Expert: Cary Simmons - 8/20/2009

Question
 I'm planning to build a pergola above my patio.The joists will be 2x10x16ft,and 4x8x16ft,all pieces being rough sawn and sized as listed.There is a 2x10x24ft ledger board in place on the rear wall of the house. How can I connect these 16 joists to the ledger board without the use of visible joist hangers? If I use joist hangers,are 2" and 4" rough sawn sizes available? Thank you for your advice.

Answer
Joe:

I am not aware of off-the-shelf joist hd galvanized hangers sized for other than engineered or dimensional (finished 2x) lumber.  That said, all things are possible, such as locally-available hardware or the opportunity to secure another ledger through the existing one on which to rest your joists.  Pls provide just a bit more information to allow me to give you a complete answer.

In what part of the country is your patio and what is the orientation of the building face on which the ledger is secured?
How does the existing ledger appear to be fastened to the house?
Do you have the option of notching at least half of the depth of your joists to rest on the full 1-1/2" wide top of the ledger, or better yet on a flashing cap protecting the ledger?
What will the joists span be and what species and grade of lumber do you expect to employ?
Are you planning any cross-members to control joist sag and interval?
Will there be any weight on the joists, such as wisteria, grape vines or a hammock?