I’m working on a 1912 house which has a STAINED tongue and groove floor on a covered porch.
Trouble is, the porch floor is directly over some soon-to-be-finished space in the basement. During windy storms, some rain can hit the porch floor and leak through the floorboards into the basement area below.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to waterproof the flooring? To add to the problem, the clients would greatly prefer to avoid using paints, since the boards are currently stained and are, in fact, very nice to look at.
Perhaps someone with some boatbuilding experience has a silver bullet….
Replies
I don't see any way that could work. Water will always seep through no matter what you put on the boards. I'd be surprised if the joists aren't water damaged.
Unless you`re planned on closing in said porch...it aint happening. There is no miracle sealer available to serve your purpose.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Two suggestions, probably neither one worth trying, but ideas nonetheless.
1. Larger roof over hangs to stop the rain before it gets there.
2. Lift the wood up, add rubber membrane, reinstall the wood. now the wood is soaking in water, so better figure on slope and drain channels of some sort.
3. Just thought of another, screen in the porch and the screen will slow most water at the edge, so it can be handled there.
Dan
It ain't gonna happen.
Do these people ask their car mechanic to rotate tires with no lug wrench? Or to inflate them by blowing on the valve stem?
Watch out for your self. Customers who demand the impossible tend to blame you when they find themselves disappointed. Maybe ytou could erect a plastic bubble over the lot their hopuse is built on, Earthspace Five!
Excellence is its own reward!
Dont even breathe on that job unless they'll allow you to remove the flooring and do what needs to be done underneath it.Possibly you may be able to salvage the flooring and reuse it. Ask your customers which is more important. The floor or the basement or both and go from there. Dont get locked into a tunnel vision that they may be in. Be a pro and do it right. I think most of the time it comes down to people just being cheap. Dont get locked into that game.
BE well
Namaste'
Andy
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
concrete slab under the porch......
sounds like the basement needs a ceiling before it's remodeled.
Jeff
.......Sometimes on the toll road of life.....a handful of change is good.......
Check this out ...
http://www.deckrite.com/
To do the job right yo need to work from the framing up...and that means pulling up the porch flooring.
Current one I'm spec'ing out now calls for 75 mil EPDM.