Signs Your Deck Needs To Be Inspected

We have had a lot of traffic recently to our site from people who are concerned about their decks. We want to assure you that your waterproofed deck probably isn't going to collapse, but many wood decks do collapse on a near everyday basis in the US. How can you check your waterproof solid surface deck to see if it has any warning signs of danger?

Do use our photograph's to check your deck for signs of problems and dangerous conditions. If you find these conditions, you'll want to have a deck inspector review your deck and give you a report with a basic scope of work to use to obtain bids with. Don't let a deck waterproofing contractor write his scope of work, they may be complete and truthful or they may be adding extra work and profits on.

Even if your deck is in no danger of collapse, water getting under the surface of a waterproof deck can cause damage to framing and the plywood substrate.

1.) Therefore, cracks on a deck are a warning sign. Look at your deck carefully in the field of the deck. Many times plywood moving will cause a deck to crack.

Urethane deck with seam tape showing through coating.
We recommend a professional inspection and evaluation. 

Long cracks in the field of the deck
should be inspected and repaired. 

Some decks crack because of moving plywood. This deck's
coating cracked because of plywood not being level. 

Cracks at the edge of a deck may indicate a more serious issue underneath.
Further evaluation is recommended.

2.) Rusted metal flashings on deck edges or at deck to wall areas. Rusted areas in field of deck. Rusted railing bases.

Rusted railing bases have lost their strength and now may present a hazard
as they won't be able to retrain you from falling. An inspection and fast repairs
need to be done in many cases to maintain safety. 

Any type of plant growth around a railing bases indicates moisture
conditions underneath. 

Rust on the metal flashing like this is a sign that further inspection
should be done and a scope of work written.

3.) Ponding Water. After a rain storm, your waterproof deck should be dry within 24 hours to at most 48 hours. Water should not ever pond longer than that. An inspection of the problem areas can help you determine what work can and needs to be done to correct a ponding water issue.

Ponds in the middle of a walkway always create problems.

Water sitting at the wall can attack exposed sheet metal causing rust and leaks.

Water sitting on an edge indicates a high edge. 

Watch for future articles discussing drains and scuppers.

Blogger Details The Building of Their New Home, Shortly After, Their Tile Decks Leak-See the Pics

I was doing a Google on tile decks...and found this Blog on a homeowners building their house and their tile deck leak issues.

The first set of pics show the house being framed/flashed. Problems are already apparent, such as the floor of the deck being almost the same height as the floor of the house...then tile is going on. The result will be tile higher than the floor, water trapped in thresholds...click here to see the start of the job

Here is an actual statement by the owner on the cause of their deck problems...
"The 3rd wettest January on record helped to underscore the ongoing problems we had with water leaking into the great room. The roof over this area is actually the roof deck. The roof deck is surrounded by a stucco parapet and the theory for the cause of our water problems is that when the tile was grouted, the weep screed in the J-metal at the lower edge of the stucco got plugged. This caused water to back up into the stucco and seep through the wooden parapet structure (natural stucco is not waterproof). Any way, to fix it involved tearing out stucco and tile and re-flashing, re-sealing and putting everything back. 3/1/2005 - "


"One wouldn't think that in the desert, leaking water would be a big problem--and most of the time it isn't. On those infrequent occasions, though, it can really be a mess. Our major leaking problems come from two areas. The first, and most serious, is water leaking from the roof deck. Current theory is that water is not exiting the stucco on the parapet through its normal path out of the bottom of J-metal that defines the lower limits of the stucco. This area has been blocked by tile grout. The other leaking is coming from the door thresholds. These were originally installed below the level of the exterior tile. Not a good idea. They were replaced with a higher version, but the adjoining deck tile was not replaced. This left a gap, and again, more water."


See the horror show pics of water leaking in everywhere. Click here


 See the horror show pics of the house being torn apart to remove wet insulation, drywall etc. Click here

See the horror show pics of the deck being torn apart to fix the stucco and deck. Click here

Moral of the Story-Do it right once or pay the consequences...

Euphemisms for leaks-From Architect Jody Brown's Blog

Please feel free to contribute to this post...
This is kind of the You Might Be a Redneck If...lists. Read on through, click to read the rest and fill in your own leak scenario...

I’ve been drawing waterproofing details all week, and it might be affecting me. So, I’ll let you in on a secret. There are certain things that Architects may say or do that are clear warning signs of future water infiltration problems. I think the kids are calling them “leaks” these days. If you happen to be reviewing the drawings with your Architect and you’re drifting off to sleep as he waxes and wanes and waves his arms around, try to perk up a little if you hear him say one of these things. These are just euphemisms for leaks. So, beware, and, begin the process of lining up expert witnesses.
 

 If your Architect has endeavored to dissolve the barrier between inside and out – you might have a leak

If your Architect has flooded the interior spaces with natural light – you might have a leak (yes, they will actually use the word “flooded”)

If your Architect has written a specification – you might have a leak. If your Architect has not written a specification – you might have a leak. If you Architect does not know what a specification is – you might have a leak.

