Successful Additions with Specialty Decking Contractors

When home owners wish for an addition to their home the difference between a dream-come-true and a nightmare lies in the hands of the general contractor and the speciality tradesmen that are called upon.
In the case of this sun-room addition in Bethesda, MD that was featured in Professional Remodeler this couldn't be truer!

From Professional Remodeler Online

The home owner had a desire to connect his indoor and outdoor living space harmoniously with the existing features of the home and the property’s. He also wanted to add some significant features like a screened-in porch that would provide a large, enclosed space and allow an abundance of natural sunlight.

The contractor on the project (Smiley Renovations) suggested a sun-room with a 9 ft. bi-fold door, built-in screen system and numerous windows. While the screened in porch was still proposed as the client wished, the client eventually agreed that a sun-room would provide the space, natural sunlight and flow from indoor living to outdoor living that he desired. The addition of the sun-room would also allow for a roof top deck that could be accessed from the home’s master suite which was a renovated attic.

Early in the design phase the client expressed concern regarding the outdoor living area above the sun-room. He wanted it to emulate a patio and reflect the exterior finishes used in his landscaping as opposed to looking like a flat metal roof with chairs on top.

The contractor considered several options for a roof top patio, but found standard roofing products lacked the integrity to withstand foot traffic. He also reasoned that building a separate deck over top of the roof would be a waste of money because it would have to be removed whenever replacement or repairs were required. After careful consideration, the contractor chose to use a Duradek vinyl membrane that is a roofing membrane designed for foot traffic.

Smiley Renovations very wisely called on Duradek dealer John Lynch from Lynch Contracting who has been installing Duradek since 1994. John was the perfect speciality tradesman to call for two very important reasons.

1 – Because he works with Duradek, a vinyl membrane product that has successfully performed over a 40-year history, and
2 – Like all Duradek installers, John is skilled in the intricate details of PVC waterproofing and the importance of doing it right the first time for guaranteed waterproof protection…especially when it is on a deck over living space.

John Lynch of Lynch Contracting
A Duradek specialist in Maryland.

While Duradek is available in over 20 stylish colors and patterns, the look would not meet the client’s expectation for the roof deck to have the same look as the rest of his outdoor space, so stone pavers were installed on adjustable pedestals providing the finished look he wanted with the waterproofing integrity that he needed. With water routing to the gutter systems and layered PVC trim, the team could be confident in watertight integrity for the home with this beautiful sun-room / roof deck addition.

While in this project, the contractor chose to use the Duradek membrane designed for pedestrian traffic, Duradek has developed two additional membrane products for waterproofing under protected systems:

1 – Tiledek, a roofing membrane designed specifically for use under exterior tile. Its cloth textured surface provides an excellent bond for thinset mortar.
2 – Plazadek, a roofing membrane designed specifically for use under pavers or other floating systems. It has the same dependable waterproof protection as the traditional Duradek membrane, but without the designer colors and textured surface for slip resistance. It is the perfect product for this type of project.

To see details of this project, the addition of the roof deck and a myriad of other renovation challenges and impressive results, view the project spotlight on Professional Remodeler.

If you've got a similar project and would like to discuss your waterproofing options, contact a Duradek installer in your area for professional waterproofing advice.