- Totally agree on the felt—just doesn’t cut it with big temp swings. Seen too many decks rot out faster than folks expect.
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—couldn’t have said it better. I’ve watched people fight with that stuff and end up with more wrinkles than coverage.“the thick stuff is a nightmare to handle, especially solo”
- Taping seams on thinner membrane is a decent workaround if you’re pinched for cash. Not perfect, but it’s better than nothing.
- One thing I’d add: check for any low spots before you lay the boards. Even a little unevenness can pool water and cause headaches later.
- And yeah, mineral spirits... learned that lesson the hard way too. Those gloves never stood a chance.
Man, you nailed it about the thick membrane—tried to wrestle that stuff onto a shed roof last fall and nearly ended up wrapped like a burrito. And yeah, felt just doesn’t stand a chance out here with these wild temp swings. I’ve seen more than a few decks get soft spots way sooner than expected. Good call on checking for dips before laying boards... nothing like discovering a puddle right where your grill’s supposed to go. Appreciate the real-world tips, especially the one about mineral spirits—those gloves are basically single-use at that point.
Good call on checking for dips before laying boards... nothing like discovering a puddle right where your grill’s supposed to go.
That’s the step I always end up regretting if I rush it. I’ll usually run a long straightedge across the trusses, then shim any low spots before putting down the first board. Makes a huge difference in drainage and how solid everything feels underfoot. Curious—has anyone tried using self-leveling compound on outdoor decks? I’ve only used it indoors, but sometimes those dips are just too much for shims alone. Wondering if that’d hold up in freeze/thaw cycles or just crack apart.
Tried self-leveling compound once on a deck in Minnesota—big mistake. Looked great for a season, then winter hit and it started cracking like crazy. Those freeze/thaw cycles are brutal. Shims or sistering a new joist seem to hold up better long-term, at least in my experience.
Self-leveling compounds just don’t stand a chance up here—totally agree. I’ve seen them fail on decks and even some interior spots near exterior walls. For exposed trusses, I usually recommend shimming or sistering like you mentioned. It takes more time upfront, but you get way fewer headaches down the road. If the joists are really out of whack, sometimes it’s worth pulling a few boards and doing a full sister rather than trying to patch things up. The freeze/thaw cycles just find every weak spot...