Author Topic: Ideas for making a free standing deck roof watertight  (Read 1799 times)

FIREintraining11

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Ideas for making a free standing deck roof watertight
« on: June 12, 2018, 10:45:13 AM »
Moved into a new house with a 2 story deck on the back. The deck is about 4 inches from the house and is not attached to the house in any way.  The boards on the roof of the deck are not tight enough together so rain comes right through the cracks. The roof is also flat so rain sits on top of the roof if it doesn’t fall onto the deck.

I was hoping to find a mustachian idea to fix the roof so I can enjoy the deck while it’s raining. I’ve had some roofing contractors provide estimates but have been in the $4k range to rebuild the deck to tie it into the foundation and then attach a roof to the roof on the house.  DIY newbie looking for advice.

https://imgur.com/a/tNGA2kD

Thanks!

Polak_maly

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 9
Re: Ideas for making a free standing deck roof watertight
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2018, 11:25:04 AM »
What is your budget?

Why not just put rubber underlayment and/or asphalt shingles?

Also, if the deck is 4 inches from the house, does it mean that water is not hitting gutter and going down your siding? (This I would consider a bigger issue)

FIREintraining11

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Re: Ideas for making a free standing deck roof watertight
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2018, 06:17:05 PM »
I was thinking a budget of roughly $1,000. The inspectors didn’t recommend that I put shingles on the deck because it would be additional weight.  Rain that hits the roof of the house goes into the gutter.  The “roof” on the deck is level with the gutter but has no slope to guide the water to the gutter or into the yard.

px4shooter

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 140
Re: Ideas for making a free standing deck roof watertight
« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2018, 08:17:25 PM »




Cheap way. Some silicone or roof tar on the overlapping areas to help them be watertight.

zolotiyeruki

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5603
  • Location: State: Denial
Re: Ideas for making a free standing deck roof watertight
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2018, 07:50:24 AM »




Cheap way. Some silicone or roof tar on the overlapping areas to help them be watertight.
This.  Except spend a tiny bit of extra money and a few extra hours to put in spacer blocks to slope it away from the house.  Avoiding standing water and directing it away from the house are two Very Good Things.

Fishindude

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3075
Re: Ideas for making a free standing deck roof watertight
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2018, 09:32:04 AM »
If you have a decent deck, you can install a sheet of EPDM rubber roofing on top of it to make it water tight.   
Check out "Flat Roof Solutions" website, they have everything you need.

toganet

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 239
  • Location: Buffalo, NY
Re: Ideas for making a free standing deck roof watertight
« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2018, 11:22:09 AM »
Keep in mind even "flat" roofs should have a slight slope toward where you want the water go.  It can be as little as an 1/2 inch in 12 feet.  Without it, water will pool on top of whatever you have there and cause problems.  Water is the enemy of all structures.

FIREintraining11

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Re: Ideas for making a free standing deck roof watertight
« Reply #7 on: June 13, 2018, 04:42:40 PM »
Thanks for all of the replies! They’ve been really helpful.  I think the rubber roofing with a slight pitch seems like the way to go.