Connecting Deck Ledgers to MPC Wood Trusses

Connecting Deck Ledgers to MPC Wood Trusses

The connection of residential deck ledgers to MPC floor trusses is not covered by the 2012 IRC (Table R507.2 and R507.2.1) that gives fastener requirements for the connection a deck ledger to a solid-sawn house band.  The ledger connection is especially difficult when the deck ledger is attached to the side of the truss because only the narrow edge of 2×4 truss chords and webs are present and not suitable for installing the typical ½-inch lag screws or bolts.  According to Professor Frank Woeste, Virginia Tech University,  it is critically important for contractors to verify the existence of a solid-sawn band joist when adding a residential deck because without verification, it’s possible for the ledger connection lag screws to only penetrate the wood sheathing, typically 15/32-inch thick.  Details for connecting a residential deck ledger to floor trusses have been updated and published by the SBCA(2015). See HERE.