Roof Decks - Rivercrossing Townhomes Logan, Utah

Rivercrossing Townhomes - Creating Value in Real Estate and Quality of Life.
If your from the East coast the term "Roof Deck" is very common. Condo's and Townhome designers have been using them as a feature for decades. If your a fan of the many home improvement shows like HGTV or House Hunters you have probably seen an episode where the perspective buyer wants a Townhome so the maintenance is minimal but they all require that it has a roof deck for entertaining.

When done correctly they are a great addition to the home. Duradek is the way to do a roof deck right, ask David Rupp of @Home Realty. David has been instrumental in bringing this very unique design to life in one of the harshest climates in Utah.

What makes Duradek different than the other products is really very simple. They don't mess around, waterproofing is a serious business and not one to be taking shortcuts in. Duradek's walkable roof membranes meet or exceed both traffic coating and roofing approvals. That means they go through more than four times as much testing! A coating product will only be tested in four areas while Duradek goes through eighteen of them, there are very, very few products in Utah that are approved as a walkable roof system.

Over the next couple of posts here we will walk through the installation process from beginning to completion and explain the steps taken that will provide you with a waterproof deck that will last for decades. Oh yeah, the maintenance program is - Wash it off!

Ideas for Decks interview

Here is an interview based on a project in Capitol Hill, Salt Lake City, Utah.
http://duradek.blogspot.com/2012/02/ideas-for-deck-designs-offers-quality.html

Why is Tiledek different? What makes it the Best choice?

Duradek for years (more then 35 of them) has been the industry leader in walkable roof membranes. When asked if they could help solve the challenges of using tile on flat roofs and roof decks they were quick to see the opportunity. We already knew that tile could be installed over Duradek's Ultra membrane with great success, as it turns out they had been doing it in Florida for about 12 years. Living in Utah the big deal is the harsh climate and freeze thaw concerns. What would happen if snow built up on and exterior tile surface and sat there, thawing out a little during the day and freezing again at night, over and over and over? Then in summer when we are in the 90's what will happen under the tile with all that heat build up?

There was never any concern about the surface being waterproof. Duradek really is the expert in this field. Achieving a bond strong enough to reduce concern over a cracked or popped tile was what we were interested in. Having installed this all over the Salt Lake City area from the Benches, Avenues and as high as 10,000 ft it was time to learn more from the tile industry. I wanted to know just how they would waterproof over living space, or not and did that make any difference to the products used.

What I have learned was simple. There really are no standards an the most common practice was to do everything at least twice. Redundancy seemed to be a confidence builder. In reality all it would do is delay the inevitable failure. The owner was very often the person faced with the expensive repairs and there was a lot of finger pointing between contractors and trades.

Duradek' Tiledek brings roofing standards and approvals to the tile industry. Our system has been tested to the tile industries standards (TCNA), achieving a "heavy" and "residential" rating during the Robinson testing. So what does that really mean to you? Our trained installers will waterproof the surface including up the walls and all details. Tile is then installed to our system. What you get in addition to a beautiful entertainment area is Peace of Mind

If there is ever a problem with a tile it is a simple repair. No water damages, no high cost of replacement, just a new tile being installed.

For more information take a look at these websites.

http://www.dekmax.com/tiledek.cfm

http://www.duradek.com/OutdoorTileRoofingApplications.html?

Save money by doing it right the first time.

When you enjoy the outdoors and our wonderful views there is nothing like an outdoor entertainment area to relax in. The choices you make while designing your outdoor living area will determine the amount of effort to maintain and repair in the coming year(s). Since this is a very common question we field let break it down again for you -
Lowest initial cost (Good)- Wood. It doesn't matter if your using Redwood, Cedar or even treated lumber, they begin to deteriorate as soon as they are installed. The average home owner spends money on these designs every 3 - 5 years and normally about 7 - 10 years there is significant repair or replacement.
Medium range initial cost (Better) - Composites and Coatings

Composites - These are the manufactured, wood looking materials that will last longer than wood. They are subject to the effects of the elements and although they are often mentioned as waterproof they do not waterproof the area, the implied comment it that the composite itself is not effected by water. The colors can fade, they can splinter but more significant the supports are the same old building materials (wood) and they will deteriorate and need repair or replacement.
Coatings - There are a wide range of coatings available on the market and can range from a DYI project to one that is installed by a contractor. The bottom line with coatings are they require ongoing maintenance from every 1 - 3 years. they are difficult to repair and if you do not keep up on the required re coatings and maintenance then you are risking failure. When you add up the initial cost and then the re coatings these can quickly become the most costly and inconvenient products.

