Services / Waterproofing
Deck Waterproofing
Waterproof deck coating systems for balconies, elevated decks and walkways across Northern California. We detail the edges and thresholds first, then build the coating up over a surface that already drains.
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Where Deck Waterproofing Actually Fails
Almost never in the middle. Water gets in at the edges, at the door thresholds, where the deck meets the wall, and around posts and drains. Those are the details that take the time, and they are the ones that decide whether the system lasts.
The other half of it is slope. A coating is not a substitute for a deck that drains. Water standing on a surface will find any weakness in it eventually, so the fall gets sorted before anything is applied.
The Coating Is the Last Layer
A deck coating is a system, not a paint. Preparation, flashing, lath, base coats, then the finish and sealer, each one going over the last in the right condition.
Skip or rush a layer and the failure shows up a season or two later as bubbling, soft spots underfoot, or a stain on the ceiling below. By then the repair is the framing as well as the deck.
Balconies, Elevated Decks and Walkways
Anywhere there is living space, framing or a doorway underneath, the deck above it is doing a roof's job as well as a floor's. Balconies, elevated decks, exterior stairs and landings, and shared walkways all get treated that way.
Finish texture is chosen for the use. Something underfoot on a shared walkway needs traction wet, and a balcony people stand on barefoot does not want to be rough. Both are available in the same system.
Water getting through a deck or balcony?
+1 (530) 218-6221Call For Free EstimateCommon questions about waterproofing
How do I know if my deck coating is failing?
Soft or spongy spots underfoot, bubbling, cracks that hold water, or staining on the framing or the ceiling below. Once water is getting through, the clock is running on the wood underneath, so it is worth looking at before the wet season rather than after it.
Can you coat over an existing deck coating?
Sometimes, if the old system is sound and compatible with the new one. Often it is not, and coating over a failing surface just hides the problem until it comes back through. We will open it up and look rather than guess from the top.
How long does a deck waterproofing job take?
Several days for a typical balcony, longer where there is damage underneath to deal with first. Each layer needs to cure before the next goes on, and the schedule moves with the weather, so we give you the dates once we have seen it.
Does the deck need to slope, or will the coating handle it?
It needs to slope. A coating keeps water out while it is leaving; it is not designed to sit under standing water indefinitely. If the existing deck holds puddles, that gets corrected as part of the work rather than coated over.