Finished pictures of the BSU Student Union Roof Top, soon to become a garden for the students to grow vegetables. This pictures correspond to the post of July 12, 2010 "BSU Roof Top Garden" here you can see the completed project but if you read the orifinal article you will better understand the detailed work that was done by Upson Company in order to resolve a leaking roof isssue as well as allow it to become a garden for use by the students.






This wall had been of brick, the Duradek membrane is able to form a tight 90 degree at the base and run right up the wall. Provides a real nice look but more important is the confidence of a water tight roof.

The transisiton along the building is similar, the membrane runs up the wall about 8 inches and into a riglet. Flashing was then instlled over that for added insurance and a clean look.

Here what is significant is the addition of floor drains located near the old scuppers. You always want to have a secondary drainage system in case of a clog etc. It is difficult to see in this picture but the scupper runs through the wall out to the main roof.

The same flashing was used to give a clean yet eligant look.

These portable planter boxes will soon be filled with vegetables.

The doors had been flush with the old roof. Here they have been elevated and properly waterproofed.

COST more important than PRICE

We have been through this so many times but for many customers it is the catalyst to making a purchase so we visit it again.

When you are talking about something as serious as roofing and waterproofing you should do a little homework yourself and investigate the product(s) and the contractor you are using. Yes trust them, to answer your questions clearly and in a manner that you understand and don't be afraid to ask the tough questions. Does this come with a warranty? What are the exclusions? What is the history of this product in this area? What is your labor warranty? When you think you have found something that is too good to be true it almost always is. Rather than just turning a blind eye and thinking you got a steal we recommend you take a minute and investigate, it could save you in the long run or confirm that you are getting a great deal.

There are some significant changes pending when it comes to approvals and a products approved uses. These changes are a direct result of the numerous failures and issues related to installation and durability. I understand that it can take years for these changes to become know to the contractors and building community in general. Yet, they can be found easily with a few minutes on the Internet. Simply go to the agency that is there to protect you - http://www.icc-es.org/reports/index.cfm You can do the research or demand that the contractor provide it for you, then take a minute and read it and it will tell you all about the product and what it can be used for.

Why do we ask you to take the time to learn these things? Often when one of our dealers is meeting with a client the topic is a result of a failed product and the resulting damage. When you have water damage especially over a living area the cost can be very high. Imagine your roof deck leaking into your dining area or living room. Tear out and replace the sheet rock, paint, could be removal of carpeting etc, the list just goes on. That is the first thing the owner fixes since it is in the home, the odor alone makes you want to hurry up and fix it. Then after the money has been spent to get the inside damages fixed it is time to fix the problem, once and for all. Now is not the time to look for the least expensive product on the market. After all had the right product been used you would not have just spent $$$$ fixing the damages.

Another example is not listening to those that have the knowledge and experience, rather a less expensive option is available so you "cheap out" and you think you save a couple hundred dollars. A customer has a tiled deck that is over living space, the dining room is right below the deck. When the tile was originally installed they did not use the proper system and it failed allowing water to get into the dining area. The home owner wants to replace the tile on the deck but is clear they want no more water issues! Duradek's Tiledek membrane is investigated and chosen for the work. We meet several times and talked about the project with the owner, his general contractor and the dealer (contractor) installing the membrane. Installation goes well and the work looks great, then there is a problem. About six months after the work was completed we get a call about a meeting at the home and all the sub contractors that worked on the project are going to be there. Everyone shows up and we are shown the water damages along the outside of the home. Immediately the membrane is thought to have failed. I can understand the jumping to conclusion, after all it was an expensive to repair all the damages.

Bottom line was the failure did not come from the membrane, it was failure to listen to our strong advise and poor installation of the railing. We had told the owner and the general contractor that we very strongly recommend fascia mounting the railing rather then using the same vinyl railing that was taken off. The dealer also asked that the stairs up to the deck be pulled off so they could waterproof the upper area properly. In both cases the owner was advised by the general contractor that they could both simply stay the way they were. The railing was re-installed on the surface by the general contractor with the old surface mounted posts, drilling through the tile. The Duradek detail for rail installation was provided to them yet they failed to follow them and the hole they drilled was allowing water in. Second the stair's had not been waterproofed properly and as a result the exterior was showing the signs of damages.

This could have been avoided by simply doing it right the first time. The home owner was upset that after spending $20, 000 to repair his failures, then a similar problem happens. What I find so frustrating about things like this are -
The general contractor he used was not a general contractor, he is a handyman. There is a big difference and it cost them.
When an expert in a field strongly suggests not doing something there is a good reason, check it out. One call to anyone that does tile and they would confirm you should not surface mount rail on tile.

Waterproofing, do it right the first time and remember it's all in the details!

