Solid Deck

[Me]

The deck/carport on my home is having some problems up here in the Seattle rain. The solid decking, plywood coated with some sort of decking coating, is rotting at the edges.

I do not want to give up the dry shelter this deck provides. The deck joists are preasure treated and in great shape so I want to rip up all of the plywood and re-deck with the correct type of plywood and properly seal/flash the edges to prevent premature rotting.

Another problem with the deck is it is level, I plan to slope it away from the house.

Does anyone have any advise on what type of plywood to use and flashing methods to use on the edges? Any suggestions on deck coatings that last and protect againts the elements? Thanks,

Ned Seattle, WA

[Des Perado]

Fiberglass is the only way to go. If you wrap it over the edges of the new plywood sheeting, it will protect the edges too. Why they build solid floor decks here in the Pacific Northwest Rainforest, I do not know. I would never buy another house with such a deck. Would prefer a concrete patio on the ground that I simply had to hose off in Spring and it is ready for action. Decks are a pain in the butt! Guess they are good in Arizona or Nevada, but not in the Rainforest. Des

[Steve]

Well until last week, you could try and get treated plywood.. There still maybe some left around at the lumberyards..

I guess they are afraid of kid getting the preservative on their hands.

But then you real problem is the water getting in between the plys at the edges.. This will be hard to do without glassing, as has been suggested, or installing some kind of edging that will still allow the water to run off without wicking in between the plys.. You should also be concerned with the water getting in between the ply joints...

No easy solution but slooping the deck may help, then you will only have one edge that stays wet..

Steve

[ameijers]

1. Absurdly expensive, but I think you can get 'Trex' or similar plastic planks in T&G. If you slope it so the grooves drain, it should hold up. Caulk the tongues as you assemble it, and it should be dry underneath.
2. Call a local roofing company, and see if they have any membrane products that are rated for deck use. Again, expensive. If they don't have anything that can be walked on directly, look for something you could lay a removable wooden deck on top of, made up of 1x stock on 1x horizontal sleepers. (Picture a bunch of very thin 4x4 pallets laid out on the roof.) Roofing company should have the appropriate drip edge and sealant to keep the weather edges protected. As you already figured, you have to pay attention to slope and drainage patterns to avoid ponding on the roof. If there is a puddle, any pinholes will eventually cause a leak and damage.
3. Like the other guy said, use marine-grade plywood like boat decks are made of, and some sort of weatherproof urethane finish, reapplied every couple of years.
4. Take out a second mortgage, and put in a slightly sloped standing seam metal roof, with built-in sockets to hold short posts and a conventional wood deck on top. Yes, I realize this basically means reconstructing the carport/deck.

HTH- I very much understand your desire to keep a dry roof over you stash space.

aem sends....

[David Babcock]

If it were me, I would look for the wavy fiberglass roof panels. I have seen them in an opaque, green or white. I would choose the opaque, lets more light in, and not quite as cheesy looking

[RB]

I put several of these panels under my deck last year to shield my generator. They work well. When looking I found that they are also available now in urethane. The urethane panels are more flexible than the older fiberglass ones and don't seem to get as dirty (smoother finish.)

RB

David Babcock wrote: