More advice needed!

[Mark CH]

Hello All,
Originally I was going to install a bearer adjacent to the house using stirrups and small posts (sloping concrete slab). I'm now thinking about a ledger so I don't have to jackhammer out the existing concrete and brick step and can have the ledger at the same height as the top step and the joists can then be secured onto the step. My question is; installing the ledger straight onto the brickwork will cover up 3 underhouse vents, so what are my options here? I've thought about packing or housing out the ledger so it sits just out from the brickwork near the vents or simply having the ledger stop and start again where there is a vent (provided the joists would not normally be situated above them. Is there an issue if these vents are covered anyway? There is currently no issue with damp under the house and there are another 12-14 vents through the brickwork.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Cheerio,

Mark

[glock40sw]

G'day.
I'd be inclined to enlarge the vents next to the ones that will be covered. And enlarge the ones on the directly opposite side as well.

This will maintain the vent area at the same volume.

[brynk]

gday mark ch

you can do a roughie measurement along your wall & see if the joists coincide with the vents. if they do then you will need to follow glock40sw's advice but if not you may be able to mount steel brackets to support the joists at that point, or even have a break in your ledger so you don't block the vents.

r's brynk