Deck Ledger Boards - what you don't know could hurt you

It is not uncommon for any residence (single or multi-family) to take advantage of its adjacent outdoor spaces by means of a porch or deck.  They're a great way for building occupants to extend the living quarters outside for use in lounging, entertaining, cooking, dining, etc - the list goes on.  As Spring approaches and construction or reconstruction of these outdoor structures begins to rise, there is a far-too-common practice among the deck/porch-building industry that is improperly executed and could lead to failure of a deck and possibly worse... personal injury or death.  My main objective in approaching any design problem is life-safety - even in a project as seemingly rudimentary as deck design.  There is no project too small for careful thought and proper design to preserve the health, safety, and welfare of the general public, and I hold this true with deck ledger design.  The mis-usage I'm describing is the attachment of ledger boards to brick or masonry veneer on homes built circa the mid-1950s and beyond, primarily in suburban areas and subdivisions.  

Generations ago, buildings were built with real masonry bearing walls on the exterior, for fire-resistance, longevity, strength, and low-maintenance.  However, advancements in knowledge of seismic and wind activity have led to less un-reinforced brick being used for structural walls, and the onset of the use of brick or masonry veneers as an outer skin to the home, with a wood or metal-stud backup providing the real structural strength within.  Again, this technique is especially prevalent in today's new residential construction.  With the older buildings found mainly in more densely-populated, older urban neighborhoods, their multi-layer masonry walls could be used for attaching those deck ledgers directly, with the proper method of anchorage, of course.  However, the single-layer veneers are highly inadequate for supporting a deck ledger, as they are non-structural and used only as a barrier of weather protection from the underlying structure, in lieu of siding for example.  A deck ledger board is a long board set against the house and used to attach the main joists of the deck with hangers; therefore, they form a major structural component of the deck as a whole.

If you're in a home or apartment building where the walls are truly masonry or if you simply have siding over the stud wall, then this article isn't meant for your project, as those substrates are adequate for direct-ledger-attachment.  However, if you are building a deck onto a home with masonry veneer as an aesthetic "skin", than I consider this to be required reading.  Those veneers are not designed nor are they built for ledger attachment.  Meaning that bolting the ledger board solely to this veneer and letting that be the main support against the wall is a no-no.  The ledger could pull away from the wall and take a large chunk of the masonry with it, because they are not properly tied back to resist such force.  Also, one layer of brick veneer is not adequate to support the weight of a fully furnished and occupied deck - the brick can compress and be crushed by those loads causing catastrophic failure.  You also cannot simply set a bolt through the veneer and tie it back to the main structure beyond because this stand-out of the bolt through a non-structural material is too great and could cause the bolts to bend and break, or fail in one of the other aforementioned ways.

The best methods for supporting a deck in this condition are to either find a spot of easily exposed concrete foundation or wood structure to which a ledger can be set directly against and thoroughly bolted, or (the main focus of this article) to build the deck "free-standing" with only minor anchorage to the brick veneer to keep it from drifting.  In lieu of a ledger board attached to the house to carry a significant portion of the deck load, you would have a beam similar to that at the outer edge of the deck, but situated a few feet away from the exterior wall so that the edge against the house is actually cantilevered.  Then that edge can be anchored to the veneer to resist minor shifting, but nothing more.  This is the method recommended by the American Wood Council (AWC) and should be put into practice by all design professionals (architects, engineers, etc) and deck builders, carpenters and contractors, as well as enforced strictly by the governing bodies within every municipality.

For further information on proper deck construction:  http://www.awc.org/Publications/DCA/DCA6/DCA6-09.pdf

LED Lighting - the future is now

I'm sure by now everyone has heard of L.E.D. lighting as it's quickly becoming an increasingly available and popular alternative to the standard "incandescent" light bulbs of the past 100+ years.  We're seeing a lot of different types pop up and now we're even being required and/or rewarded to use them in building projects.

