Wood I-beam rim boards with deck ledger

[MarkAndDebbie]

the OSB rim boards that are sold with the 11 7/8ths wooden I-Beam joists don't seem as solid as solid wood (did I just say that?). A real 2x12 would be too short as a rim board (11.5"). The GP site says I can attach a ledger with 1/2" lag bolts at 350#s per bolt. Is there a better solution?

I'm building the 1.5 story 20x32 with the deck in question lag bolted to the rim board in the 32' direction.

Thanks!

[John_M]

I did as specified by the manufacturer's instructions and it has held everything fine!  My deck is as solid as a rock.  I think you have to realize that all of the bolts are working together!!  I know I sometimes forget that in a building!  Lots of peices are working together!

However, I used carriage bolts with nuts and washers to hold the ledger board on!!  (that is what they recommended)

Goog luck!!

[John Raabe]

Carriage bolts with washers will have a much greater load capacity than lags (with either rim), but you have to have access to the back side so this is harder to do on a retrofit.