If your Architect uses the term “innovative” – you might have a leak.

If your Architect drives a Porsche Cayman – you might have a leak (seriously, they might as well where a sandwich board sign that says “the end is near” on one side and “I can’t afford a 911” on the other.)

If your Architect has “streamlined the process” – you might have a leak.

If your Architect has designed the building to be “one with nature” – you might have a leak.

If your Architect has developed custom software to facilitate the design and fabrication of the elaborate titanium undulating forms representing the unrest of our current economic climate – you might have a leak (that’s right, I’m looking at you Frank Gehry)

If your Architect misspells the word “Bituminous” on his drawings – you might have a leak (actually, that’s not fair, no one can spell that)

READ ALL OF THE LEAK EUPHEMISMS BY CLICKING HERE

Poor Basement Waterproofing Work Leads to Lawsuit in VA

Lawsuit Over Townhome's Construction

Posted: Nov 22, 2010 7:39 PM PST

Reporter: Mark Kelly l Videographer: Sally Delta Goin

Lynchburg, VA - The owner of a Lynchburg townhome says part of his home was designed poorly - rain has flooded the basement 16 times in three years. Now, he's suing the developers, the builders, and the homeowners association at Sterling Park.

Monday, a judge allowed the case to move forward.

Michael Bowers says the outside of the house just wasn't built right. He's an engineer and he collected a binder of evidence he says proves it.

Bowers' basement looks beautiful now. But, Bowers says what is now meticulous was once moldy.

"I had to rip up the carpet up to here and this entire room was moldy," said Bowers.

He redid the basement with water durable materials, making the moldy new again. But the transformation wasn't cheap. He sank another $7,000 into a $12,000 finished off basement. He says someone built his townhome wrong.

"When all the water around here drains, it floods right to my back door, goes in right through the brick or under the house, so it causes this whole drainage or flooding problem," said Bowers.

But he says the players - developers, builders, the homeowners' association-- are all passing the buck.

"You contact one and they go, 'Well, you really need to contact the developer,' said Bowers. READ THE REST BY CLICKING THIS LINK

Five Days Of Rain = The Ultimate Water Testing!

Well California is drying out a bit after 5 days of rain...I'd call that the ultimate water test for decks, walls, windows and doors...

How did your decks do?

Call Bill at Central Coast Waterproofing if your decks aren't performing up to par! 805-545-8300

Rain Will Determine if That "Cheaper" Bid Was the Right Bid to Take

With all this rain here in California, we'll soon find out whose work is performing as it should be, and whose work is leaking like a sieve.

So often the deciding factor in selecting a waterproofing contractor is price; customers can't decipher the trade jargon on a bid and don't do their due diligence in researching companies before spending their hard earned money...

Someone once said, "You can't spend a little and get a lot." With waterproofing, that's double true...good luck to those unfortunate enough to be watching water pour in their home from a leaky deck that got waterproofed by the cheapest guy; it's about to cost you 10x more than you thought!

Call the Deck Expert, Bill Leys at 805-801-2380 to get your deck problems under control!

Picture of the Week

So I got a call last week from a client in Grover Beach; she'd had her deck redone by a local company a couple years ago.

She said "there's rust coming through from the chicken wire". I rushed right over...

The patient had signs of serious distress; rusted lath all over the deck. Close examination and an autopsy revealed what looked to be Tufflex or some type of urethane troweled over the lath. Some sloping work was done, we could see the built up materials over an old existing fiberglass system that went over the original urethane surface we found buried down below...

The deck was flat in many areas, attempts at crickets to move water to the scuppers were done poorly, water ponded on the deck just from the heavy fog we get on the coast in corners adjacent to scuppers, and out on the field of the deck.
Clearly who ever did this was guilty of not knowing what they were doing...

Demo'ing the stucco walls, where i could see the flashing was rusting through, we found serious amounts of water damage to the plywood and metal. Removing the plywood in one corner revealed the damage below to the TGI Trusses (Engineered Truss System, uses wood and OSB for strength).

This brought our work to a screeching halt; a general contractor will be needed to fix this problem, then we can come back and waterproof.

This job for us is around 10K, the owner now faces another 10k in wood repairs before we can waterproof her properly...

Lesson, you can cheap out on your job, but your job won't get any cheaper!

Do it right the first time, not the second or third.

Maybe California and the US needs a "Weathertight Homes Tribunal" like they have in NZ

In New Zealand, condo's, or apartments as they call them down under, have a Ministry of Justice Weathertight Homes Tribunal they can turn to for help in leaky building problems.
Read this article on a long drawn out case over leaky decks and buildings...

