Q: I’m planning to build a deck attached to the rear of the house. It will be about 2 feet high. Is it necessary to connect the deck to the house ledger using the lateral load hold-down anchors that I’ve seen in your magazine?
A: Always consult your municipal building department to determine local code requirements, but the lateral load anchors that were suggested in the 2012 International Residential Code (which we have reported on in EHT) probably haven’t yet been adopted by most jurisdictions. Furthermore, the 2015 International Residential Code makes an exception to the hold-down-device provision for decks less than 30 inches above grade, so it sounds like you’re 24-in. tall deck would be fine without the extra hardware.
