Waterproofing Your Roof Deck

Over the years your roof deck has become one of your favorite spaces in your home. But as you have been falling in love, your waterproofing layer has been falling apart. When a roof deck is installed, a waterproof membrane or coating is applied to keep the spaces in your home underneath the deck dry and protected from the seasonal elements. Over time, wind, rain, ice, and snow build up can wear down the waterproofing on your deck space. These same elements can wear away the surface of your deck, making it look and feel older.

Investing in a quality waterproofing product can save you time and money, from repairing and prolonging the life of your current roof deck, to staving off costly home repairs. Enjoy your outdoor space without the worry of costly water damage, weather damage, or wondering when to replace your current decking.

Applying a seal coating to the deck will help to prolong the life of your decking materials. By creating a moisture barrier, waterproofing your deck will prevent the deck boards from weathering over time. This means you won’t have to worry about ugly splitting and cracking. With the cost of lumber in today’s markets, replacing your deck can cost you triple what you paid to have it installed.

Do you already have some minor blemishes starting to develop? A good waterproofing compound can help to fill and repair these small defects. Your deck will look and feel newer. By coating the top layer of the decking, you transform your old deck into a non-slip, barefoot friendly walkable surface. Carry your morning coffee with confidence in the morning, or sip under the sunset without the worry of splinters or snares. This means that you can continue to enjoy this serene space for years to come.

One little hole in your deck’s waterproofing is all water needs to start leaking into the spaces below. As the seasons change, water will chip away at this small hole, enlarging it and the potential list of problems. Leaks can cause damage to your drywall, insulation, electrical, carpeting, and more. Left untreated, this water accumulation can also turn into hazardous mold.

It might sound like a major project, but waterproofing your deck is a simple process. With AMES family of products, you can choose to tackle this project yourself, or you can lean on our friendly sales staff to help find the right contractor. Your home is your sanctuary, you shouldn’t have to worry about what’s lurking overhead or behind your walls.

Before you can begin the waterproofing process, it is important to clean the surface removing any dirt and debris. Remove all furniture, potted plants, tables, etc. to gain complete access to your deck surface. Loose leaves, dirt, etc. can inhibit the waterproof coating from adhering and effectively protecting your deck surface. Start with vacuuming and then use a stiff broom to ensure all potential debris and potential contaminants are removed from the deck surface.

The next important step is to inspect the deck substrate for imperfections or defects that need to be fixed before proceeding with the waterproofing process. For a full list of defects, and detailed information on the prep work and waterproofing process, check out our roof deck projects. Taping the joints will make your decking impenetrable and prepares the surface for waterproofing. Bear in mind, the image of the tape will transmit through the coatings, which is fine for roofs but we don’t recommend taping the seams on decks.

For plywood decks, once the prep work has been completed, embed AMES Contouring Roof Fabric into a wet coat of Elasto Barrier making sure it is completely saturated with no air pockets or wrinkles. While wet, apply a second coat of Elasto Barrier and allow to dry. Once dry, apply a third coat of Elasto Barrier. When that has dried, apply the first coat of AMES Safe-T-Deck. Allow that to dry for 24 hours and apply a second coat of Safe-T-Deck.

For concrete decks, the application process is the same, however, AMES BLUE MAX should be used in place of Elasto Barrier.

There are a number of tutorial videos on our website. Please contact us if you have any questions.