DeckExpert.com - Unbiased Information on Waterproof Decking

For every deck at an HOA, there needs to be a line item for setting aside funds for the maintenance of the coating, by resealing the surface during it's useable life and a second line item setting aside funds for the eventual replacement of the coating. Deck coatings are fairly unique this way, usually most items in a reserve study are for replacement of the component and not frequent maintenance.

At every seminar that we do for HOA's, one question always comes up, that being "How often do we need to reseal our decks?" Our answer never waivers, it is simply, "It depends." Reserve study providers ask me this same question too, so don't feel bad, as they don't always know either.

There are many factors that come into play when trying to set a reserve schedule. Some of these factors can never be addressed in a manufacturer's recommendations for resealing, that is why you will almost always see a range of time in their maintenance recommendations. Usually  the manufacturer will say reseal every 2-3 years or as recommended by the installer. One caveat, when an installer recommends a resealing schedule, it is usually to their financial benefit. Often warranties are tied to maintenance, which we don't particularly care for. See our warranty info page for further information.

There is no way for a manufacturer to know what the intended use of the deck is, how well it is cared for and cleaned or other factors that may affect the visual aspects of the decks sealer. The manufacturer doesn't know if the decks are used every day to enter into the house by kids with baseball cleats on, whether the resident has it covered in plants that keeps it wet for extended periods of time or if the deck is never stepped on by anyone. Other factors are weather, including rain, sun, the temperature and the direction the deck faces amongst a plethora of items that need to be considered.

Setting reserve schedules for maintenance is not easy. We do not recommend that you take the information that is on this page and use it as the defining word on setting your Associations reserve schedule. We are only providing the manufacturer's recommended schedule to reseal their coatings pigmented or clear sealers, which they typically do only for repairing UV damage to the sealant. An inspection of the decks by a trained eye will provide a more accurate schedule for resealing and making any minor repairs that may be needed. Contact us if you would like a quote for an inspection.

The other question that often comes up at our seminars is "When do we need to replace our decks?" Once again, my answer never waivers, it is always "It depends." As for manufacturer's, they almost never say how long (or soon) it will be before you need to replace their deck coating. Looking through our library of manufacturer's technical manuals, I haven't ever seen any guidance about what their deck coatings total life span might be. Only once, at a Roof Consultants Institute roof and decking seminar I attended, in a paragraph buried in the manufacturer's glowing description of the virtues of their decking, did I find one reference to the estimated life span of their coating. When I asked about it, the question was hedged with a "It depends on..." and they went on to exclude all kinds of factors that would shorten the decks life.

So how can you maximize a decks life span to it's fullest potential? Easy, by following the manufacturer's maintenance guidelines, combined with (at least) annual inspections and making sure that repairs are made promptly. We'll give you some SWAG's about the estimated life span of various deck coatings, predicated on regular maintenance and normal use. DeckExpert.com's goal is to provide you with the annual inspections and reports to ensure that your decks get the maximum mileage possible. Even if you buy the best coating you can, money's no object, it will only last as long as you maintain it. Think of it like this, Mercedes is one of the very best cars money can buy, or at least, that's what we believe. But that Mercedes engine will last no longer than an inexpensive Chevy's if the oil isn't changed regularly, the paint won't be shiny if it isn't washed and waxed every 6 months and the transmission won't shift properly if it isn't adjusted periodically, no matter how good a car it might be when it rolls off the factory line.

The same thing applies to deck coatings, from the best money can buy to the cheapest coating available, they all need to be maintained. Heck, if you read the maintenance manual that comes with a new car, often times half of the "maintenance" cars need listed in the owners manual simply says INSPECT at x amount of miles. Inspect your decks at x amount of miles and they will last, so long as you fix or reseal the deck as needed or recommended.

With every inspection of your decks, we give you a letter of opinion to provide to your reserve study provider, click here to see a sample letter. Our fees are very reasonable, especially when you consider that the average deck costs about $5,000.00 to replace when framing has water damage. The typical repair to a coating costs about $300.00 -$500.00 by a decking company. Click here to see our fee schedule, the average deck costs about $25.00 each to inspect. Click here to request a proposal.

Here are a few principles to keep in mind for your reserve study-

1. Should the association fail to provide proper maintenance, then it will be very difficult to anticipate the useful life of the coating. It will also be nearly impossible for the coating to reach it's anticipated life span.
2. A few of the factors that will effect your estimate of the remaining useful life are it’s current age, physical condition and past maintenance history and lack of maintenance.
3. The remaining life is generally defined as the expected number of years the coating will continue to serve it’s intended purpose prior to replacement.
4. The remaining life of a component specifies the year in which the coating must be replaced.

We offer our services to reserve study firms, management companies and individual HOA's who are performing their own reserve studies. Please contact us for further information.

Listed, in alphabetical order below, are manufacturer's resealing guidelines.

We have also placed a SWAG on their estimated life span, based on regular maintenance being done, the decks being installed properly with zero defects in any of the various trades work-framing, flashing and deck coating.

* We can't emphasize enough that these figures are only guestimates; weather, atmospheric conditions (acid rain, smog etc.) use and abuse, maintenance or lack of it, improperly installed framing, flashings or coatings, all will dramatically effect the life span of the coatings on your decks. Follow all recommended maintenance schedules from the manufacturer, take all precautions as recommended and your deck's waterproofing should last. Complete replacement of coatings is very expensive. Don't waste your Associations funds unnecessarily!