Without being over-technical, some of the basics of L.E.D. lighting are as such.  LED stands for "light-emitting diode" and the way it works , in the simplest of terms' is that electrical current is passed through a semiconductor die (like a filament) where it is converted to luminescence, and thus... "let there be light".  In order to be effective for space lighting, a lot of tiny LEDs need to be grouped together in one fixture to provide adequate lighting output since they're relatively weak on their own, and have thus been manufactured as such.  Although they have been used for about 50 years for lighting signage, electronic indicators, etc, they have been developed more recently to fit into our screw-in type household lighting fixtures.

The biggest advantages to LEDs over incandescent are obviously related to lifespan and energy consumption.   They can last 25-50 times longer than an incandescent and use far less energy, both of which can be realized monetarily in replacement costs and energy bills.  We're probably more familiar with the CFLs (or compact fluorescent - the "curly", helical bulbs) that have been promoted as a similarly efficient alternate to incandescent, but LED even holds a few advantages over them.  First, CFLs take a few minutes to "heat up" and achieve full brightness after being first switched on after a short period of time.  LEDs have the ability to heat up instantly and provide 100% luminescence immediately.  Also, CFLs have been known to have their internal ballasts overheat and even catch fire in rare cases, mostly from misuse, but a safety concern nonetheless.  LEDs do also produce heat due to electrical resistance, but the better quality products are equipped with a built-in heat-sink to absorb the heat and shut down the device before it becomes a danger, making them safer.  Further, CFLs can last longer than incandescent, but still pale in comparison to the longevity of LEDs.  LEDs are also available in varying color temperatures, which basically help eliminate that cold "blue" or "white" tone and can provide a warmer "yellow" light, if so desired.

If you weren't already convinced, there are 2 more credible reasons to choose LED bulbs.  One is that there are incentive programs offered for purchasing this lighting type - either by the local power utility (ComEd in Metro Chicago), the state, or sometimes even on a federal tax level.  These can be researched further at www.energystar.gov or other deeper internet research.  Also, the current building codes are written to require that 75% of light fixtures in any residential construction project be of a "high-efficacy" type, which LEDs would satisfy.  This is a state of Illinois mandate, known currently and adopted as the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code, so applies all across the state and is checked heavily by local municipal enforcement authorities.

One minor drawback to LEDs is their initial cost, which can seem quite high.  But when considering the lack of replacement cost with other types (one bulb can last longer than a standard 30-year home mortgage, depending on usage), it is a worthy investment - especially for recessed lighting and other areas where changing a bulb is a hassle (e.g. over a staircase), and considering any reimbursements as well.  They can be purchased at your typical hardware store or discount department stores, but I have found a good resource for quality products from a local wholesaler at www.goledbulbs.com, run by a local electrician.  Feel free to contact cj architects for further info!

"Its obvious that we don't know one millionth of one percent about anything"
~Thomas Alva Edison

Pulling Permits - the necessary "evil"

Often in my residential work I come across times when a homeowner or contractor questions the need for pulling a permit for their project(s).  Sometimes there is an inherent understanding of the value and necessity, but others want to bypass the process to save time and money.  I strongly advise against this side-stepping and obviously recommend and condone pulling a permit.  I do realize that hiring an architect, paying permit fees, and waiting for permits to be issued cost time and money, but in the long run making this small initial investment (when compared to the project whole) can eliminate extra time and money spent in mistakes, costly changes, code violations/citations, and even being court-ordered to pay to remove the non-permitted construction.

Regardless of the size of the project (decks, to basements, to additions, to new construction) there are code implications - in order to preserve life-safety and the well being of the end users.  Architects who prepare plans for these types of projects are (or should be) well versed in the code requirements and impact on the overall design and construction.  An architect should always be consulted to see how the desires of the project at hand will be affected by these criteria.  Not doing so could lead to misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and negative progress to even (especially) the simplest of projects.

