Best way to attach the deck to the house is to strip off any siding in the area the deck will be. Get all the way down to the sheathing and locate the "box beam" usually under an exterior door. This is part of your home's floor system and bolting the ledger board of the deck to it with bolts gives you a secure connection. After the deck is built, properly install flashing up the wall and on top or your deck to keep the water from getting into the home.
Brent, you may not want to attach the deck to your home. In order to eliminate the opportunity for water infiltration, we build decks to stand alone. Additional supports / piers at the brick line are generally not a great expense, and, sometimes, can be supported by your existing foundation. I'd recommend talking to a licensed contractor or structural engineer in your area for specifics.
Carl has it right for a vinyl-sided home. The procedures aren't much different with a brick veneered home like yours except that unlike the vinyl-sided house, you leave the brick in place.
Having explained that, I have always been a fan of what Strock is recommending, a "stand-alone" style deck, also referred to as a "floating" or "island" deck. They are a bit more expensive with
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the required installation of another row of piers,posts and girder/beams to replace the support the attached ledger board would have provided. However, I have never liked the idea of cutting into the siding and providing a way for water to penetrate the house if the flashing is not done perfectly. Plus vegetation and debris tends to build up between the ledger and the deck boards there making it prime territory for rot. When we go in to replace/rebuild existing decks, I can almost guarantee it is that area that requires wood replacement/repair.
I would check with the local contractors or call the permit office and simply asked if they are allowed by code in your area.
I agree with Strock Enterprises, I build all decks self supporting. I have seen to many fail at the attachment point to the home. A few extra piers and post will make it much stronger. If you attach it to the house be sure to attach to the main wall not just the brick veneer and seal the anchors well of water will infiltrate the home at these points.
The best way to build a deck is to make it free standing and not attache it to your home at all. Every old deck I have ever seen that was attached to the home had problems either on the deck side or the house side. Bolts, moisture penetration, rotting house beams, rotting deck beams, everyone ends up having problems. It is not hard to build one free standing and make it look as if it were attached to the house without actually attaching it at all. Then there are no opportunities for the
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typical problems associated with deck attachments. I have redone three like that to date and there are no issues at all with any of them. Prior to my repairing them they all had problems that were related to them being attached to the house. In my opinion it is a bad idea. Why would anyone want to put that extra pressure on your house anyway?
I have a brick home, don't want to take off the brick.
Carl has it right for a vinyl-sided home. The procedures aren't much different with a brick veneered home like yours except that unlike the vinyl-sided house, you leave the brick in place.
Having explained that, I have always been a fan of what Strock is recommending, a "stand-alone" style deck, also referred to as a "floating" or "island" deck. They are a bit more expensive with ...»
I would check with the local contractors or call the permit office and simply asked if they are allowed by code in your area.
I agree with Strock Enterprises, I build all decks self supporting. I have seen to many fail at the attachment point to the home. A few extra piers and post will make it much stronger. If you attach it to the house be sure to attach to the main wall not just the brick veneer and seal the anchors well of water will infiltrate the home at these points.