I am planning a low profile deck, because my back door is 14" from the ground. I am following a plan from a book.

However right where the ledger board should go along the house there are 3 crawlspace vents in the way (across 16' of house). I am not sure what to do here - :confused:

a) I can cut the ledger board and have it go between the vents. If I cut spaces in the ledger board, do I need to reinforce it in any way?

b) or otherwise cover up some of the vents. As this is a fairly new home, there are plenty of vents, but probably they are spaced as per required by code. I am leary about this.

c) I don't think I can move the vents down as they would be too low to the ground.

Assuming the width of the vents is 12"-16", you should be able to install the ledger between the vents and thereby leave them "venting". I would be sure to adjust the floor joist layout to avoid having a joist needed where a vent is located. I always set my layout to "over-build" (closer than planned) when I have an adjustment to make... you may even end up with two joists real close together but that's better than too far apart.

Another solution is to skip the vent locations with the ledger and install a solid block (same width as the joists) between joists, a few inches out from the vent and use it to secure a joist that might fall at that spot on your layout (that block, in effect, becomes your ledger for that joist).

Have fun!

Oh yeah... I forgot to mention a third (and even easier) trick... install the ledger board all the way across... covering the vents... and drill three 1-1/2" - 2" holes in the ledger at the vents!!