Seattle Custom Home builder - cantilever decks

Whether you are a Seattle custom home builder or a Seattle home owner, cantilever deck construction is like anything else.  It can be done correctly and be trouble free for years with periodic maintenance.  When a cantilever deck is built with shoddy construction practices the problems can become significant due to the structure extending inside the living space.  There are three problems this Seattle custom home builder runs into a lot in repairing cantilever decks that are in a state of failure.  Lack of maintenance , poor waterproofing, undersized joists and too little back span.
All buildings require maintenance to keep them functional.  Cantilever decks are no exception and should be inspected and cared for often as any problems that arise can work their way inside the building multiplying the cost and inconvenience of repair. Garden debris (leaves, pine needles, etc) should never be allowed to build up on the deck surface.  Allowing organic debris to build up invites, dry rot and pests that can compromise the structure.  Caulk joints, flashings, and membranes that are used to separate the exterior portion of the deck from the interior structure should be inspected and maintained regularly.  Builders with experience working in the wet Seattle climate generally have the experience to limit maintenance needs.
Probably the most damage we Seattle custom home builders see arise from poor waterproofing in cantilever deck construction is lack of slope away from the building.  With a waterproof walking surface on a deck the deck should slope away from the building at least 1/8″ per foot and ideally 1/4″ per foot.  With an open joint decking the slope is less important but the joist should still slope away from the building somewhat.  Lack of proper metal flashing elements is another big contributor to failure in a cantilever deck construction.  Since the joists of the deck are integral to the ceiling and floor of the building, protecting the area where the joists exit the building with proper waterproofing techniques is important.  Any Seattle custom home builder should be paying close attention to this.
Another problem I have seen in repairing cantilever deck construction is the under sizing of the joists and too little back span.  Having undersized joist leads to a soft and squishy deck that will move to much when in use.  Having the structure move and bounce works on the joints and creates construction problems over time.  Even when the lumber is sized correctly the system will not function correctly without the right back span.  The rule of thumb is the back span should be 2.5 x the length of the over hanging deck surface.  For example a 4 ft deck would need a 10 foot back span which would require 14′ joists.
If construction defects are present in your cantilever deck construction, taking measures to repair the deck sooner rather than later will avoid may more potential headaches.  In some of the repair projects the damage was so severe that the cantilever system was completely removed and post and beam deck structures installed.

Seattle remodeling - Paints and coatings cont.

Feb

19

Seattle remodeling – paints and coatings cont.

Posted by: KEKeever | Comments Comments Off

Aside from painting, staining and finishing wood and drywall there are many more substrates that will receive paint and/or coatings in any given home remodeling project. Steel, aluminum, concrete, concrete block… The key is to select the right paint or coating for the job. Using the wrong paint or coating in your home remodeling project can be catastrophic to final results. A paint designed specifically to stick well to concrete may not be the best choice for painting your steel deck railing. Paints and coatings aren’t a one size fits all home remodeling project product. The factors that drive a decision on what product to use in a home remodeling project are: What’s the color and or/sheen desired? What’s the substrate? How durable does the finish need to be to last an adequate duration of time. Is the product you are considering un reasonably harmful to the environment? An example for a Seattle remodeling project might look like this: Imagine a steel railing on a 2nd floor Juliet balcony. The owner might want to use the most durable coating possible to avoid having to work off a ladder and repaint when the coating fails. This might drive the owner to consider powder coating. However powder coatings don’t have quite the color the owner wants. So because the owner of the Seattle home remodeling project values durability over getting the exact right color, powder coating is selected. The best resource when navigating the murky seas of paints and coatings for your Seattle home remodeling project is to talk to the paint and coating manufacturers as they know the most about the use of their products.

Seattle Remodeling - Paints and Coatings

I don’t want to get into colors.  We’ll leave that up to the designers.  Paints and coatings in most home remodeling and quality custom home construction is a fairly simple affair.  The most important thing to consider when talking paints and coatings is surface preparation.  Surface prep typically consists of cleaning, sanding, caulking, filling and priming.  The best Seattle remodeling contractors will take the time to make sure surfaces that are to receive coatings are kept clean and undamaged during construction.  Priming is not always necessary for the finish coat you might be considering.  However if the surface is not primed when that is a requirement for the finish coat, problems will certainly arise.  Some new paint products out have the primer built into the finish for a single coat application.  At this time I have not heard if durability is an issue.  Personally I would let someone else be the guinea pig on the new paint products and if after 5 or 10 years of home remodeling contractors using the product if the product is still on the market and making people happy, then try it out.  More and more home remodeling contractors and quality custom home builders are using pre primed material for elements that are slated for painting.  Not only does this save a step in the paint process but it also protects the unfinished material from the elements during construction.  Not everything can be bought pre primed but for exterior elements it makes sense to pre prime or even pre finish when you can here in Seattle.  More on paints and coatings next week.