Fake Lawn on Wood Deck

[Paul Furman]

I know it's a total redneck solution but I want to rainproof under the deck and improve traction on the shady mossy slippery surface on the deck. There is no frost here... mild climate.

If I use 6 mil black plastic liner and a staple gun will that work? I guess I'd tape the seams of the plastic liner but maybe it'd still drip through the staple holes. Doesn't need to be perfect. Rubber liner sounds expensive. Actually the nicer quality fake lawn at Lowes is $4.46/SF & would cost $700 but maybe I can find a better price somewhere or it's just a stupid idea I should forget.

Outdoor carpeting for boats is applied with double sided tape or glue but that won't work with the liner below and would be a permanent mess. Normal carpet is applied with those deadly looking spiky strips but I'm not sure that works with this thinner fake lawn stuff. There is one spot where it needs to be flush at the steps or run it all the way down the steps too. That might encourage rot since the treads are all enclosed on three sides.

This only needs to last 5-10 years and we'll remodel & tear down the deck. Plastic "linoleum" doesn't sound suitable outdoors, too slippery?

[Paul Furman]

Thin plywood or a layer of tongue & groove wood flooring is another option but that sounds inexpensive. I'd need to caulk the plywood or find tongue & groove edges & get marine grade.

Here's a diagram of the 20' x 8' deck:

garden

5' 10' 5' ___ ___ | |__||| | 3' | | |____________| 5' 20'

house

Paul Furman wrote:

[mark Ransley]

You could kill the moss and mold with bleach and run corrigated roofing under the deck for waterproofing.

[Paul Furman]

[Paul Furman]

[Phisherman]

[SQLit]

Improving the traction is easy, clean the deck. Then before you stain or water proof again add some silica sand or glass beads into the paint or stain. Or if you want to spray it. Spray, sprinkle the sand and spray lightly again. Did this on my dads deck in Iowa. Unless there was ice no footing problems. I used a roller and mixed the sand on each roller pan full. It was a pain but I did not have my tools with me at the time.

[AJScott]

I'm just an innocent bystander, but it would seem to me that laying down redneck grass no matter how would simply invite a ton of moisture between the wood and turf. Unless maybe you used felt roofing paper -- but to me, that would also seem to invite rot and mold from moisture, humidity, etc and etc from beneath the deck.

Besides, ever see what happens to fake turf when you get a mess of dirt, leaves, spilled food and drink, etc. on it over a few years? Ugh. Not pretty.

Like someone else pointed out, if it's traction you want, add sand to some sealer/paint. Or if you only need better traction in small areas, there are stick-on thingamajigs that people most often use on wooden stairs. Not pretty, but more attractive than redneck grass.

I'm curious as to what you mean by "rainproofing under the deck." What exactly do you want to accomplish and why do you feel the need to do this?

AJS

[Paul Furman]

[AJScott]

Well, if all you want to do is eliminate the drip drip drip and you wanted to do it really cheap, you could simply staple the thickest-mil plastic sheeting you could find to the underside of the deck. That's what the rednecks I actually used to live with did, and it seemed to keep their hound dogs pretty dry. Just make sure you staple an extra sheet over where seam edges meet to further contain any drip drip.

However, funny thing about those "going to ripped out in 5-10 years" jobs. If you're not careful, they have an odd habit of stretching into the 12th of Never and you just end up being the neighborhood redneck and have everyone laughing at you behind their back. Just like at my mom's house. Ugh.

AJS

[norminn]

The rednecks I know don't shelter the dogs - they tie them to trees. As for waterproofing under the deck, it's easy. Nail some tapered shims to the underside, widest end where the water should go. Get heavy duty plastic, staple to bottom edge of shim. Should last 5 years easily without sun exposure. Scrub the deck with mild bleach solution when the weathe dries, let wood dry well, put a good sealer on it. Trim trees so's it gets some sun, if that is the problem.