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Weather tight material recommendation

BAB | Posted in General Discussion on June 20, 2006 02:24am

I’m looking for recommendations for materials that can do the following job:

I’ll have an exterior wall, ~2′ tall that surrounds a second story deck and screen house.  The wall is typical stud construction, its faces are clad in the same siding as the rest of the house, its base is integral with the flat rubber roof it stands on.  I need to design a cap for this wall that will keep out the weather (it is essentially part of my roof, and any water leaking inside the wall will ruin the ceiling in the room below), and also allow attachment of a metal railing system that will increase the wall height to code minimum.

The best I can come up with is clear 2X cedar.  Maybe start with a couple of 2×6’s, bevel one side slightly (to shed water), then join them together to get the ~10″ width I’ll need.  Finish them with paint.  I’m sure this would work, for a while.  What I’m worried about is how they’d fare over the long haul, being exposed to rain and sun.

Is there some synthetic material that would work in this application, and be more durable than the wood?

Thanks

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Replies

  1. FastEddie | Jun 20, 2006 03:03am | #1

    Order some 2x12 cedar, double bevel the top slightly, then rout drip grooves on the underside.  I think you're asking for trouble trying to use two pieces.  12" boards are readily available.

     

     

    "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

  2. BillBrennen | Jun 20, 2006 04:03am | #2

    Sheet metal cap, custom-formed over top of your two beveled 2x6's. Flat wood as a roof is just asking for a leak. If metal railing is different metal from your cap, isolate them from one another at the joining of the two (think dielectric union) and carefully seal any fastener penetrations.

    Bill

  3. Piffin | Jun 20, 2006 05:10am | #3

    i'd form a sheet metal cap. this is a very common solution for parrapet walls. Back it up with Ice & water shield

     

     

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  4. WayneL5 | Jun 20, 2006 05:31am | #4

    Copper.

    1. BAB | Jun 20, 2006 06:36pm | #5

      I've thought about going the sheet metal route.  So far I've resisted it because ...

      Part of this parapet wall forms a screened porch, supported by about 10 4x4 posts.  forming sheet metal around these posts sounds like it will require a lot of ugly, difficult, expensive seams. 

      If I were using wood, or a material that could be worked like wood, I believe I could build up a cap in three sections, one piece running between the posts (and the same width as the posts), with beveled pieces joined to the inside and outside edge of this center piece.  These beveled pieces would be as long as I could make them, passing several posts each without having to form a joint.  I was planning on using waterproof glue and perhaps biscuits.  It could be assembled from pieces around the posts, and any mismatching of the seam could be leveled with a plane or by sanding.

      However as you guys point out, using wood for this cap is risky.  So I'm wondering if there is a man made product, that would be more durable and reliable, but could  be worked as described above.  I'm picturing something like synthetic decking, but larger in dimension, and ideally I suppose I'd also want to be able to paint it to get the color I want.

      Perhaps what I propose is a pipe dream.  Set me straight.  I do like the general concept of metal roofing.  It just feels a little off in this particular application.  For one thing the cap will be at waist height, with people leaning/sitting on it, and somehow metal just feels wrong for that.

      If I do go the metal route I won't be doing it myself.  How should I go about finding a competent person to do the job...  roofer, gutter installer, sheet metal shop ???

      Thanks for the advice 

      1. FastEddie | Jun 20, 2006 06:41pm | #6

        I didn't realize that the upper posts are already in place.  Go ahead and use your 2-piece wood cap, and overlay with fiberglass and resin, like a boat hull.

          

        "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

      2. JohnSprung | Jun 22, 2006 10:36pm | #7

        You might look at the paint-on roofing system from Resource Conservation Technology:

        http://www.conservationtechnology.com

        If you protect the top from wear with a metal cap, it might do what you need on the sides and posts.  

         

        -- J.S.

         

      3. woodbutch666 | Jun 23, 2006 05:00am | #8

        Install copper caps and treat the posts like they were thru a roof and use pitch pockets soldered to the caps and fill with 2 part pourable sealer then install wood caps and post trim using appropiate fastners and high quality caulking

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