DIY Raised Floor Ledger Boards

Measure the length of the wall that you’re connecting the floor ledger board to with a tape measure.

Mark the measured length onto a 2-by-6-inch plank with a pencil and cut the plank to the measured length with a circular saw. Choose your plank for its levelness as it will serve as the edge of your raised floor after installation. Use a treated plank if installing the board outdoors.

Remove any existing baseboard or trim from the base of the wall with a prybar. If installing the board outdoors for a deck, remove both the trim and any siding present on the wall with a siding removal tool, extending to a point that’s 1 foot above the floor’s proposed height.

Mark the height of the floor onto the wall on both ends with a piece of chalk. Extend a chalk line between the two marked heights and pull it away from the wall slightly. Release the line to snap a chalk line along the length of the wall.

Divide the length of the ledger by 2 feet, and then cut the resultant number of wood spacers from a piece of 1 1/2-inch-thick planking, with each piece 2 inches long.

Nail a spacer every 2 feet along the wall with the top of the spacer placed onto the chalk line. Use 6d nails and a hammer to secure the spacers, with two nails per spacer to hold them in place.

Place the ledger onto the wall with the top of the board aligned with the top of the wood spacers. Nail the ledger to the wall using 16d nails into each of the spacers to hold it in place.

Drill a pilot hole using a 1/2-inch drill bit, through the ledger and into the wall, 3 3/8 inches deep every 24 inches along the board’s length. Stagger the holes so that you won’t create a single weak line in the ledger’s length. Install 1/2-inch lag bolts with washers into the pilot holes. Tighten the bolts in place with a socket wrench.

Repeat the process for the other side of the room if installing the board indoors for an interior raised floor.