In some very rare cases (amongst very few municipalities) an architect's seal is not required for submitting permit applications or even drawings.  However, it is still a good idea to have a licensed architect prepare the plans so that there is some measured level of competency in their creation with regard to code compliance and even thoughtful design.  This is by no means a suggestion not to have a collaboration between all parties involved (owners, contractors, etc), but rather just to have a physical set of documents that are pulled together as a result of a committee of ideals and then reviewed and distributed for a consistent record of thoughts.  These can also be used to keep everyone informed and have confidence in "apples-to-apples" comparisons of quotes, etc.  

But most importantly, the architect-prepared plans should have the basis of code compliance to get through the permit approval relatively painlessly and with an "Approval" stamp that was earned with little intervention or sacrifice to the design.  The municipality governing plan review will know the code well or will contract an entity that does.  If there are errors in the design they will inform applicants of the deficiencies, but will not necessarily advise on how to correct them.  That's where having an equal expert in your corner will help guide the design through this phase and hopefully at that point only minor plan adjustments will be necessary.

So in summary, always pull permits when required to do so, and contact your local architect for advice, counsel, and to make use of their expertise as an advocate for you, your project, and everyone's goal of safety and sustainability.  With proper planning from the inception of the project with regard to time and cost budgeting, the permit process can fit seamlessly into your schedule and can minimize future unwarranted headaches.

Rule of Threes

Architecture is not all about pretty pictures and drawing.  A lot of the job is dedicated to providing a full range of services.  There is pre-design where an architect can be involved in the project's site selection, programming, and budgeting.  Then there are the two following phases which are most common and recognizable, especially within CJ Architects' realm of projects:  Design and Construction Documentation Phases, which include the processes of creating the structure theory and translating those ideals onto paper for contractors and municipal plan reviewers to understand in our universal "language".  The final phases are Construction Administration and Closeout, where the building is under construction and the Architect is involved with observing the Work and procuring ongoing documentation, and then the Substantial Completion, Quality Assurance, and Final Billing.

However, before the Construction phase comes the Bidding and Negotiation Phase.  In this phase, the Architect can assist project owners and clients with the contractor selection process.  The first step is usually soliciting the bids.  The client may come into the project with a list of prospective contractors, or the Architect can refer some of their own resources based on past experiences.  In some rare cases, the list of contractors can come from other sources or be pre-generated by a third-party, including contractors who pre-qualify as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises... usually for government and civic projects and some other publicly funded work.  Usually with our type and scale of work, the client usually comes along with one or two prospective contractors and we provide another one or two for consideration.

The rule of threes that this post refers to is that we always encourage clients to at least consider three contractors for bidding their projects - regardless of size or scope.  This helps establish a finite range of prices and expectations.  The project owner can compare three bids and feel confident with the conciseness of their results.  We always recommend the at-least-three-bid rule for ALL subcontractors as well, representing each trade.  A general rule of thumb is that if you use three bidders, you should select the one in the middle, but this is by no means a hard and fast rule and each individual bid should be examined closely for accuracy and thoroughness.  It is just an assumption that the one in the middle will be the most reasonable while including all aspects of the project, whereas the high bidder may just be too expensive or is adding or misunderstanding things and the low-bidder may be missing details or just undercutting the competition.  If a bid comes back on the extreme end of high OR low, it is best to contact that bidder and go over the project and their bid together to make sure you're on the same page.

Obviously we will also always recommend that a project owner have a good set of proper working drawings before soliciting all three bids.  It's never a bad idea to speak to a contractor first to get a ballpark estimate, and we actually get plenty of work and referrals form our contractors (so we don't want to bite the hand that feeds us).  However, this should just be a budgetary exercise and not a strict proposal submission.  The project scope can change so rampantly from inception through the architectural process that those numbers can be null and void once hammer and nails are really ready to be implemented.  Plus, after drawings are developed the client will be getting a more apples-to-apples comparison from their three or more contractors because they're all bidding off the same set of criteria.  Bidders will appreciate this whole process as they realize their valuable time is not being wasted - but, again, most of them would be happy to help see the project through from start to finish and that adds a lot to the comfort level in the relationship, which is another key factor in proper contractor selection.

