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Michael Roback
 
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Default Deck Damage Emergency


I remodeled a house three years ago. The builder may alot of mistakes,
including many of the subs he chose to use. Unofrtunately we were not under
contract but paid him hourly so our recourse is limited. The rebuilt a deck
using plywood on doug fir joists hanging on a cleat bolted to the side of my
house. He opted to cover the deck with a rubberized coating covered with
aggregage but never did the finish coat as he said when the job was
finished, I could do that. In the meantime, with all of the rain, the seams
opened up letting water through the deck causing significant staining as
well to checking on the plywood below. There is alot of black stuff that
could be mold but I suspect could just be dirt too. One part of the deck
was sheeted over existing red wood slats and on that deck that is smaller,
the damage seems more severe. I opened up some soft spots and scooped out
the plywood down to the red wood which was still wet from the winter. I
called in the develper of the deck system and he informed me that the joints
of the plywood should have been filled with a heavier version of the liquid
rubber and taped with 4" polyproplene tape prior to the first coat of liquid
rubber. This was not done and he says this is why the seams opened up. He
said the rubber and aggregage coat should have protected the deck without
the finish acrylic coating. He says that on the sheeting over the red wood
he can make a "matrix" slurry of rubber and sand and fill the voids, but
some are as big as 4" X 6" usually around the joint. On the rest of the
deck which was sheeted on joists without an underlying deck he says that
to flat frame 2 X 4 s supporting the under side of each seam will help and
it anything is bad enough it can be cut out and replaced. He says that
if I can cut out wood rot it will be fine just to patch or fill but this
is beyond my knowledge. I don't know if it was the builder, roofer who did
the deck or the manufacturer of the product who erred. The roofer says
that the specs at the time he did the deck did not call for taping the deck.
The manufacturer is recommending just patching with the slurry, cutting out
and replacing where needed and them recoating areas with liquid rubber and
then a finish coat of acrylic. Is this just a bandaid? I don't have the
money to rebuild the deck? Also, I have been testing primers and have not
found one yet to seal the water damage well. The manufacturer says to prime
with a WATER based acrylic primer so it the deck ever leaks it won't trap
water in the plywood a harm it anymore. I know that BIN would be good but
it is oil based??? Is there a good deck system that can go over this and act
like a solid membreane holding all water off of the deck. It has been so
compromised that just going with this system after the repairs scares me.
Also the deck sits on a shim of plywood that runs the length of the deck
as the builder had not done the elevation correctly. The strip looks
water stained and somewhat damaged but does not crumble to the touch.
Should I just seal it and leave it alone By the way this deck is maybe
20 X 40 and wraps around my house. Any help or advise would be appreciated.
Thanks.

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Josh
 
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Default


"Michael Roback" wrote
Any help or advise would be appreciated.
Thanks.


No help here, but how did you get talked into being a guinea pig?

Plywood system with fir joists sounds like a very poor choice for a decking
system. I know it's used for roof systems, but it's easy to tell when a
roof is leaking. Unless there's room to walk under your deck, you would
never know it's leaking until you feel the soft spot while walking it.

I wouldn't throw good money at a lost cause. Just my opinion.

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Edwin Pawlowski
 
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Default


"Michael Roback" wrote in message
...

The rebuilt a deck
using plywood on doug fir joists hanging on a cleat bolted to the side of
my
house. He opted to cover the deck with a rubberized coating covered with
aggregage but never did the finish coat as he said when the job was
finished, I could do that. In the meantime, with all of the rain, the
seams
opened up letting water through the deck causing significant staining as
well to checking on the plywood below. There is alot of black stuff that
could be mold but I suspect could just be dirt too. One part of the deck
was sheeted over existing red wood slats and on that deck that is smaller,
the damage seems more severe. I opened up some soft spots and scooped out
the plywood down to the red wood which was still wet from the winter.



From what I read, the fix is easy. You need a Sawzall, dumpster, and some
new decking. Repairing what you have is going to be a lot of work with
questionable results. Probably easier and cheaper to start over.


  #4   Report Post  
TURTLE
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Michael Roback" wrote in message
...

