How do you seal a wood deck so water does not go through?
by
Cyndi
+10
we bought a house and wanting to make some changes in back yard. We have a small brick patio coming out back door then there is about 4 ft of grass then a concrete slab around a inground pool. They have a small bridge going frombrick to a concrete patio . They had drainage issues so I am sure that’s why they did not take concrete all the way to brick. Any suggestions. We have thought about putting A wood deck that goes all the way to concrete but how would you seal the wood keep water from running between boards on brick and then stagnating ?
My hubby sealed his wood deck with Thompson's Water Seal. If I were you I would go to a home improvement store and talk to someone in the paint department and get their advice. Or build a roof or covering over the deck. It could be something like a canvas sail.
I don't know if even Water Sealer could keep water from going between the gaps in the boards, but if the area under your deck would be prone to hold water, you could always make a french drain beneath the deck to help with water drainage.
U can always paint it and then put sealant on top..pressure wash first then paint and let dry for a couple days then apply sealant
Try tongue and groove boards for the floor, seal well with a good exterior paint or stain and make sure the pitch runs away from the house.
Thompson's Water Seal is my 'go-to' product.
Wow, a unique situation! Obviously any deck will allow the water to drain through plus you have the added issue of maintaining the wood. So, you have a couple of options... you can definitely do a French drain - making sure it grades slightly so the water runs in a particular direction. Then you could cover that with whatever material you wish. Or, you could use this unusual area as a water feature. It might be fun. Clear out the sod and dig out a shallow U-shaped trench (doesn't have to be very deep, and DON'T make it straight - giving a small stream effect). Line it with a waterproof material (or not, it's your yard!) and then arrange various sized stones, pebbles and rock along the stream path. You can leave the drainage end open or closed, depending on what you like. For even more drama, get a few nice pots and grow some flowers or herbs. When it rains, you'll have a small stream and when it's dry you'll have a little 'wash'. Just a thought.
Nothing will seal to prevent water from seeping through the cracks. You would need something solid.
You are dealing with competing grades. Your pool deck is pitched away from your pool towards the house. The patio is pitched away from the house towards your pool, thus the drainage issue. If you had a solid surface, water would run off it and collect where you do not want it. I like Jan's idea for a water feature. You could also consider digging a deep dry well in that area. it would be a lot of work up front, but will serve you well in the long run. You would then be able to cover the area with a wooden deck and not worry about drainage. Another alternative is permeable pavers.
I might suggest an over deck membrane. It is sort of like anti slip vinyl flooring for outdoors. https://dec-tec.com/membranes/
It seems as if the patch of grass is there to handle the water coming from the patio and the pool deck so there really isn't a drainage issue unless the grassy area remains swampy. That should be addressed first by grading it out the sides and away. Swampy areas attract mosquitos. Then I would look into decking the patio area right out to the pool deck. The water that drains off the deck and onto the patio would still drain off into the grass provided the pitch on the patio is correct.
I agree with Brenda. It appears they may have solved the problem already. An old rule when you move into a new place is to let the yard go through all seasons to see what you have; both planted and any issues such as the drainage.
If the strip of grass solves the problem, but you don't like the grass itself, you might try some interesting plants that like wet conditions. This is a fun area to explore if it turns out you have a spongy section there. Keep it simple to match your look, use only a few varieties for the best impact and minimal maintenance. Lots of different textures, sizes and shapes to consider. That is if you like gardens...
Decking it might create a steamy situation underneath that would be undesirable so close to your seating and pool area; ie smell, bugs, etc. It might be best to leave it exposed to air as much as possible and use water loving plants to soak up the water.
Ok found out that there is electric wires that run along the edge of concrete that’s why they did not go all the way to brick with concrete So keep coming with the ideas
I good solution would be to build a wood deck and the cover it it a PVC membrane like this: http://bestdeck.ca.
This is 100% waterproof.