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The Ledger Deck Foot Anchor is our answer for light weight ledger connected residential decks.
It's the next step in the development of the Deck Foot Anchor which has been a favorite solution for floating decks since 2012.
The open ended Load Fin allows frozen soil to expand and move freely while distributing compression loads to the soil via the auger and helical blades.
The wide fin profile stabilizes the auger against lateral forces. It is a durable and affordable alternative to traditional engineered piles that are designed for much heavier structures.
HOW IT WORKS
DRIVE
Using a lightweight handheld ½" electric impact wrench and a 12mm six point socket, drive the auger deep into the soil.
INSERT
Drive the compression Load Fin over the auger and tighten the nut.
ADJUST
Adjust the post saddle in line with the beam. Tighten the upper nut to attach the saddle to the auger and Load Fin.
Helical piles are a time-tested solution for all kinds of structures like houses, commercial buildings, bridges and more. They support very heavy loads. But they usually come with a heavy price tag too.
And if they are not installed precisely, it is difficult to adjust the post saddle to align with an overhead beam. Sometimes it's impossible and a site welded bracket has to be used.
But more importantly, in practical terms, you may be paying for way more than what common light weight residential structures need. The Ledger Deck Foot Anchor is an attempt to solve that dilemma.
The Load Fin is more than 6" at it's widest point, giving the otherwise narrow auger tube massive lateral resistance in the soil akin to a much larger diameter helical pile.
The auger can still be installed easily in most soil types with the convenience of a handheld ½" drive impact wrench (18v cordless or corded).
The Load Fin allows a 4x4 or 6x6 Post Saddle to adjust up to 2” to ensure multiple saddles are easily aligned under a common carrier beam –something that is not always easy – or possible - to do with heavier style piles.
Adjustability of the Post Saddle is what really differentiates this solution from the heavy duty engineered helical piles.
WILL AN AUGER WORK IN MY SOIL?
Some soil is not well suited for augers. The soil may be full of rocks, roots or other obstructions, or frozen.
The Ledger Deck Foot Anchor™ can be easily retracted and moved to a new location if you are unable to get past an obstruction.
However, if you are unsure about your soil use a 24" Bit Extender (or longer) with a 1" spade bit and a cordless drill. Try driving the bit into the ground as deep as it will go. This will tell you right away if an auger will work in your soil.
HOW MANY FOOTINGS DO I NEED
The Rule of Thumb is 5'-6" apart for each of Ledger Deck Foot Anchor footings This corresponds to a design load of 50 psf (10 psf dead load, 40 psf live load) and tributary areas over each footing of 28 sqft.
So the total load imposed on the soil below each footing would be 1400 lbs - if the deck is loaded to a maximum of 50 psf. The Ledger Deck Foot Anchor carries a little bit less than the Floating Deck Foot Anchor because the load is carried strictly by the helical blades.
But the benefit is that it can be fully resistant to frost if set deep enough into the soil. And the post saddles are easily adjustable to align with an overhead beam.
HOW DOES FROST AFFECT THE ANCHOR?
If the blades of the auger are driven below the frost line, the entire footing remains stationary even when moisture laden soil in the frozen expands upwards. That's because there is no flat cap on the Load Fin which differs from the Floating Deck Foot Anchor.
The open compression Load Fin allows a clear path for frozen soil to expand upward if it must while the helical blades still remain fixed in the soil below the frost line.
COMPRESSION LOAD DATA
Our Intertek engineering crew travelled to the foothills of Colorado to test the load performance of this auger style because of the close proximity of both sandy and clay soils (least and most compressive).
The 36" auger is rated to a maximum of 1400 lbs (Clay) and 6285 lbs (Sandy).
Consider these numbers the best and worst case scenarios for the greatest range of soil types in North America. So be sure to use enough footings to support your intended structure with extra capacity.
UPLIFT
Uplift forces are not as important on a ledger connected deck as they would be for a floating deck that might be more vulnerable to high winds.
A ledger connected deck is secured to the house and provides an additional degree of security in this respect.
However, the uplift data in the table shows the force required to pull the auger from the soil in each soil type depending on the length of the auger. Longer augers offer more uplift resistance because there is more soil above it.
DIMENSIONS
USE OUR IMPACT SOCKETS
Our 12mm high impact six point socket is designed to grip the hexagon drive head without stripping no matter the load.
This tiny investment can save headaches on the job site.
If you use a low quality twelve point socket that does not fit as well, you are more likely to strip the drive head while under maximum load.
INSTALLATION GUIDE
Deck Foot Anchor - Ledger Instructions
Grab a copy of our installation guide and use it to help plan your project.
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