BSU Roof Top Garden

Boise State University Student Union Building has begun making some beautiful changes. The roof itself has had some water problems and they were exploring the idea of how to combine fixing the roof leaks with making a roof top garden that they could use to grow vegetables for use in the cafeteria.

With the help of Upson Company in Caldwell, they were able to fix the leaking roof and have beautiful area for the gardens.

With this project Upson Company had some interesting but all to common issues. Initially the roof top was concrete with an expose aggregate surface, over time water had leaked through the aggregate and concrete. Coatings can be associated with or confused as a roofing product, they are only classified as, and some carry ICC approvals but only as traffic coatings. Here are some pictures of the resulting problems with the coatings used. The first one used (it appears there were two different ones used over time) was a combination of sand and a urethane type coating. The aggregate was a very uneven and rough surface and when it was torn up you can see where some areas simply did not adhere.

With both coatings the roof had become very thick and even though the two different coatings were bonded very well together the leaks soon continued. In some areas there were soft spots that you could feel with your feet, the bond had separated from the aggregate completely. At first glance it was difficult to determine how these coatings had failed. Perhaps it was the simple fact that it was a walking roof, there were pressures and weight being applied that exceeded the coatings capabilities.

This is a good example why you use trained, experienced, professionals. As you see here the coatings were completly removed down to the aggregate surface. Next step was to smooth out the aggregate so the membrane would have a good suraface to adhere to. Another consideration was the fact that this was to be a walking roof and appearance would be an important consideration as well. A smooth surface would also accomidate a visual change from a roof to a floor. This was important given the amount of traffic the new roof deck garden would be, this will become a focal point.

The sides had been brick with a few scuppers along the length. It looked like the scusppers were anywhere from level to a reverse slope and did little to drain the water off the roof. Again the guys at Upson Company had the right solutions. Remove the exisiting scuppers and fab new ones that would assist in the proper water management. Add three additional floor drains, these would be the primary drainage system and the scuppers would be the secondary. It is a good practice to always have a secondary drainage system as a back up. Here you can also see the walls were covered with plywood during the preperations and would be covered with Duradek

Not quite finished here, some trim will be added to the walls and around the doors but you can see the transformation form roof to floor looks good.

The planter boxes have been made and are sitting downstairs ready to be put into use. I can't wait to see the finished project and get some feedback from the unniversity.

Investigate the system now not later!

We can certainly tell it the nice weather has arrived, everyone suddenly is looking to repair, replace, stain, paint or build a nice outdoor entertainment area.




It is too bad that many will make some very avoidable mistakes that could cost them in the years to come. You can find some Home Owner tips at http://www.dekmax.com/ that are beneficial but here are a few more that you should be asking your contractor or look them up yourself.



1. How long has the product been around? If it is new (within the last ten years) there is a good chance they have been learning as they went and you want to be sure your not a part of that learning process. Look them up on line and investigate the product your looking into and if there has very been a defective recalls. Some big brands have had well documented problems yet consumers are still buying them and the problems are still occurring.



2. Make sure the manufacturer recommends the product for the manner that you will use it. There are dozens or more products for just about any job. With a little effort you can the truth. As an example there are some applications that we use a cement board (CBU) during installation. There are several really good brand names out there on the market that you can purchase at your local lumber supply. The catch is they do not all approve of use in an outdoor application. Your contractor probably doesn't know the answer either, but if you ask they will tell you they use it all the time and it does great. The problem here is that if your deck was to fail and a product that does not have a manufactures approvals was used that can be sticky situation and in our experience most times the home owner is the one paying for it. Ask the question and get the right answer or find out yourself do not assume.



3. We work with waterproofing and making use of all the space below the deck area. The cost of our materials installed is about the same as doing a composite but you get so much more out of it. Because we specialize in waterproofing there is a risk involved too. Water can do amazing things to your home when it gets into areas it shouldn't.



Of all the failure and problems we have investigated and fixed the causes fall into two categories

• The materials used were not intended to be used in the manner they were installed.


• The installation was done wrong.

Use the correct products with manufacturers approvals and installed by a trained professional.

Just a few days ago I had a home owner call and ask about putting a membrane on their deck, good idea. Then as we talked I asked what was on the deck and he asked the contractor (who was standing there) what they had just installed. OSB was used and we will not install on OSB because we know from experience that it will delaminate and make the surface look horrible. Anyway the home owner again asked the contractor and was told he knows somebody that will do it. The simple point is it doesn't matter what brand of membrane is used the OSB will delaminate and the home owner will not like the look. What is really sad is none of the membrane manufactures will even warranty the membrane when installed on OSB. I hope I am wrong but here is a case that there will be a failure, the home owner will not be happy and the contractor will say to bad, sorry and be gone.

Outdoor tile, done right.

Quite a while ago I attended a training class in Baltimore MD. Duradek had offered a new product to market, Tiledek was supposed to be the answer to the confusion and lack of confidence when using tile outdoors.

