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Tongue and Groove Porch Floor

WMJG | Posted in Construction Techniques on October 3, 2006 03:55am

I’m new to this thing so bear with me:  I’m replacing a T/G porch floor in a Baltimore row house.  The existing flooring runs over the joists with the main basement below.  There is a porch cieling above which provides some weather protection but the ends nearest the roof edge are completely gone.  What approach would anyone reccomend to waterproof this area?  My concern is that water that presently just leaks away into the basement will get trapped between a membrane and the new floor boards.  Should I just rebuild it the way it the way it was orginally (probably 1920’s) and figure they must have known what they were doing or is there a way to improve this situation? 

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Replies

  1. calvin | Oct 03, 2006 04:12am | #1

    If you could build a waterproof floor and allow any water that accumulates to run off......

    and could sleeper on top of that and fasten your decking to that.....

    You'd have the answer.

    Maybe.

    A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.

    Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

    Quittin' Time

     

  2. User avater
    JDRHI | Oct 03, 2006 05:38am | #2

    This is about the third time that I can recall this topic coming up on Breaktime over the years. And the only instances I've ever heard of a basement below a porch.

    Granted.....I haven't built or been exposed to many building practices outside of my particular neck of the woods. But this just sounds like a really poor idea.

    I don't know that there's anything that can be done to the floor and deck themselves thats going to keep the basement dry. Any chance of rebuilding the roof with overhangs that allow only the most horizontal of rainstorms wet the floor?

    J. D. Reynolds

    Home Improvements

    1. WMJG | Oct 04, 2006 04:15am | #3

      The roof was just re-done but the overhangs have to match the rest of the houses on the block as its a row house.  Everyone I talk to seems to think building a deck with waterproofing and then sistering joists on top of it to leave an inch or so between it and floor boards is the way to go, but this will raise my floor a good 2 inches. 

      1. onder | Oct 04, 2006 04:51am | #4

        This isnt that rare...development houses of

        the later 40's early 50's..

        I put down a membrane on the subfloor then

        T&G over that. The previous floor lasted

        50 years.

        Hope the new one does too :-)

        1. Piffin | Oct 04, 2006 04:24pm | #14

          I have seen a couple done that way that didn't last eight years.If I were forced to do this, which I have in similar situations in the past, I would start by chosing an extremely stable rot resistant wood, and then giving it a couple coats of finish to seal all edges, especially in the T&G.Then I would put the I&W down, and some 1/4" strips g;ued over that - short ones with breaks so moisture could flow around and out.Then as I installed the T&G over that - with grain leading water directional flow downhill and away from the house - I would run a polyurethene glue between them, to fill the T&G gaps where water collects and rot gets started, and to seal those joints to prevent most moisture from getting under the boards. There would of course be NO end butt joints and no knots.Then, I would immmediately use a final deck finsj like a polyurethene paint over all.and I would still expect a small amt of leakage. 

           

          Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

      2. Piffin | Oct 04, 2006 04:13pm | #12

        That's the way to do it. Search here for EPDM + IPE to see several past discussions with photos 

         

        Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

    2. Piffin | Oct 04, 2006 04:11pm | #11

      More like the third time just this year.The old wooden ships had a deck that shed most of the water out from the storage and living compartments below. But that was thick wood, and it stayed damp most of the time so that it was swelling and putting pressure against each other to tighten the seams up.And they recaulked every year. 

       

      Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

      1. User avater
        JDRHI | Oct 04, 2006 04:16pm | #13

        More like the third time just this year.

        You run into this up in yer neck-of-the-woods with any regularity?

        J. D. Reynolds

        Home Improvements

        1. Piffin | Oct 04, 2006 04:28pm | #16

          Not over basement space.The couple I have done were over spaces for garbage cans, yard and garden tools, propane tanks, etc. where there was lattice and air flow. 

           

          Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

  3. Schelling | Oct 04, 2006 05:01am | #5

    If the old floor lasted 75 years, it didn't do too badly. Water going through the floor and into the basement shouldn't be a big problem until the flooring deteriorates. I would guess about 40 years. This may be long enough for you. It certainly is in keeping with the character of the house.

    Putting a membrane under the floor would keep moisture out but it wouldn't add to the life of the floor. Using a rot resistant species or plastic would add to the life of the flooring but this may not fit in with your budget.

    1. Piffin | Oct 04, 2006 04:26pm | #15

      I'll bet the old one was a good resinous pitchy heart pine that was well taken care of. I've seen those last over a hundred years when square edged, spaced, and with air under them, and oiled regtularly. 

       

      Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

  4. User avater
    AaronRosenthal | Oct 04, 2006 07:30am | #6

    I've just gone through this in an about 1911 house, where I rebuilt the floor, replaced half the joists and reframed and resided the whole area.
    Firstly, there was an article in a previous FH that showed how a balcony was made to eliminate water issues.
    However, what I did was to add scuppers to the exterior of the siding and run the deck boards long. That way, the water runoff goes to the outside and has a chance to dry instead of soaking up water in the endgrain and eventually letting it drop to the basement.

    Quality repairs for your home.

    AaronR Construction
    Vancouver, Canada

     

  5. Tomrocks21212 | Oct 04, 2006 07:40am | #7

    I'm in your area, and have seen these but never worked on one exactly like that. But I saw a 2 1/4" T&G plastic material that looked to be ideal for this type of project. It was either at Saco in Cockeysville (a division of Walbrook Lumber), Reisterstown Lumber, or Kefauver in Forest Hill, Harford County, don't remember which. And the stuff was pricey, too. But give these guys a call, one of them should have it.
    Saco - 410 771 1515
    Reisterstown - 410 833 1300
    Kefauver - 410 557 7200

  6. User avater
    McDesign | Oct 04, 2006 12:19pm | #8

    Tendura might be the product here - synthetic + wood flour T&G - I like to use it, but it's pricey.

    Forrest

    1. john7g | Oct 04, 2006 01:29pm | #9

      Forrest,

      Who's been your GA source of Tendura?

      1. User avater
        McDesign | Oct 04, 2006 01:33pm | #10

        I've ordered it through Social Circle Ace Hardware, my local 'yard.

        Forrest

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