Vinyl Deck Membranes

[GoingMyWay]

Does anyone have any experience with vinyl deck membranes?  I'm trying to first determine what I have installed (I think it might be vinyl, but maybe it's not?  It does feel stiffer than the vinyl I've seen in some YouTube videos) and then figure out the best course of action.  From my brief research, it looks like Tufdek and Duradek are the main options.  It's unclear to me what I might have.

We had a leak and I finally traced it back to a cut in the membrane that went up and partially under the HardiePlank siding.  I removed the first course of siding so I could get better access to the membrane.  I'm really curious why the membrane appears to be scored along the whole width.  At first I thought the scoring was necessary in order to get the membrane tight into the corner, but upon closer inspection that doesn't seem to be necessary nor does it make any sense to me.  In some areas the scored cut has completely opened up (hence the leak).

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Is anyone familiar with this type of material?  Are there any clues to look at to help identify what type of membrane I have?  I'm trying to figure out the best way to gain access to patch the damaged OSB subflooring

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and reattach the membrane to the subfloor and wall so maybe the specific type of membrane doesn't really matter.  I was thinking of using OSI Quad Max caulking, but maybe that's not appropriate for this application and I should use something else.  The whole deck/house is going to be 15 years old in May 2023 so this is really just a Bandaid.  Might it make most sense to replace the whole membrane since the expected lifespan seems to be around 10-15 years?

Thanks for any insight anyone might be able to share!

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Looks like a TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin) membrane. Without going into exhaustive detail, if you can afford it I'd have the whole thing stripped and replaced with an EPDM membrane. In addition to the poor installation of your particular roof, TPO roofs don't allow for adequate drying, and it's not uncommon to run into water issues. EPDM roofs will tend to allow for greater drying potential...

 

[GoingMyWay]

Thanks for the quick reply Tom!

I'm pretty sure the main roof is also TPO, but it has a smooth finish like what I believe a lot of RVs have.  This terrace membrane has a textured surface.  I guess the texture/finish alone doesn't define what the actual material is.

The terrace measures 11' and some inches so let's round up to 12' x 12'.  Any rough ball park of what a tear down and EPDM replacement might cost?  I'm thinking it's not going to be cheap... like $10k+++.

 

[tjbnwi]

Looks like Duradeck. I used it at my parents house on a flat roof garage. Worked well until a tree went through the roof.

Tom

 

[GoingMyWay]

Thanks Tom!

Do you think it's worth patching back together (with me doing the work) or would a total replacement (done by a roofing company) be smarter in the long run with either Duradeck or EPDM or something else?

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Thanks for the quick reply Tom!

I'm pretty sure the main roof is also TPO, but it has a smooth finish like what I believe a lot of RVs have.  This terrace membrane has a textured surface.  I guess the texture/finish alone doesn't define what the actual material is.

The terrace measures 11' and some inches so let's round up to 12' x 12'.  Any rough ball park of what a tear down and EPDM replacement might cost?  I'm thinking it's not going to be cheap... like $10k+++.

No worries! In general I'm not a fan of flat/low-slope roofs, they seem like a leak waiting to happen. That being said, if money was no object I'd recommend stripping it and replacing with EPDM. That's where my knowledge ends and I lean on my roofing trade partners for their experience. Best of luck, hope you're able to get it resolved in a manner that fixes the water intrusion and fits your budget.

 

[tjbnwi]

Thanks Tom!

Do you think it's worth patching back together (with me doing the work) or would a total replacement (done by a roofing company) be smarter in the long run with either Duradeck or EPDM or something else?

Replace it, once the dirt gets onto the bonding areas you can’t get it clean enough for a good bond and seal.

Tom

 

[tjbnwi]

If you need something to get you by for awhile look at Etrnabond roof tape. It was created for the RV industry.
https://www.amazon.com/Eternabond-EB-RW041-50-RoofSeal-Sealant-White/dp/B00GR7GWT8?th=1

Tom

 

[GoingMyWay]

No worries! In general I'm not a fan of flat/low-slope roofs, they seem like a leak waiting to happen. That being said, if money was no object I'd recommend stripping it and replacing with EPDM. That's where my knowledge ends and I lean on my roofing trade partners for their experience. Best of luck, hope you're able to get it resolved in a manner that fixes the water intrusion and fits your budget.

Yup, I now see why some insurance companies won't insure houses with flat roofs.  Thanks, we're still trying to recover from the 2 AC systems that we installed back in June so I'm thinking a tarp and some duct tape should get us by  [big grin].

Replace it, once the dirt gets onto the bonding areas you can’t get it clean enough for a good bond and seal.

Tom

Thanks, I hadn't really thought about how the contamination would prevent a good bond.

If you need something to get you by for awhile look at Etrnabond roof tape. It was created for the RV industry.
https://www.amazon.com/Eternabond-EB-RW041-50-RoofSeal-Sealant-White/dp/B00GR7GWT8?th=1

Tom

Thanks for that recommendation.  I actually just received my 6th roll of Eternabond tape today.  I re-did all of the seams on the roof this past summer.  I got a nice sunburn being up there for hours at a time.  I wasn't sure how well the Eternabond tape would bond with the textured membrane, but I guess it should be good enough if I roll the tape out well enough.

 

[squall_line]

In some cases, the membrane looks like it was cut by whoever cut the vapor barrier, but in other pictures it looks like it just plain dried out and split open.

Not that I have any solid advice on how to replace it or with what, but I just thought I'd toss that in there about the potential source of the "cuts".

 

[Cheese]

In some cases, the membrane looks like it was cut by whoever cut the vapor barrier, but in other pictures it looks like it just plain dried out and split open.

Not that I have any solid advice on how to replace it or with what, but I just thought I'd toss that in there about the potential source of the "cuts".

I'll echo the [member=75217]squall_line[/member] line of thought. The multiple cuts just looks like there was some additional unintentional hacking on that membrane for some unknown reason. For instance, the membrane was installed correctly and then there needed to be some additional installation procedures done without a care as to what was ultimately being damaged. I get a uniform cut around the periphery...I don't get small, short cuts at varying levels.

 

[GoingMyWay]

In some cases, the membrane looks like it was cut by whoever cut the vapor barrier, but in other pictures it looks like it just plain dried out and split open.

Not that I have any solid advice on how to replace it or with what, but I just thought I'd toss that in there about the potential source of the "cuts".

Thanks for your feedback!

So you think the housewrap might have been left long and then the installer trimmed the housewrap to length using the deck membrane as a nice cutting backer?  That could be, but seems really unprofessional and sloppy.

I hadn't considered the possibility that the membrane might have just cracked on its own.  It seems odd that it would crack in an area that I believe is pretty well shaded.  I don't see any evidence of cracking on the main flat decking area, but maybe it's more susceptible in the vertical orientation?

I think it was a botched installation.  The other wall has the membrane overlapping

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I can see more cracks/scoring on the opposite wall (where the membrane was overlapping).

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I'll echo the [member=75217]squall_line[/member] line of thought. The multiple cuts just looks like there was some additional unintentional hacking on that membrane for some unknown reason. For instance, the membrane was installed correctly and then there needed to be some additional installation procedures done without a care as to what was ultimately being damaged. I get a uniform cut around the periphery...I don't get small, short cuts at varying levels.

Thanks Cheese.

The whole thing might have been a hack job.  I know other neighbors have complained and were told that their flat roof was not installed correctly by the roofing company that did all the homes in the community.  I assume the same roofing company that did the roof also did the decks.