Knowing the way that Duradek does things I was very interested in this opportunity and hoped that it would offer our customers some solutions. In virtually every meeting I had with tile companies and tile setters all I heard was life is wonderful. "We have never had an issue doing tile outdoors" "We only use xxxx (brand) and it has always worked." I was hearing it yet on the flip side from the investigations being done with failed projects and the research that was done prior to Tiledek's development I was very hesitant to believe it.

It took a while and we finally decided we need some help. We were fortunate to locate a local person with more than twenty years of experience in the tile industry. After numerous discussions and meetings the truth started to come to light. What was really happening was a game of finger pointing and passing of blame when there was a failure and they are as common as I had thought. Armed with this information I began to dig a little deeper and have found some very interesting common threads. I would have to say the number one concern is that the manufacturers recommendations are not being taken into consideration. As an example; Tile is going to be installed over cement board (CBU) but all cement board is not the same. Some have manufacturers approval for use outdoors while others clearly state it is water and mildew resistant. While they do not make it clear use outdoors is not recommended or supported, it is being assumed by the contractors and you know what that means. Now we are in a game of "finger pointing" and to often the home owner is left with a mess, a very costly mess.

This issue reaches into all products being used in outdoor tile. It can be as simple as the owner choosing the tile without the basic knowledge of what will work. Tile manufacturer's will tell you what is approved, generally right on the tile display. If unsure ask the questions of the tile setter. "Is this tile approved for use outdoors? By the manufacturer?

Waterproofing is not an area to be playing games with. Done right it can seem like an easy thing but done wrong it can be a nightmare. What I have learned is the concern is over the appearance and little thought is given to what is under the tile. Here is where the problems begin. Once the surface is covered with tile it looks great! Soon it is forgotten, the problems are at work under the tile. Water will penetrate the tile and grout and search for a place to go. It make take some time, years even but it will continue to work and sooner or later you will find a failure.

Tiledek accomplishes eliminating the big risk factors.

1. Only trained dealers (applicators) are used so waterproofing becomes a focus rather then afterthought.
2. Tile setters are given specifications as to which products are to be used. No skimping.
3. Tiledek's warranty information is available with easy access on line -
http://www.duradek.com/_customelements/uploadedResources/Tiledek10yrWarrantygeneric.pdf
4. Decades of roofing experience has been applied to the use of tile and the result is the best of both worlds.

We will be continuing our focus on Tiledek in the coming weeks with some specific work being performed both in the Salt Lake area as well as the mountains.

Waterproof upper-level deck

Waterproof upper-level deck with waterproof membrane to protect room below
Shell Busey, Special to Vancouver CourierPublished: Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Q: I have a tar and gravel roof and want to create a summer deck. Other than laying down new T&G plywood and fibreglass, is there another solution to finish the area to give me total water protection since there is a finished room under this area?
A: One of the most common methods of waterproofing an upper-level deck is to lay down a waterproof membrane. Fibreglass would not be my first choice for reasons of maintenance and heat.
My suggestion would be to use Duradek Vinyl, which has a 60-ml grade that qualifies as a roof membrane and is installed by professional contractors providing a fire-rated, building-code-approved roof deck system.

To begin, remove all the loose gravel from the roof and the perimeter flashing. To prepare for a flat sundeck surface, a sleeper joist system is required. Calculating the dimension of the sleeper joist will require taking a level off the top of the perimeter facing board and taking a measurement. Use 2x4 treated lumber at 16 inches on centre (shimming with treated cedar shingles where required) to give a slope to one or two sides to run water; or proper drains may be required to adapt to existing drains.
Around the perimeter, it's best to install 4x4 treated lumber to prepare for secure safety railings such as ProBuilt's Aluminum Do-It-Yourself Railings.
Finish surface with tongue-and-groove select fir plywood. Contact Duradek at 1-866-591-5594 and they will refer you to the appropriate installer in your area.

Album - Leaking flat roof turns into 900+ sq ft usable outdoor space

What was a tiny little walk out deck has become a beautiful roof deck. A great example of how to get the most out of your home while adding value.
Wouldn't you like to invite your friends over for dinner on you new roof deck overlooking the forest and the Wasatch Mountians?

Laying out the materials for a dry fit eliminates errors.

Adding slope manages the water flow off the roof into the gutter system.

Sanding the plywood surface helps to turn this roof into a "floor"

It was a mess, doing it right with Dekmax and Duradek means no worries for decades to come.

Look at the amount of room that was gained by using a walkable roof product!

The tar seaping out of the overlapped areas get on your shoes and ends up in the house.

You can see the rail at the bottom of the picture cut off the largest part of this flat roof. Since they had to fix a leaking roof anyway why not do it right and open up the whole room as an etertainment area?