This might be a fine homebuilding question, rather than fine woodworking , but I’m here.
Our new house plan will have a ground level walkout with a deck off the living room/dining room above. If we turn the lower patio into a screened in porch, what deck surface material would you recommend to keep the rain out of the enclosed patio?
Stewie
The Sawdust Shop
Replies
If it were my new house, I would spend the extra 3 or 4 K and put a roof over the deck upstairs. I just built a new house (yes, I built it not a contractor) I did not think of that when I built my house and now I want to go back and add it.
Definetly a fine home building q. There was an article about water proofing in this exact situation within the last 6 - 12mons I recall. If you don't find it and are interested I might be able to find it.
Once you have a proper water proofing (torch down membrane or mechanically fastened) and encorporate a fastener, you can use any type of floor finish you like above provided it has a small slope for drainage. Be careful as there are many products out there that claim to work in this situation, but don't provide the longevity of some.
I do have a subscription to FHB. , so I will go look it up. ThanksStewie
The Sawdust Shop
If you click on Breaktime up at the top right of your screen, you will be taken to the Fine Homebuilding Forum similar to this one.
After my wife fell through the landing on our deck that I had built about thirty years ago, I decided to rebuild. She kind of had "black leg" for a while. I hadn't used it for about a year but the message obiously hadn't gotten around. I added some two feet to it and am just finishing a porch with a roof above. I put a composition board on the deck but intend on caulking the cracks between the board. Put aluminum below the joists as I have a patio below. I don't know that it is the best solution but I think it will work. We get very little wind here so I think the collected moisture should be minimal.
Edited 1/18/2007 8:45 pm ET by tinkerer2
By composition board do you mean plywood, masonite , or particle board or..........??? If the caulking works, you should not need the aluminum sheets under the joists???Stewie
The Sawdust Shop
The composition boards are expressly for the purpose of decking. Looks somewhat like particle board except it looks like plastic. I've seen variations of it in various stores . The aluminum underneath is mainly for looks (patio ceiling). It is the same stuff as under eaves and I suppose it would limit carpenter bees, wasps etc. I'm not a designer or professional, of any sort, but present it as it is.
Paul
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