Water issues with exterior wooden stairs
Hi everyone,
New home owner in the bay area with water issues on front stairs. The stairs to the upper unit of my home were designed to be water tight with storage underneath. They are about 10 years old, and leak badly. Many of the treads have also started cupping, and collect water. I knew of this issue before buying the house, and the prior owner said he tried caulking between the treads, risers, and siding without much luck. I removed one of the treads and it appears that the siding was cut out around the treads. Interestingly, the tread I took out did not go underneath the siding or riser, rather there are little pieces of board under the riser and siding that butt up against the tread.
I’m at a bit of a loss on how to tackle this. Trying to waterproof wooden steps with more caulk and paint seams like a bit of a fools errand. However, the storage below is nice to have. I’m also not sure if there is a moderately quick fix, or if i need to tear everything out. I’ve posted some pictures and looking for some incite.
Replies
I certainly cannot say for your climate but here in my world that would be a design sure to fail. That's just mhop, I look forward to hearing from people better informed.
I agree, caulk is not a reliable waterproofing method. I would pull the stairs and put a “roof” under the stairs.
Or install a "roof" under the stairs. Will reduce the available space somewhat, but is the price you pay for dry storage.
Make sure that you leave air circulation under the leaky stairs so they can dry out between rain events.
I guess the roof could just be some rolled roofing, or maybe just plastic. Should I replace all the cutout siding and install the treads with a gap between the siding and risers so that water can just drain through?
The tread you removed is not the original design. The original tread had been previously cut out, and those little pieces of board under the riser and siding are remnants of the original installation.
It looks to me as if the water proofing was an after thought, and the treads were cut out and roofing tar applied in an effort to seal it up. Are all the other treads the same? Any evidence of rot?
If the stairs are structurally sound, you could apply vinyl decking material (Duradek, Tufdek, Dec-Tek or similar). The siding will need to be cut away enough to fold up and heat weld the vinyl on the sides forming a seamless cover. A lot of labor to do all the joints.
If the stairs need replacement, a steel pan/concrete fill stair case can be made water proof and be the most durable for an outdoor environment.
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