Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - deck ledger options

From my reading so far, there seems to be two ways to attach and flash a ledger to the house.

First option is to bolt or lag screw it directly to the house and use flashing to guide water away.

The second option is to bolt and lag screw with washers inserted between the ledger and house to allow water to run behind and no flashing is used.

Am I reading this correctly and what are the pros/cons? Are both generally acceptable to the code?

hi
i would have flashing over the ledger
if water run behind it it will rootten the lumber and water could filter in the wall

cheers

pg

In my particular setup, the house rim joist I am attaching the ledger to is already exposed as the siding ends above it. It is painted for protection. Thus I assume I might be better off using the washers to keep the ledger a half inch off the rim joist?

I like the washer idea, but not just your ordinary washer. there are products out there which are a very thick (maybe 1/2" or more). I'm not sure if they are made of metal or some high tech plastic. You need the 1/2" to allow water and other junk (leaves) etc to pass.

If you have only one rim joist, I would be hesitant to use only lags. At better solution is to drill through and use a carrage bolt. You might want to use a metal washer inside to spread the pressure of the bolt head against the inside of the rim. Any bolt or other fastener coming in contact with treated wood should be at least hot dipped galvanized. You could also use stainless steel, but at a higher cost.