Never Tile Over a Waterproof Deck!

While a waterproofed deck is nice to have, a tile deck is aesthetically pleasing and can add to the value of your home. However, many homeowners also mistakenly decide to simply tile over their existing waterproof deck. If you’re considering this: do not go through with it. We have seen many decks sustain serious damage because of this arrangement. Allow us to explain why.

Do tiles improve boost waterproof qualities? In short, the answer is no. However, many homeowners believe the opposite. It would seem that putting a waterproof surface over a waterproof surface would mean it’s extra secure, right? Not exactly. Most decks were never designed for tile surfaces. The elevations at the doors and edges are set at very specific heights to encourage water to flow away from potential leak areas. Tiling over a deck, especially a DIY job, often ruins these heights and guarantees that water will seep into high-leak areas, such as where your deck meets your walls and door. In some cases, tiling over a deck can even bring the height of the deck above the door, which encourages water to flood into it.

In addition, tiling also tremendously increases the weight of a deck, and most decks were not designed to handle this weight. When a heavy deck gets wet, it adds even more weight on top of that. A deck that’s too heavy is at risk of structural damage or even collapsing if you’re not too careful.

Finally, most tile laying jobs don’t account for the required slope you need to move water away from important areas. Standards dictate that a deck have a slope of ¼” per foot in order to help gravity move water properly.

Material Expansion

When you place tiles over a waterproofed deck, you are essentially dealing with two different surface materials that expand at different rates. Stone tiles expand very little in warm weather, whereas wood, metal, and mortar all expand at a different rate. This means you need to have expansion joints in your deck to make sure the materials won’t crack or splinter during hot or cold weather. Placing tiles over a waterproofed deck means any expansion joints currently installed will be rendered useless. This places your deck at risk for an imminent failure.

If you would like to surface your deck with tiles, it’s important that you allow a seasoned contractor to do the job right and then allow it to be sealed by a Los Angeles deck waterproofing company. Capital Deck & Stair Waterproofing has provided exceptional service and quality workmanship to home and business owners for more than 30 years. Each of our friendly and knowledgeable technicians uses the highest-quality parts and materials to create a durable, trustworthy seal over your deck to help it last for years against the elements. We are fully licensed, bonded, and insured and all our services are backed up by warranties and own guarantee to give you the peace of mind of knowing your job will be done properly or we’ll make sure it’s fixed to your satisfaction.

Get a free quote for waterproofing your deck today! Call Capital Deck & Stair Waterproofing at (888) 508-2966 .