Elevated Deck Help! Rotting Wood Etc.. - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

**Cole** · 03-27-2007, 04:06 PM

Ok guys this will be a long post, so bear with me.

Here is the situation:
Rain water is making its way underneath the 1" plywood 30# felt, asphalt tar.

I need some solutions to try and save this deck from being torn down and rebuilding.

The deck is, 8" posts, 14" glulam, 2x8 joists, 1" plywood and 2x4 sleepers. On top of the 2x4 sleepers are 2x6 PT.

I was thinking metal pans, shaped to fit in between and up the side of the sleepers, and screwed up on top of sleeper securing it.

I am open for suggestions.

Here is some pics and some sketchup shots:

kgphoto · 03-27-2007, 04:22 PM

Is the deck properly pitched to allow water to flow out from underneath? If not fix that part while you replace the top. At this point you must strip to the plywood, replace the rotted material and then slop and water proof.

**Cole** · 03-27-2007, 04:33 PM

The deck does have enough slope towards the front.

At this time the deck does not have any rotten wood, just signs of water penetrating.

J87513 · 03-27-2007, 04:39 PM

If you can't save it then tie it to the back of your truck and step on the gas!

Brian Richards · 03-27-2007, 04:46 PM

Does the deck have anything underneath such as storage, if not you should let the water go through to the ground and use perhaps stone underneath.

Brian Richards · 03-27-2007, 04:48 PM

If their is not reason to have the water not go through deck , cut out plywood and use stone to catch the water

**Cole** · 03-27-2007, 05:03 PM

It is a carport underneath the deck.

They want to keep the water off of the cars.

reveivl · 03-27-2007, 05:09 PM

So they are basically using 30# felt with tarred seams as their membrane and the PT 2x6 as the UV barrier and surface? No surprise that isn't working, though I daresay the check cleared before it started leaking.

Get rid of all the junk and put down a membrane that is designed to do that. Even torch-on with the pt 2x6 in 'panels' free-floating on it would work better than that.

Rich · 03-27-2007, 05:12 PM

Get rid of everything except the joists and the decking and go to
http://www.drysnap.com

**Cole** · 03-27-2007, 05:13 PM

I know the 2x4 sleepers and the decking will have to be replaced.

My only question is, what is the best way to make sure no water will get under the new roofing membrane?

Also, on TOH "This Old House" one time, they used contact cement to hold the sleepers to the roof, that might be another option.

reveivl · 03-27-2007, 05:30 PM

Why hold them to the roof? Just make sure they can't fall off the edge. I bet the contact cement worked until the camera crews were out of there.

**Cole** · 03-27-2007, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

Get rid of everything except the joists and the decking and go to
http://www.drysnap.com

Hey that will work, thanks for the link!

boman47k · 03-28-2007, 08:51 AM

Proper flashing? Sleepers perpendicular tot he house (leading away)? Why Iowa plan rubber roof? Not sure about that spelling.

Driftwood · 03-28-2007, 09:34 AM

Any experianced carpenter can see this was designed to fail !

Hope the ledger is flashed properly ,or deck will take the house with it
[wet rot] ,Is it in your house wall along with mold now ? I'm guessing deck doesn't have enough fall to drain properly. Also My gut say's sleepers are acting as a water trap, installed wrong way. Deck should of
been built up tar , torch down , or epoxy with no decking.
If major rot replace everything. Otherwise remove decking,all rot .
Shore up ,cut post bottoms to give 1/4" per ft. fall. install ledger flashing if missing. Go with an epoxy deck ,installed by cont. that is specialized in this. good luck

boman47k · 03-28-2007, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Why Iowa plan rubber roof? Not sure about that spelling

Uh, that should have been why not...

Had this rubber-like roll roofing put on m y porches several years ago after fighting a leaking and longevity problem with regular roll roofing. No problem since. Was told it should last about 20 years.
I was also wondering about the direction of the sleepers and the flashing. Sleepers pt'ed? Maybe good caulking along the edges and nailheads covered?

boman47k · 03-28-2007, 09:59 AM

I reread the op. Says nothing about the sleepers being pt'ed. They are shade by pt'ed 2x6's but can still get wet. Slower drying time. Not sure I understand the logic. If that is asphalt roll roofing, it will not last long. My experience anyway.

hrscammisa · 03-28-2007, 10:16 AM

My thinkig if im looking at this right. Heres my 2 cents looks like the ply is on the bottom of joist? if it is then tear it off and go up top tear off the decking lay 5/8 over the joist then get some rolled roofing lay it on the ply then use 2x2 firing strips on the top 16" centers put your decking over that and that will take care of the problem make sure the 2x2 are pt even if you have to make them your self

boman47k · 03-28-2007, 11:03 AM

No way I would put regular roll roofing back on it. Gets too brittle. Too much trouble to replace it in a case like that. What? Maybe 3 years?

boman47k · 03-28-2007, 11:09 AM

I checked that link out. Might work for your situation. I keep thinking of a deck I saw that was built over an interior room. It would not work for that situation.

**Cole** · 03-28-2007, 11:59 AM

Guys, it does have enough slope from back to front.

It is properly flashed at the house, and no water has been getting in.

The problem they are having is that the asphalt roofing, is not holding up very well. They had the deck done about 7 years ago.

I am looking for long term solutions.

Having to rip up all the boards on top and replace the underlayment is a huge job, and not something they want to be paying for every 7 years.