Best/cheapest way to waterproof a concrete deck?
eggdood
| Posted in General Questions on
I have a 20X20 concrete deck above my basement, at the end of my driveway. It is made up of 4’X20 concrete slabs. When it rains, the joints leak. I am trying to turn my basement into a workshop, but haven’t because of the water issue. I live in the mountains at 5000 ft. if that makes any difference. I am looking for a way to apply the waterproofing material myself, but everyone wants to do the job for me. Which makes this project prohibitively expensive. I would appreciate any suggestions.
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Replies
EggDood,
If I understand correctly, you have a basement without a house on top. Instead of a house on top of the basement, there is a slab exposed to the weather. It leaks.
What you need is a roof. I don't think there is any other way to make this waterproof. I would suggest installing sheathing or cover board over the concrete, with or without a continuous layer or horizontal rigid foam under the coverboard, followed by a high-quality membrane roofing, with proper flashing where the roofing meets any walls.
Once you have installed the roofing, you can install a deck above the roofing -- either a wood deck on sleepers, or some type of pavers.