Submitted by Smokedeggs t3_125qa2m in DIY
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Submitted by Smokedeggs t3_125qa2m in DIY
[removed]
Yup. I know someone who stores firewood under their porch and this is what they do.
If you google for "under deck rain" you'll get a wide variety of plastic rain redirection products. I have no personal experience with any however.
Family Handyman had a writeup on a DIY version that looks quite feasible (as in /u/BleedingRaindrops's suggestion):
Thanks. I was having no luck googling but I see that my wordings were wrong.
https://underdeck.com/ works well, I believe you can just email them to order the system if you don't have a local distributor but I'm not certain
The most effective systems are a corrugated vinyl sheeting system that lay parallel across the top of the joists under the deck boards so the "troughs" of the corrugations lie between the joists and the peaks lay across the top. This requires taking up your deck boards and putting them back down, which is really only feasible if they are screwed and not nailed and your deck is not huge. It's a new deck so the fasteners should still be clean and easy to work. This both seals/protects both the tops of your joists and provides a water runoff path.
Next best is a hard lid-type system made of soffit panels attached to the underside. You can use actual soffit material, or corrugated plastic or steel panels that are commonly used for roofing/siding. Metal tends to span longer lengths than plastic materials without sagging. Install with the troughed side on an angle so that any water going through the deck goes into the troughs and then runs off the ends. Depending on how your deck is laid out and how much flow you expect, you may want to put a raingutter at the end to catch this runoff and funnel it aside to a specific point.
I'm looking at this second option as my deck is large and I'm not keen on pulling up the decking boards.
Rain Escapes from Trex or DrySpace by Timbertech
Dryspace works, Rain escapes needs to be installed before the deckboards.
Sun shade sail canopy, which you can waterproof, are available for less than $20.
A lot of the options you'll find attach under the joist, which is the easiest and nicest looking solution. I couldn't do that because my joists sit on a cross member that would block the path of the corrugated sheeting, so I went with a between-the-joist membrane solution. If you're interested in that check out Goberco or Trex under deck membranes.
They staple to the top of each joist (after pulling up all the decking) and create a channel down to one end where you can cut a hole and run it into a gutter. I used the Goberco one a couple years ago (much cheaper than Trex) and haven't had an issue.
Timbertech Dryspace or Upsidebycolorguard.com
Make a sloped frame with slats or pressure treated plywood under the deck and use a waterproof membrane on top. Think about changing out the membrane in 20 years so make easy ways to disassemble it.
How high up is the existing deck? Could the space underneath be used for additional outdoor retreat space such as a patio, for example.? Also where is you location?
Located in Northern California. Deck is about 12ft high. We want to use the space underneath as a patio with outdoor furniture.
Oh, wow, lucky you! We do patio paver stones or cement mostly, here in Michigan but only get to look through the window at it 5 months out of the year!
It would be nice to enjoy the rain sitting under a covered space. I’m hoping to find a solution. ☺️
I built a covered screened porch a few years ago and it’s THE place to hang out at my modest little domicile. We spend a lot of time watching thunderstorms ( unless the winds come up too much!).
Drainage and decent air flow are more important and almost certainly more useful than waterproofing.
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BleedingRaindrops t1_je5am36 wrote
I'm guessing you just want to prevent drips. Interlocking sheets of corrugated plastic set at a slight angle just beneath the deck should provide adequate weather diverting.