Replacing a Deck That is a Roof

     Sometimes you have a roof that you can access easily and you either want to go out onto it, put lawn chairs on it, set up a ping pong table or anything you may think of as something to do on a deck.

      The finish on the deck can be wood, concrete, rubber pads, ceramic til, or whatever you want.

     The first thing you must ensure is that the support and sub-floor are adequate to utilize the roof as a deck.

     The next thing to do is to put down a proper deck coating that will last. A proper deck coating means that there is a process of waterproofing that must happen. This process is 5 to 7 steps of waterproof layers and coatings. To compare this, a normal roofing would be 2 or 3 steps or layers.

     Before starting this process, you need to ensure that all of the support structure is complete, such as any support you may want if you are going to have a hot tub on the deck.

     During the process of putting down the layers, it is important to seal anything that sticks up out of the roof. If you are going to need handrails, then posts for them must be in before starting the process.

     Now the waterproofing process can be done.

     If you are going to do a tile deck, the process has to be taken to a point where the deck coating is ready to lay tile onto it. If you are going to do a wooden deck, any support lumber that is needed under the wooden deck must be installed along with the process so that it is sealed in and will not leak.

     Get the idea, whatever “finish” you want on the deck, that “finish” is not the waterproofing. (The waterproofing is the deck coating process.)

     When setting up the deck or laying out the access to the deck, keep in mind that any door onto the deck must be a minimum of 2 foot 8 inches wide. Any stairs onto or off of the deck must be must be a minimum of 36 inches wide.

Good Decking,

Randy