Goings On

So this is a typical slow time of year for cj architects. What I've found is that starting right around Thanksgiving and running through the few weeks following the New Year, clients are rarely interested in pursuing new design projects or even concentrating on existing ones. It seems there is a "shut-down" in this period where most everyone (including myself, admittedly) is distracted and loses focus for a bit. The most obvious reason is the holiday lull where folks are visiting with family and friends, entertaining, short on cash, etc, etc. Also, I attribute this to the weather - the gloominess of winter and fear of the snow/ice effect on construction, commuting, and feeling good. 

Things start to pop back up right around now, early-to-mid February. I think the prospect of warmer weather and the knowledge of time-lag for the permitting and bidding processes gets potential and current clients motivated. They seem to want to get design projects underway in time for that first Spring thaw where digging and opening-up of walls can occur without much issue. I like this time of year. It starts to get crazy and gets me back into the swing of things. It's a good time to release all of those creative juices that have been stored up over the winter and it gives me a lot of confidence about the direction the year is going. 

Of course not the entire Winter season is spent thumb-twiddling. There are always usually loose-ends to tie up on existing projects, small tidbits here and there to pass the time, and the occasional under-construction project where the design is complete and construction is in full swing. I find that unlike design-time, clients will focus on projects during the heavy construction phase through the winter/holidays because there is some momentum and a light at the end of the tunnel. 

The photos above reference one such project. These are recent pictures taken of a new home construction in Schaumburg. The exterior was completed int he Fall allowing for the interior to be weather-tight for rough-in and drywall to continue over the winter in a space that will retain the adequate heating level to do so. This is a sweet project, because cj architects was virtually given carte blanche on design. The front entry opens up to an large 2-story hall/vestibule open front to back with a curved, central grand staircase. This is coupled with several other architectural features that will make this home one of the more prominent designs in the cj architects portfolio... 

It's experiences like going through homes like these in this phase that make the slow time of the year bearable.

Code

One of the biggest challenges I face as an architect is to explain or educate the client on the building code effect and how it determines what we can, cannot, or must do within our design to meet it.

A lot of times clients will ask me specific code questions. Some things are that objectively written in any code, and can be answered on the spot. However, some things are a factor of the size, use, and materials of the building and thus a little bit more time and effort must be given to actual code research to arrive at a solution. It is difficult to not only get the client to understand this process, but also to be allowed to begin it while collecting compensation for doing it. I actually refuse to memorize any of these tabulated, calculated portions of the code, because it is not worth getting it wrong on the spot without having it in front of you to confirm the requirement. The consequences of an error where I tell someone something from the code that turns out to be inaccurate could be catastrophic to the project goals and could also create a "deal breaker" situation if their objectives are not met, rendering every party's time and money wasted.

One of the worst case scenarios is when a requirement is given to a client and there is some disbelief in said requirement. Or, even worse, when after the requirement is told to a client and it eliminates a desire of theirs within the design, their response is that they heard from someone else that they CAN do what they wanted. This is quite frustrating. There are a lot of hacks out there, but I am certainly not one of them. I do my best to make sure my code research is at the forefront of my design effort and that it's accuracy is upheld to the best of my ability. Some people may say a lot of things just to coerce people along, but I believe in being honest and direct. Also, the codes change quite often and if someone is reciting something from memory that they should be checking for updates in a more recent version in a code, then they could possibly be at risk of giving errant or insufficient information, which is a disservice to the client and the project.

So please, clients and potential clients, I implore you... trust me, your Architect. I care most about life safety and environmental barriers and I have a professional license to protect, so I will play it straight in every aspect of the code enforcement to which I am expected to convey.

Extra, Extra!

Check out the website! Although the familiar layout is the same, we've preformed some updates to enhance the page viewing experience. We've reduced some of the image file sizes and changed out some of the older "Recent Projects" pics with newer, more recently completed project photos!

There also is now a cj architects logo icon in your web browser's URL bar and also on the title tabs for any page you're viewing on the site.

Thanks for visiting, enjoy!