Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Deck over garage

At our cabin we have a deck over the garage. Over the years it has been decked with 2 x 6 lumber w/ spaces between so the water went on into the garage. What is a good way to seal this deck?

DAVE-PLS,

You may want to look at these;

http://www.anjonproducts.com/Epdm.htm

http://www.roofhelp.com/library.htm

Hope these help!

You haven't told us where this cabin is located, and that COULD have a bearing on our responses. If it's in a place like Death Valley, which only gets a couple of inches a rain a year, you'll need one solution. However, if it's in the Olympic Rain Forest, that gets over 200" of rain a year, ... MIGHT have a bearing on getting the right response!!

lefty,

Hey Lefty did I misread this post? Wrong answer?

By the way have you ever used a product called Advan Tech for subfloor sheathing versus using 3/4" T & G plywood? I know, it's not related to this post!

DAVE-PLS,

Bear with us while Doug and I discuss this so we can get on the same page. (Feel free to read that discussion, and any input will be greatly appreciated!)

Doug,

One of us MAY have misread the post. What I'm reading is that DAVE-PLS has a deck over the garage, and the garage has a flat roof on it. He is asking how to divert the rain water so that it doesn't soak the garage. I didn't check the web sites you mentioned -- probably a mistake on my part. I saw the "EPDM" and assumed you were going in the direction of sealing the garage roof.

Where I'm going with this is to find out HOW MUCH water we are talking about diverting; how flat is the deck (I think we both know the answer to that); how much, if any, slope the garage roof has. The EPDM will normally handle the rainfall and runoff with a minimal slope on the garage roof, but if Dave is in an area that gets a lot of rain, or gets a lot of rain in a very short period of time, that garage roof may need more slope.

Now, to the unrelated Advan Tech -- never heard of it. Enlighten me, by e-mail. Don't want to confuse this post, and PM's only allow 1k characters (and don't you dare make any comments about me being over that limit ALL BY MYSELF!!)

The cabin is in Calif. Serrias north of Fresno at 3500' elev. where we get approx. 25 inches of rain a year and occasional snow. The deck serving as the garage roof has approx. 2" slope in 10'. Thanks for your suggestions.

DAVE-PLS,

From what I understand about this, you have 2 options.

Remove the deck and seal the garage roof (no choice there). This is where your choices come in. You can put down an interlocking metal roof (one that leaves no exposed screws), OR you can use EPDM as a sealant for the roof over the garage. Either will do a good job for you. Question becomes the price. Check with a local lumberyard or bldg. mat'l. supplier and figure out which way you want to go.