Replies

1. 
   Framer | Apr 16, 2003 03:49pm | #1

   I framed a house about 12 years ago and the back corner was a small deck. We framed the joists 2x10's 12" oc and put 3/4" pressure treated plywood first and they put bluestone on top of that. I didn't actually see what they put under the bluestone but I know that they used mud from what the builder said.

   How many inches do you have from your door to the top of your deck? Would you have enough clearance to the bottom of your door to add to the top of your deck?

   If it's tight, you might have to remove the existing decking first.

   The job I'm on now, all the decks/balconys have plywood and a torch down roof and the homeowmer is putting down 2'x2' stone pads on top instead of using bluestone. I've never seen this stuff befor.

   Joe Carola

2. 
   rjw | Apr 16, 2003 05:01pm | #2

   My experience is that stone doesn't have a sense of humor and particularly doesn't like any flex in the substrate.  A deck framed for wood probably isn't going to be stiff enough,

   _______________________

   10 .... I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful.

   11 For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have--Jesus Christ.

   1 Corinthians 3:10-11

3. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Apr 16, 2003 09:20pm | #3

   I did something like that 'bout ten years ago to my house, and it is still fine.   The deck is 15'x40'.   It had 2x4 deck boards that were slowly rotting away, but the structural underpinnings were fine.  I replaced the rotten decking, then covered the whole thing with 3/4" T&G plywood.  Over that I put three layers of 15# roofing felt, bonding seams with roofing cement.  Over that I screwed down backer board, and then laid gauged slate tile.  This waterproofing scheme is inadequate over occupied space, but seems okay for a deck -- after all, before I did the job, the whole structure got soaked in every rain, and now it is considerably drier.  So far, the tile is all still uncracked, and the grout hasn't moved.

   I put in the roofing felt layer because I didn't like the idea of the backerboard holding moisture against the deck boards.   Both the grout and the backerboard are porous, and water will soak through them to whatever's underneath them.  If it is not pressure-treated, it'll rot.

   One small warning ---  If you're accustomed to walking barefoot on your wood deck in the summer, be careful on a stone deck.  It can get very hot.