Decks, balconies and stairs that sit over something expensive.

Water that gets past a deck surface does not show up on the deck. It shows up in the framing underneath, in the ceiling of the room below, and usually months later, by which point the repair is structural rather than cosmetic.

Exterior stairs and landings are the same story with more transitions to get wrong: every tread, every riser, every point where the stair meets the wall or the post penetrates the surface.

The membrane runs continuously across the surface, up any adjoining wall, and around every post, drain and railing penetration. There is no lap, no tape and no termination bar for water to work at.

We also do planters and retention walls holding wet soil against a structure, and commercial bar areas that get hosed down nightly. Same system, same reasoning.

See the work →

• Elevated decks over living space. The one where a slow leak becomes framing damage and a ceiling repair rather than a resurfacing job.
• Balconies. Small area, high consequence. The wall junction and the door threshold are where they nearly always let go.
• Exterior stairs and landings. More transitions per square foot than anything else we do: every tread, riser, stringer and post base.
• Planters and retaining walls. Wet soil held permanently against a structure, which is a harder ask than weather.
• Commercial wet areas. Bar decks and service areas that get hosed down every night.

Deck waterproofing sits early in the sequence: after the substrate is set and flashed, before tile, pavers, decking or railing posts go down. Out of order, someone ends up pulling finished work back off.

The surface is handed over ready for the next trade. On an occupied building the sequencing matters more rather than less, because the work has to fit a window when residents can be kept off the deck.