Realistic initial cost (Best) -

Roofing membrane. Duradek has the widest options of colors and designs as well as the highest ratings for testing and approvals. Here is where you have a choice to make - do you want a waterproof, very long lasting, minimal easy maintenance, with lots of choices OR do you want the seemingly never ending hassle's and frustrations that have always been associated with decks and outdoors?

Perfect solution for harsh climates

This wonderful home is located in Timber Lakes, just east of Heber. The unique design has several portions of the roof draining onto the deck surface. The home owners wanted to make use of the patio below without the hassle of the water and debris falling through the slots of the previous wooden slat deck. Initially their concern was simply to "dry in" the lower patio without much concern for the looks of the deck surface.

It's a good thing the pros at Decking Solutions were on the job. They far exceeded the owners desires by using Duradek's Ultra Cork on this waterproofing job. It's not only providing the dry space below but looks awesome too. You can shovel snow off or simply use some salt or ice melting compound, it is all save and approved.

These guys don't play around, there is only one way to do a job. No short cuts, do it right the first time and your done. Here you can see where they have taken the time to go over every seam in the plywood with some filler, making sure they are level. Taking the time to do this makes the surface completely smooth like a floor. Duradek is often thought of as outdoor flooring and when installed by professionals the results are wonderful.

Since the drip edge is coated and of a thick gauge recessing it like you see here makes for a smooth transition and no bumps or lines showing through. This also prevents any standing water at the edge. There were two bedrooms on the upper floor, each leading out onto the deck area. With log construction it can be challenging to make everything fit exactly right. Here Shane and Tyler were able to come up with a design that was not just waterproof but also enhanced the finished look of the deck, again exceeding the owners expectations. What you see here is a "filler" being used to smooth out and fill in any gaps where the plywood transitions to the log, allowing for proper installation of the Duradek membrane.

The membrane is also used as the flashing along the wall so once fastened to the plywood they continued up the log and under the original door threshold. Then to make it safer and more attractive they added a small step, this was a great touch and turned out fantastic!

Failed coating turns into beautiful tile.

This beautiful home located on the Bountiful bench has an external deck that was completely finished adding a nice touch. The only problem was the original deck had been covered with a cement like coating that was not waterproof. In fact during the tear off you could see the multiple layers and how they had failed, even the metal lath stapled to the plywood was rusted.
The home owners wanted to be able to use the deck to relax and watch the sunset with invited guests, without the concern of water damages again.

Here you see Duradek's Tiledek membrane has been installed providing a waterproof barrier as well as the anti fracture membrane for tile. This was after the experts at MBL replaced all the rotted materials from the old deck and it was extensive. What your seeing in these pictures is very close to a complete rebuild, even the joists had to be removed as a result of the extensive water damages. The system is fairly simple - 3/4 T&G plywood - 1/2 cement board - Tiledek membrane - Tiled right to the membrane.

Who wouldn't be proud to show this off to friends and family? Outdoor entertainment areas are fast becoming very popular ways to improve your home and when done right they can last for decades without concern of water damages. MBL has a great staff and as a general contractor they understand the value of doing it right the first time. Over the years they have continued to send new employees through our training programs so each individual on the job clearly understands the system.

Keep the wood look but reduce the upkeep.

Cottonwood Custom to the rescue! This home along the bench in south Salt Lake city had two decks, one over the other. Tired and frustrated with the constant dripping of water and debris onto the lower deck not to mention the damaging wood it was time to call on a pro.

In order to maintain the same wood appearance yet eliminating the water issue Cottonwood Custom cam up with a great solution. They left the current railing attached and used Duradek's Ultra Cork to waterproof the deck, stopping the dripping water below and keeping the desired look the home owner wanted.

Boy, wouldn't it be nice to get up in the morning and walk out to this. Relax and enjoy that first cup of coffee taking in the view, confident your water worries are over.