Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Best way to attach ledger to stucco house

What is the recommended way to attach a ledger to a stucco house. My builder said to attach spacers, he said 2x's, to the house every few feet and attach the ledger to those. I've seen examples using metal washers as spacers against aluminum siding, or simply 1/2 in. plywood as spacers. Another example is to cut a groove in the stucco to fit the edge of flashing and put the ledger board directly against the stucco. The least desirable suggestion is to scrape off the stucco down to the wood.
Please keep in mind I'm lazy...

Thanks

If you make the deck free-standing, you won't have ANY of those issues. When I build a deck, the last thing I want to do is penetrate the siding of the house. If the stucco wall isn't leaking now, and i don't touch it, the owner certainly can't come back on me if it ever DOES start leaking!!

Thanks Lefty-after reading other posts, I saw alot of talk about free-standing decks. I always picture the thing tipping over without the house to hold on to! The only problem may be the two existing cement steps that will be covered by the deck. I don't think the free standing beam will be high enough to clear the steps. Would it weaken the structure to notch the beam to fit over them? Since it will be sitting on the cement, it shouldn't, right?

Cosber,

First off, a free-standing deck, DONE PROPERLY, isn't going to tip over. Case in point -- mobile homes. Virtually every mobile home in the US has a deck, or at least a landing at each door and steps. It's not legal to attach the deck or the landing to the mobile -- it HAS to be free-standing. It's all about proper footings and cross bracing. I've built deks at 30' X75' that are free standing and they are STILL standing.

Tell me more about the concrete steps that you are concerned about. Do they have to stay? They are at doors. Couldn't you remove the steps and have the new deck be one step down from the threshold of the doors? If the steps stay, then put the deck at an even lower level so that the concrete steps lead to the deck. (Be aware tho -- more than 2 risers on the steps and you are going to have handrails.)

The steps have to stay. There is no way I could get rid of them. Stepping down is an interesting idea. Or how about having the deck wrap around the top step? I could stain the step to help it blend in with the deck.

Tell me why the steps "have to stay".

Be careful about "1 step down". Where I'm at code requires that when you walk out of a door, the first thing you foot touches has to be at least a 3' X 3' landing. That can be about flush with the threshold of the door, or it can be one step down. But you can't come out of the door onto a step that is 11" wide by whatever, and have the SECOND step be onto something that is 3'X3' or larger.

Hi I am knew to this forum but have been in construction for many years.
I have built several decks that have had to cover the existing steps. The first thing we would do is to build the inside beam 2'(possibly 3' depending on local codes) back from the house and cantilever the joists towards the house. We then make our joist slightly higher(1/2") then the top of the steps, boxing out the joists around the steps. Then lay the decking material right over the steps with appropriate spacers. This way the deck will be supported by the steps and should not interfer with your door. The one thing to keep in mind with this is the size of your existing landing, it is only exceptable for smaller landings which will not allow to much flex in the decking material over time.