Waterproofing timber balcony

I'm new here, great site for idiots like me.

Now please hold out swearing and laughing until you hear the complete tale of woe, then rush outside, hang your head over the fence and tell the old dear next door that you have found this years winner of the total wally of the year award.

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And so the story begins:

8 year old two story house, been here 3 years, builder went bust, hih to top it off, had to fix many things he did, not enough ventilation under floor and falling off styrophone architraves for a starters.

2nd story balcony fell apart, runs over garage. Tiles on about 2 inches of cement or some other whatever (though when i got to it it looked like it had been through a masher) on top of chip board, no drop on it at all. Had colonies of mushrooms growing inside the roof too.

Pulled it apart to find it was rotten all the way down, everything, chip board was like cardboard. The floor joists which ran out of house and rested on a frame which sat on a steel girder in roof line of garage were also gone, not the frame, just the joists, had to cut them off at wall and flash on top as i was scared water would seep into interior of house and cause no end of problems. Had to pull it all down as it was rotten through and through.

Built a mezzanine under balcony in garage and used this to work on.

Loads of fall, about 2 X 3.5 meters in size.

Used tongue and groove jarrah - wife insisted, which I think is my main problem, no, not think - I know.

Ran silicon down all grooves and cleaned up excess as I went. Two side which are against house and garage wall (sticks up about 8 inches) had a recess which I keyed boards into and then rendered to level finish, these sides are water tight.

After 6 months few drips getting in which i expect to get worse with time, not at edges but in some joins as timber has opened up a tad. Did use floor vices but I now know this was gonna happen anyway.

Happy to keep using WDW system every 6 months.

Going to put roof over the eventually or a rain proof sail cloth, but will always get some rain.

Door will be changed for sound proof one that will sit higher than existing.

Is there anyway to waterproof the underside of flooring or a different treatment for top surface, I have easy access.

Or do have to pull it all apart and start again?

If too expensive it may be better to just enclose the whole lot.

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Be gentle, this is my first time, as a thank you, anyone who helps can join my new comedy team, the dodgy family from dodgysville.

Attached are two pics of balcony, one inside view and a rough, not to scale plan.



http://djdesign.customer.netspace.net.au/view1.jpg

http://djdesign.customer.netspace.net.au/view2.jpg

http://djdesign.customer.netspace.net.au/inside.jpg

http://djdesign.customer.netspace.net.au/plan.gif

You poor bugger.

Sounds as though youve had it rough right from the start.
I think all your toubles have been inherted from you dill builder.

For mine the decking is just too high, leaving you no where to go for repairs.
The decking should have been down from the door by 100mm, that way you could water froof it better and then lay the deck ontop.

Al :(

I know, but new door will be up from that, we were restricted in how low we could go too, decking goes under door frame as i was paranoid about water getting into house cavity and all the damage that could do.

So i should have laid some membrane under decking, was a bit worried about it being peirced and water sitting inside that i could not see. Or is there a way of laying a membrane and and it not being holed?

Can i not use some kind of paint on membrane underneath?

I left the underneath open deliberately so i could keep an eye on it.

Is there no marine paint or finish that would be better? If need be it does not ;have to be timber colour' - don't tell the wife!

I know it's a cock up, just looking for best solution even if it needs 6 monthly maintenance.

Due for another go with WDW anyway, got plenty as I paint houses and decks all the time.

Cant help you there, but there is another thread going and its about the same thing.

Al :)

cheers steptoe

did you ever find that pickled onion :D

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Originally Posted by looney

cheers steptoe

did you ever find that pickled onion :D

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No, I think that Hurcules ate it, bloody 'orse.

Al :p

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Originally Posted by looney

styrophone architraves for a starters.

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Styrofoam architraves, what the hell is that...

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Originally Posted by looney

on top of chip board

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He deserved to get burnt in the HIH debacle, what a silly sausage.

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Originally Posted by looney

Used tongue and groove jarrah - wife insisted, which I think is my main problem

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It is...

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Originally Posted by looney

After 6 months few drips getting in which i expect to get worse with time

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It most definately will...

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Originally Posted by looney

Going to put roof over the eventually or a rain proof sail cloth

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Fix the floor first...

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Originally Posted by looney

Is there anyway to waterproof the underside of flooring

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No...

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Originally Posted by looney

or a different treatment for top surface

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Now we're talking...

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Originally Posted by looney

Or do have to pull it all apart and start again?

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Yes please :)

My, my, my...
Using a timber strip floor for external use was a very poor choice, suggest listening to missus less often :)

What you need in this situation is a nice waterproof deck, remove what's there and lay Hardies compressed sheeting and tile it. Follow Hardies tech manual VERY carefully, else you'll spring leaks again.

ps: for god's sake, someone shoot that so called builder you had...

LOL, just came across your...

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Biography:
Old git, tries hard and does what wife says
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when will people learn :)

ta mate

i'm gonna look into enclosing it, by the time i go to all that trouble it may not be much cheaper

styrofoam, i dunno, me speelink aint up to much

those bloody awful lightweight goddam trims they put on buildings now

they twisted all over the dam place so i ripped them off and replaced them with light cement rendered trims and loads more glue than the bastard who built this place used

i did try to find said builder to 'remonstrate' ;) but alas, no findee

thanks again

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wife's going in the pot tonight

good idea, simmer gently overnight.

who me or the wife :rolleyes:

enclosing it is certainly an option, but to do it properly, have it blend in with the house and not look an eyesore will not be cheap.

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Originally Posted by looney

who me or the wife :rolleyes:

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you were following orders, so just her :)