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Under deck drainage system

m2akita | Posted in Construction Techniques on June 10, 2007 07:17am

Anyone have any experience installing an under deck drainage system?  Have a customer/ aquaintence that has a deck over his walk out basement.  He wants/ wanted to be able to use the space underneath the deck for something like a covered patio. 

He picked up the Tuftex Deck Drain sytem from Lowes, which I installed for him.  It failed miserabley due to a number of reasons ( poor product, terrible instructions, and I followed the instructions……..#$%^  stupid idiot!!).  I would not recommend this system at all!!  I am going to tell him that we need to scrap this system and go with something else.

Has anyone had any sucess with any of the deck drain systems ( something likeTuftex, Dekdrain, Dry.B.Loetc., etc.), or what have you done thats worked.

Thanxs for any and all info!!!

Live by the sword, die by the sword….choose your sword wisely.
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Replies

  1. bearmon | Jun 10, 2007 07:28pm | #1

    I used one called Underdeck that the local Lowes carried.  Works well, but they stopped carrying it. 

    Bear

    1. m2akita | Jun 11, 2007 05:42am | #4

      bearmon,

      Does this look like what you used?

      http://www.underdeck.com/product/pro.php

       

      Remember anything what it was like for cost?  HOw was it for installation time??Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.

  2. Geoffrey | Jun 10, 2007 10:02pm | #2

    m2akita,

    I've used corrogated plastic roofing panels with good results.....

    they're available in 16' lengths, maybe longer, not sure on that,.......ran them parallel to joists fastening on the underside of the joists with rubber washered screws used for metal roofs.

    I attached tapered P.T. 2x material from nothing to 1" or so over the length of the joist, of course you can vary this according to your joist length, then fastened the panels to these.....overlap the panels at least one corrugation, even if they don't fall on layout the overlap will support the panel.....assuming 16" O.C. joists. Worked well for me. I also ran the panels to a gutter mounted under the deck at the end of the panel and then to a downspout and out to grade or a drainage area or drywell.

                                                                                                   Geoff



    Edited 6/10/2007 3:04 pm ET by Geoffrey

    1. m2akita | Jun 11, 2007 05:30am | #3

      If I end up tearing everything out and starting over with "my own system", I was thinking about trying to use the plastic corrogated panels.  You where using a 1"/16 ft slope?  That was enough for you? 

      I was also thinking of running screening under the decking boards to prevent leaves and debris from building up on the drain panels.  Have you done anything like that?Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.

      1. Geoffrey | Jun 11, 2007 06:56am | #5

        m2akita,

        approximately 1/16" per foot,depending on the conditions I might increase or decrease the pitch....as for putting screening, I have not and would not recommend it, you're not likely to get too much debris on the panels, but having screening would make for a collected mess with no way to get it cleaned without removing the panels.....If you're concerned with debris collection, just increase the pitch slightly or as needed, flush the panels with a hose from above......you could even pull one deck board to facilitate this if you wanted.

                                                                  Geoff

      2. dovetail97128 | Jun 11, 2007 08:43am | #7

        m2akita,
        I have done several using metal roofing instead of plastic panels.
        Sloped aas described.
        I always leave a way to lift the deck board closest to the house so one can use a hose to flush the roofing off periodically.
        "Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca

  3. billwalls | Jun 11, 2007 08:38am | #6

    I'm getting ready to install a product from Timbertech called DrySpace. I can't tell you the cost yet because i haven't received the bids back yet. here's the link:
    http://timbertech.com/Products/DrySpace.aspx

    Looks real nice. check out their photos.

    1. essobuilddesign | Mar 24, 2020 02:04pm | #8

      Any updates to share after using the DrySpace system?

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