How To Repair Bricks Leading To A Deck

When a deck is fastened to brick veneer, something probably went wrong.

Non necessarily, not 100% of the time, only probably. As home inspectors, this is definitely something that we at Structure Tech telephone call attention to while inspecting decks. Nearly of the fourth dimension, we recommend repair when we find this. Today I'll explain why this is an issue and what can be washed about it.

Oh, and while I'yard discussing brick in this blog post, the aforementioned applies to masonry and rock veneer.

The problem: Brick Veneer vs. Brick Walls

To understand why this is an event, y'all accept to empathize how brick veneer is installed. For most homes in the Twin Cities, when yous see what appears to be a brick wall, what you're really seeing is brick veneer. A brick wall ways that the wall is literally synthetic out of bricks. Don't go me incorrect, nosotros have plenty of those buildings in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, just we have manner more wood-framed walls with brick veneer.

Brick veneer isn't merely sparse little slices of bricks; it consists of real, full-sized bricks stacked on top of each other. This wall is supported by the foundation and information technology gets held in identify with brick ties; thin pieces of corrugated metallic that are fastened to the forest-framed wall to help stabilize the brick. The bricks don't actually impact the wood-framed wall, and in a proper installation, neither does the mortar.

Side note: for a fantastic, in-depth explanation of how mortar coming in contact with the wood-framed wall can pb to major h2o problems, cheque out Dr. Joseph Lstiburek's commodity, Hockey Pucks and Hydrostatic Pressure.

To assistance prevent h2o intrusion problems, the brick veneer wall is separated from the forest-framed wall by a 1" air space. The diagram below from Tom Feiza illustrates this nicely:

So at present that nosotros understand that the brick veneer floats from the actual construction of the habitation, how exactly is a deck supposed to be fastened to a business firm with a brick veneer wall? You manifestly can't just put bolts into the brick; that could rip the brick wall correct off the house. And then, what most using lag screws that go through the bricks into the business firm's rim joist? Unfortunately, that doesn't work either. If the screws were properly tightened, the brick wall would be severely damaged, sucking the brick tight upwards confronting the wood-framed wall.

Non but that, but you lot'd now be creating a lever against the domicile, exerting a tremendous amount of pressure down on the brick veneer, which is not structural. It'due south but the wall roofing.

Code Requirements

The building code has traditionally been pretty tranquillity on deck requirements. You were supposed to read Chapter 5, Floors, in the International Residential Code (IRC) and utilise that information to empathise the proper fashion to build a deck. The trouble is that this was sorely lacking in specifics on how to build a deck.

Thankfully, the building code has get much more specific on deck construction. In 2015 the state of Minnesota adopted the 2012 IRC, which has a section dedicated just to decks (section 507). Under section 507.9.1.i, nosotros find the following text: "Deck ledgers shall not be supported on stone or masonry veneer." Yous might assume this means bolts going through the brick veneer into the structure would exist acceptable, but that'south not the example.

To understand what this code department means, I rely on a fantastic guide to deck building for code acceptance, titled DCA-6, published by the American Wood Council. They make it very articulate that decks aren't supposed to exist attached to or through brick veneer walls, and they even have a diagram depicting this:

While previous versions of the building code didn't address this deficiency, it doesn't brand this construction defect acceptable. A deficiency is a deficiency, whether the code has specifically addressed it or not.

There are surely thousands of decks congenital with this defect that were approved past building officials. Are these code-compliant decks? Aye. Does this brand them proper and safe? Of course not. If this was a proper and safe construction method, the code wouldn't prohibit this detail today.

In brusque, this is a code defect on new decks and a construction deficiency on all decks.

How to ready a deck fastened through brick veneer

To the best of my knowledge, there are two ways of addressing this issue. The outset is to make the deck free-continuing. This requires adding a beam correct adjacent to the firm to back up this terminate of the deck. The trouble with this repair is that footings volition demand to be added next to the firm, and they might non be easy to become right. Deck footings are supposed to be installed on undisturbed soil, but the soil right next to the habitation is 'disturbed'.

The other way to accost this is to install new brackets made specifically for this condition. This bracket is the Brick Veneer Ledger Connector (BVLZ), made by Simpson Potent-Necktie. Information technology basically consists of a huge metal plate, a pair of extra-long lag screws, and a big threaded mail service that'south chosen a pinch strut.

The images beneath come directly from the installation manual.

And here's what you get with a single kit:

The compression strut holds the brick away from the dwelling, while the lag screws support the deck ledgerboard.

This method of repair won't work in every state of affairs, but for homes that run across the minimum requirements, this would be a far simpler solution than making a deck freestanding. For more than information on BVLZs, head on over to the Simpson Stiff-Tie website.

Related Posts:

• Deck ledger attachment methods
• The trouble with attaching a deck to a cantilevered floor
• New building code rules for decks in Minnesota

Author:Reuben Saltzman,Construction Tech Home Inspections

Source: https://structuretech.com/decks-attached-through-brick-veneer/

Posted by: holmquistproaderescid41.blogspot.com

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