I remodeled a house three years ago. The builder may alot of mistakes,
including many of the subs he chose to use. Unofrtunately we were not under
contract but paid him hourly so our recourse is limited. The rebuilt a deck
using plywood on doug fir joists hanging on a cleat bolted to the side of my
house. He opted to cover the deck with a rubberized coating covered with
aggregage but never did the finish coat as he said when the job was
finished, I could do that. In the meantime, with all of the rain, the seams
opened up letting water through the deck causing significant staining as
well to checking on the plywood below. There is alot of black stuff that
could be mold but I suspect could just be dirt too. One part of the deck
was sheeted over existing red wood slats and on that deck that is smaller,
the damage seems more severe. I opened up some soft spots and scooped out
the plywood down to the red wood which was still wet from the winter. I
called in the develper of the deck system and he informed me that the joints
of the plywood should have been filled with a heavier version of the liquid
rubber and taped with 4" polyproplene tape prior to the first coat of liquid
rubber. This was not done and he says this is why the seams opened up. He
said the rubber and aggregage coat should have protected the deck without
the finish acrylic coating. He says that on the sheeting over the red wood
he can make a "matrix" slurry of rubber and sand and fill the voids, but
some are as big as 4" X 6" usually around the joint. On the rest of the
deck which was sheeted on joists without an underlying deck he says that
to flat frame 2 X 4 s supporting the under side of each seam will help and
it anything is bad enough it can be cut out and replaced. He says that
if I can cut out wood rot it will be fine just to patch or fill but this
is beyond my knowledge. I don't know if it was the builder, roofer who did
the deck or the manufacturer of the product who erred. The roofer says
that the specs at the time he did the deck did not call for taping the deck.
The manufacturer is recommending just patching with the slurry, cutting out
and replacing where needed and them recoating areas with liquid rubber and
then a finish coat of acrylic. Is this just a bandaid? I don't have the
money to rebuild the deck? Also, I have been testing primers and have not
found one yet to seal the water damage well. The manufacturer says to prime
with a WATER based acrylic primer so it the deck ever leaks it won't trap
water in the plywood a harm it anymore. I know that BIN would be good but
it is oil based??? Is there a good deck system that can go over this and act
like a solid membreane holding all water off of the deck. It has been so
compromised that just going with this system after the repairs scares me.
Also the deck sits on a shim of plywood that runs the length of the deck
as the builder had not done the elevation correctly. The strip looks
water stained and somewhat damaged but does not crumble to the touch.
Should I just seal it and leave it alone By the way this deck is maybe
20 X 40 and wraps around my house. Any help or advise would be appreciated.
Thanks.


This is Turtle.

As the Boys at Blue Collar TV said always have you a Big Deck or people will
talk about you. 20' X 40' Deck is a a Big Deck !

TURTLE


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John Grabowski
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I'm no expert, but it sounds as though someone sold you a roof and called it
a deck. There seems to be a lot of components that I have never seen on a
deck before. The decks that I have seen usually consist of support beams
and posts, bolts, nails, wood or manmade planks for floor boards, and wood
or manmade railings. I have never seen plywood used for the construction of
a deck or rubberized coatings and membranes.

Most likely if this is not taken apart and redone correctly (Whatever that
may be in this case) you will continue to have problems throughout its life.
If it were me, I would try to determine what would be easier, cheaper, and
more reliable; Repair the existing deck or tear it down and rebuild with a
simpler proven system. Get some other contractors to take a look and see
what they suggest.


John Grabowski
http://www.mrelectrician.tv


"TURTLE" wrote in message
news

"Michael Roback" wrote in message
...

I remodeled a house three years ago. The builder may alot of mistakes,
including many of the subs he chose to use. Unofrtunately we were not

under
contract but paid him hourly so our recourse is limited. The rebuilt a

deck
using plywood on doug fir joists hanging on a cleat bolted to the side

of my
house. He opted to cover the deck with a rubberized coating covered

with
aggregage but never did the finish coat as he said when the job was
finished, I could do that. In the meantime, with all of the rain, the

seams
opened up letting water through the deck causing significant staining as
well to checking on the plywood below. There is alot of black stuff

that
could be mold but I suspect could just be dirt too. One part of the

deck
was sheeted over existing red wood slats and on that deck that is

smaller,
the damage seems more severe. I opened up some soft spots and scooped

out
the plywood down to the red wood which was still wet from the winter. I
called in the develper of the deck system and he informed me that the

joints
of the plywood should have been filled with a heavier version of the

liquid
rubber and taped with 4" polyproplene tape prior to the first coat of

liquid
rubber. This was not done and he says this is why the seams opened up.

