3/4" and making a series of side-by-side cuts to create notches as shown.

Check Point - Different types of metals don't always get along. In particular, when two different types of metal are in contact and water is present, one metal will corrode the other. When it comes to deck and gazebo building, it's important to understand how to prevent corrosion from this type of reaction. For a small fee, get a password and learn about how to select metal hardware and keep it from failing due to corrosion. 

Tip: If there are ever any problems with the flashing, this special drainage board can be readily removed to provide access to the flashing. Use stainless steel screws so 10 years from now if there is a problem, the screws will still be in good shape and easily removed.

Gap Removable Deck Board 1/4" From Flashing: Space the drainage notches so they land about mid-way between the floor joists - you don't want a notch directly over a joist where it can become easily plugged up by debris. Additionally, set this special board 3/8" away from the flashing to form a sort of canal for the water to easily run along- until it finds the closet drainage notch.

Support Diagonal Decking With 2x Blocking: The picture shows decking that is running diagonally. In this case, you'll need to nail in 2x blocking in a line (decking running parallel to the house does not need blocking). One end of each block is nailed in straight with two 16d nails and the other end is hit with two more 16d nails driven at a slight angle - right next to the previously installed block. For diagonal decking, using a special notched board with 2x blocking gives you a solid frame to screw down the ends of the decking boards, in order to prevent screwing into the ledger flashing. This is preferable to framing without blocking where some ends wouldn't have any nearby support.

Check Point - There are many natural and synthetic decking board options available on the market. Each has advantages and disadvantages. When you get a password, you'll gain immediate access to in-depth coverage of all types of decking board products. In the Password Area, we discuss everything including the various grades available, maintenance, health and environment issues, and durability. 

Important: Do not screw into the top of the ledger board flashing. It's better to have screws a foot or more from the ends of diagonal decking (which will be the case when not using the blocking method above) than to drive screws through the flashing.

The content under the "How-To" menu is a small sampling of all the material covered on BestDeckSite. For immediate access to in-depth information on attaching a ledger to brick, stucco, engineered floor trusses, engineered I-joists or concrete, and framing around a fireplace, as well as, comprehensive coverage of all aspects of gazebo and deck building, get a password and log-in now.

     Ledger Board

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