# Forum Home Renovation Pergolas, Gazebos, Strombellas & Rotundas  Ledger Sizing Question

## Brett67

Hi All 
Another query for my backyard studio build. I intend to have a skillion style verandah roof (over the verandah of course) along the front of the studio, 7.7m x 1.8m. I have sized
up the rafters, verandah beam, posts, joists, bearers using 1684 but I cant find much info either in the standard or online regarding the ledger board for the other end of the
rafters. I intend to attach them to the ledger board in hangers. Building from scratch so I intend to fix the ledger directly to the frame (studs?)
 Most info I come across online is usually 'that should be OK" type of advice. Is there anything a bit more technical out there or is it just rule of thumb. I need to be able to justify it to the council. 
Any help/advice. 
Thanks.

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## r3nov8or

It'd be good to see the overall design, as I'm wondering why you need a ledger, rather than sitting the skillion rafters on the wall's top plate

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## r3nov8or

... but if you want a ledger, it'll be attached to all studs so spans aren't an issue and you can use pretty much whatever you think will look best (which will also hold your hangers adequately, of course)

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## Brett67

Thanks r3nov8or. 
I thought about sitting the rafters on the top plate but the roof of the main building (8600 x 4700) is hipped and the truss tails have a 450 overhang. I asked the truss
bloke about cutting the tails off on the verandah side, he said it would be OK but obviously not so much that it doesn't seat properly on the top plate. That would also
give me a problem with the rafters being 140 x 35 (bigger than needed for other reasons) and the trusses 90 x 45 so the rafters would sit proud above the edge of the
trusses. So I decided on the ledger plan of attack as this would allow the rafters to sit down a bit lower and then the main roof can nest over the skillion verandah
roof. I think that will look tidy. The ledger and the rafters will be enclosed/lined/insulated with a ceiling at a later date so not really worried about the appearance. 
So I take it there are no 'span tables' for ledgers. Not so much the spans of the ledger board between fixings, but it's ability to support what is attached to it, that's the
info I'm after. 
I thought I might just use a couple of 140 x 45's, bolted directly to the studs (M12 coach bolts) and nest the cladding up under ledger. Then when I line the roof and
trim it, it will be all covered. 
Anyway, thanks again, any other bits of info much appreciated.

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## droog

The ledger is effectvely a verandah beam the only difference is the distance between the supports, in your case the spacing of your studs.
The span tables usually dont go down to this small a spacing and as stated above is normally driven by what looks right and is suitable for the fixing used.

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## r3nov8or

I don't think you need to double up the ledger. One 45 will do. Connector Nails for your hangers are 32mm. No point being much deeper than that. I'd use a couple 120mm batten screws into each stud to hold the ledger

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