I will be constructing some cedar panels for a customers rooftop deck. Unfortunately the house has settled over the years, and the ceiling joists under the plywood subdeck and torch on membrane, have sagged and moved to produce a bit of a wavy surface. Therefore the water doesn’t always find it’s way to the four drains, and pools somewhat. I am wondering if anyone knows of an inorganic product to use as sleepers underneath the cedar deck boards rather than pressure treated cedar 1×4’s. That way the sleepers won’t rot. The new regulations regarding arsenic in treated lumber is a good thing…except that the new products for treating lumber suck!! The new stuff allows the wood to rot years and years earlier than any of the old products.
I thought about “Trex” type products, but they have a “honeycomb” type, hollow construction and I wish to rout some water grooves in the sleepers to help with the draining of water. If anyone has some suggestions, please help! :=)
“enjoy what you do, do what you enjoy”
Renovations by Roger
Vancouver, Canada.
Replies
Trex is solid, no honeycomb.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
where are you from? The only Trex I've seen in Vancouver BC, Canada is not solid."enjoy what you do, do what you enjoy"
Renovations by Roger
Vancouver, Canada.
my mistake, I was looking at a different product."enjoy what you do, do what you enjoy"
Renovations by Roger
Vancouver, Canada.
I would be more worried about the deck not being able to support its own weight, as evidenced by the water pooling and waviness, without the added weight of composite sleepers and cedar panels, than about eventual rot.
I thought the same, and mosquitoes
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
How do you figure loading for the weighr of mosquitoes?
Dave
lol...how much blood have they sucked?
was it mexican blood?
are they hovering?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
I have found that when constructing roof top decks, a good practice is to avoid using wood over a flat roof all together. What I have done is given the customer the choice of laying a series of 36" X36" pads over the membrane roof these pads are 1/2" thick made of some type of oil based product and available at Spar Roofing in Canada. What I like about this product is that it can be lifted if any repairs are needed on the roof at a later date, leaves , mice and other items do not gather under like wood decks. The Surface of the product has a grit much like a roof shingle and comes in a few colours.
George
Walk pads or traffic pads. Any BUR supplier should have them or have quick access to them.
Dave
The fact that the existing roof rafters are sagging is evidence that the structure is in a state of failure.
As it is now, maybe not likely to cave and fall in all of a sudden, but it is not even bearing up to needs.
It would be a case of negligence to add even more weight to it in this condition without adressing the faulty engineering first. If you go ahead with plans to do as you consider, here is what is most likely to happen -
The added weight will combine with snow and ice loading so that every winter, the roof rafters will allow it to sag even more each year. This will allow more water to puddle every year. Of course, this particular defect will be self correcting, in that puddling water on a flat roof will always find a way to create a leak. With the water freely draining to the inside of the house, you won't have to worry about it adding even more to the load on the already failing rafters, but in the event that the roofer did a spectacluar job and the roof holds the water, that added weight will accelerate the degree to which the roof sags more every year and collects even more water. Does your license and insurance cover you for wading pools? Do you want to add that to your business card? To your reputation?
You haver given me an idea though - for using Trex scraps to make elevation pads in situations like this and allow drainage under cross drain sleepers.
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How about Dricore panels?
http://www.dricore.com/What.htm
Rod