Expert: Dan Griffin - 3/25/2008

Question

  Hello Dan,
 I have a 8 foot dead area between my fence and my house
that is quite useless.
 I want to build a storage shed and I want to attach it
to my house exterior wall.
 It will be a lean to type structure.
 What I need to know is what is the best way to anchor the ledger, or profile board to the exterior wall which is stucco?
  This board will be the high side of the roof.

Answer
The very best?  Cut and remove existing stucco, install appropriate flashing, nail or bolt on ledger to framing.

I really need to know if this is real portland cement stucco or EIFS.  Either way the best way is above.  If it is cement stucco you could get by by surface applying the ledger.  Sawing in a reglet and counterflash would sure beat smearing black goop to seal the top where it ties to the stucco.

A similar solution would work with EIFS, but you will need to create standoffs between the ledger and the studs/rim joist.  Pieces of plumber's gas pipe work well.  Again sawn in reglet and counter flash.  A roofer's tin shop can make a surface applied reglet that, again, should be fastened to structure through standoffs with either a butyl or polyurethane caulk flooding the top kick.  I strongly do NOT recommend silicone.