He
said the rubber and aggregage coat should have protected the deck

without
the finish acrylic coating. He says that on the sheeting over the red

wood
he can make a "matrix" slurry of rubber and sand and fill the voids, but
some are as big as 4" X 6" usually around the joint. On the rest of the
deck which was sheeted on joists without an underlying deck he says that
to flat frame 2 X 4 s supporting the under side of each seam will help

and
it anything is bad enough it can be cut out and replaced. He says that
if I can cut out wood rot it will be fine just to patch or fill but this
is beyond my knowledge. I don't know if it was the builder, roofer who

did
the deck or the manufacturer of the product who erred. The roofer says
that the specs at the time he did the deck did not call for taping the

deck.
The manufacturer is recommending just patching with the slurry, cutting

out
and replacing where needed and them recoating areas with liquid rubber

and
then a finish coat of acrylic. Is this just a bandaid? I don't have

the
money to rebuild the deck? Also, I have been testing primers and have

not
found one yet to seal the water damage well. The manufacturer says to

prime
with a WATER based acrylic primer so it the deck ever leaks it won't

trap
water in the plywood a harm it anymore. I know that BIN would be good

but
it is oil based??? Is there a good deck system that can go over this and

act
like a solid membreane holding all water off of the deck. It has been

so
compromised that just going with this system after the repairs scares

me.
Also the deck sits on a shim of plywood that runs the length of the deck
as the builder had not done the elevation correctly. The strip looks
water stained and somewhat damaged but does not crumble to the touch.
Should I just seal it and leave it alone By the way this deck is maybe
20 X 40 and wraps around my house. Any help or advise would be

appreciated.
Thanks.


This is Turtle.

As the Boys at Blue Collar TV said always have you a Big Deck or people

will
talk about you. 20' X 40' Deck is a a Big Deck !

TURTLE





  #6   Report Post  
ameijers
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"John Grabowski" wrote in message
...
I'm no expert, but it sounds as though someone sold you a roof and called

it
a deck. There seems to be a lot of components that I have never seen on a
deck before.

(snip)
System they sold him is most often seen on roof decks, versus traditional
decks with open space underneath. Carefully installed, for that application
it makes sense. A continuous non-skid surface avoids the problems of rain
and debris ponding on the 'real' roof below, where it is a PITA to clean
out, and the problems of how do you hold the deck up off the weather
barrier. Essentially just a very durable membrane roof painted with nonskid
paint. Most often seen in decks above, say, an attached carport. But if
there is clear space below, and no need to keep the space dry, no reason to
not go with a traditional deck.

aem sends....

  #7   Report Post  
John Grabowski
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Thanks for the info. Now it makes sense. Well I guess he's got a lot of
work to do to make it right.



"ameijers" wrote in message
...

"John Grabowski" wrote in message
...
I'm no expert, but it sounds as though someone sold you a roof and

called
it
a deck. There seems to be a lot of components that I have never seen on

a
deck before.

(snip)
System they sold him is most often seen on roof decks, versus traditional
decks with open space underneath. Carefully installed, for that

application
it makes sense. A continuous non-skid surface avoids the problems of rain
and debris ponding on the 'real' roof below, where it is a PITA to clean
out, and the problems of how do you hold the deck up off the weather
barrier. Essentially just a very durable membrane roof painted with

nonskid
paint. Most often seen in decks above, say, an attached carport. But if
there is clear space below, and no need to keep the space dry, no reason

to
not go with a traditional deck.

aem sends....


  #8   Report Post  
Duane Bozarth
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Michael Roback wrote:

Snip the long, sad story of a membrane deck that went bad...

Just because you paid him hourly doesn't absolve him from responsibility
to do adequate, workmanlike job. I'd certainly consider discussing your
option w/ legal counsel if, as it sounds, the repair is going to be
quite expensive. Was the guy bonded and were proper permits, etc.,
obtained?
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