Deck Drains-Deck Expert Recommends Thunderbird Products

In my many inspections of decks throughout the years as an estimator, I have seen many failed methods that were used in an attempt to install a drain through the floor of a deck coating. I often see drains that came from Home Depot type stores, and also see professional type drains that came from a plumbing supply house.
The drains you buy at these places are not manufactured with deck coatings terminating into them as part of their function. Because of that one flaw, the decks are doomed to fail. The picture above shows a plastic drain system with overflow. The deck guy had the right idea but executed the job with the wrong drain. The plastic deteriorated over the years, the flange is flexible and stepping on it probably damaged it too. As a result, water leaked by the flange and into the ceiling below. We removed that drain and installed copper drains with overflows on them.

The only drain systems I use are from Thunderbird Products, Inc. of El Cajon, CA. They have specific drains for decks and roofs, including tile deck systems, that allow the proper termination of the drain with the deck coating/waterproofing materials. Click the link above to see their online catalog of drains and scuppers or call them at 800-658-2473 to place your order. Tell them Bill Leys sent you their way!

A Wise Waterproofer Once Told Me, "Bill, Water Has Nothing But Time On It's Hands

The pictures above are of a deck in Thousand Oaks; I was bidding the job and took the first picture on the right when inspecting the job. You can't miss the dirt and water pond stains where water pooled by the scupper area without draining. The picture on the left shows what we found when we stripped the old deck coating off...The real bitch was that the plywood is soft, and I couldn't tell when stepping on the deck during inspection because...the plywood is 1 1/8" thick plywood!
There was so much damage to these decks underneath, a lot of plywood at a huge additional cost ($60.00 a sheet for materials alone!) needed to be replaced and the customers budget was blown out of the water, no pun intended...
It appears to me that water sitting for extended period sof time was able to percolate down through the deck coating over a 15 year or so period to cause the damage you see.
Today's lesson (and guiding principle in building low slope roof decks) learned is, "No water may pond on a deck for more than 48 hours after cessation of rain."
Learn the lesson or pay the cost.

DECK CARE 101-Potted plants

"Plants need to be raised off the surface"
Saw this deck in LA with moss growing vigorously around the base of this clay pot. The owner loved the effect, I loved that the deck repair costs were going to be around $5,000.00.

Interesting Powerpoint Presentation on finding leaks

On the Roof Consultants Institute website on their resource page comes this excellent presentation by Donald Kilpatrick.

Check it out and maybe you'll learn something. I did!

Straight Issues | Leaky-condo legal battle rumbles on | Straight.com

Straight Issues | Leaky-condo legal battle rumbles on | Straight.com: "Straight Issues Leaky-condo legal battle rumbles on Straight Issues Publish Date: July 19, 2007 The struggle of leaky-condo buyers is far from over. Take the case of Strata Plan LMS 1725 , owners of units at the Governor's Tower and Villas condominiums in Yaletown. It took no less than a B.C. Supreme Court ruling to allow them to retain an engineering firm to rehabilitate the buildings that suffered from water-penetration problems following their construction in 1994. Property developer Pacific Place Holdings Ltd . had objected to their hiring of RDH Building Engineering Ltd. on the grounds that the same firm had previously provided expert advice to the builder. In a July 12 decision, the court noted that the developer's application to disqualify the engineering company will not only delay the repair and hike costs but also 'increase the difficulties' of owners. This won't end the legal fight. The condo owners earlier sued the builder. The trial will start in January 2008, the 245 owners' lawyer, Robert Lesperance , told the Straight . At least 65,000 homeowners in B.C. have been affected by the leaky-condo problem, according to estimates by the Consumer Advocacy and Support to Homeowners Society. Society cofounder John Grasty noted that building tarps are visible across the Low"

Tales from downunder-Waterproofing Expensive townhouses

April Showers Waterproofing Pty Ltd - Waterproofing expensive townhouses:

I found this to be an interesting story; it's nice to see that we're not the only ones with water intrusion problems...

"Waterproofing expensive townhouses 339 Edgecliff Rd consists of a number of large townhouses set up in a terraced layout - all with Sydney Harbour and Rose Bay views. The complex was built in the early 1970s and is on the lower side of Edgecliff Rd, Woollahra. The buildings have had water penetration problems for well over 10 years with water entering in through the roof, the balconies and cavity walls. The Body Corporate engaged a forensic architect who specialises in remedial work to advise them on the best way to solve the buildings problems. The architect developed a staged plan to bring the building up to scratch over a three-year period. Because of the high value of the townhouses and the fact that many previous waterproofing attempts had failed, the water leakage problems were among the first issues addressed. The architect recommended a PVC waterproofing system be used to waterproof the flat roofs, balconies and to replace the defective cavity flashings. PVC was chosen because of its total reliability and track record in waterproofing structures where other systems had failed. April Showers Waterproofing Pty Ltd, experienced sheet PVC applicators and licensed builders, was awarded the contract to carry out the waterproofing and associated works. After waterproofing the roof are"