Slip Sheet decking is a coating that is comprised of multiple layers of materials over a paper that "slips" over the plywood deck surface. These systems are chemically bonded only to the flashings around the perimeter of the deck. There are only two manufacturer's of slip sheet systems, Crossfield Products Corp (Dex-O-Tex) and Mer-Kote Products Inc.
The theory here for slip sheet systems is that framing and plywood decks move as a natural course from heat/cold, expansion/contraction. The slip sheet moves with the deck/framing, allowing it to flex without cracking.
Proper preparation is vital on these systems, and cleaning the flashings of bond breaking oils is absolutely essential, as is venting the decks to allow moisture to escape out.
Careful use and strictly following the manufacturer's maintenance instructions will ensure maximum life from these coatings. Mer-Kote's Weatherdeck© system relies on a lot of regular maintenance, needing cleaning and resealing .
For HOA's, slip sheets are probably not the best option available; high maintenance combined with low UV and damage resistance suggest that you look for other options.
Mer-Kote's Weather Deck coating system apparently is not a One Hour Fire Rated system without the addition of underlayment. There is at their website a "One Hour Addendum" describing how to achieve a One Hour Fire Rating (critical to have, especially on decks over living spaces or garages.) See Mer-Kote's page by clicking here to go to the addendum. This is a "watch out for" when bidding, it seems it will certainly add additional costs onto a bid where other competing coatings are already One Hour fire rated.
View the Maintenance Instructions for Mer-Kote Weatherdeck. We recommend that you use our Questions to Ask list that we developed that will help you understand the different deck coatings you might be presented with.
Read More About Other Deck Coating Types
Click Here to View ICC-ES Evaluation Reports on Traffic Coatings
