In lieu of the ledger board, I constructed this as a cantilevered deck where the joists were supported by large two parallel beams (also called girders) running parallel to the house wall.

Because the deck boards are cantilevered beyond the joists, noting where the original edges were is important if you want to get back to the same deck dimensions. In our case, we marked the ...

14.5 x 42 x 43 in. (36.8 x 106.7 x 109.2 cm.) ...