Best Fix to prevent water damage?

Raghav Singh · 10-28-2011, 10:46 PM

Hello,
The first two picture are taken from a balcony (well its probably technically called something else , its not cantilevered or anything , just a part of the house that is "open") straight down from the guard rail.

The first picture shows that the tile (unevenly) terminates at exposed wood and I feel that can be a problem

The Second shows the same but at the corner and seems like an especially vulnerable area.

The third shows the balcony

Anyway I was just wondering what measures you would take to protect the wood if this was your home or if just painting it with regular maintenance would be enough (as they did on one side).

Thanks hope everyone has an excellent weekend!

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Raghav Singh · 10-28-2011, 10:48 PM

This is an area (on a different balcony) where they went ahead and painted the wood.

**Alton Darty** · 10-29-2011, 12:50 AM

This looks to be an area that will cause problems. Water entry will cause the substrate to swell which will in turn break the bond between mortar, tile and grout. The end result being that the tile will pop loose allowing more water entry and so on. Can't tell what the substrate is from the pics but the water entry may also cause the substrate to delaminate quickly. End result being that the floor will deteriorate rapidly. The waterproofing underlayment could help but in this case several things need to happen.

Water needs to shed from this surface. A slight pitch away from the structure takes care of this.
Waterproof underlayment or substrate needs to be used here.
There should be some edge treatment here, flashing, drip edge or some type of cap that would prevent water from wicking into the substrate & framing. I think the link to the underlayment posted in an earlier post shows several options for edge treatment, finishing and gutters. This may be present but I can't see anything of this nature in photos.
Bottom line is that it does not appear to have been properly finished to prevent water intrusion.

**Jerry Peck** · 10-30-2011, 10:16 AM

That requires a flashing over the wood. The flashing would be from underneath the tile (installed in a manner which would make it waterproof at the inboard edge) and then over the projecting wood trim/siding/etc., and turned down over the front of the wood trim/siding/etc. (kind of like a drip edge, because basically that what it is being used as).

**Scott Patterson** · 10-30-2011, 04:31 PM

My guess is that if they did not put the required flashing on the leading edge then they did not put it along the wall that joins the house. Also I would bet that they failed to put down a proper membrane on the decking below the tile.

**Michael Thomas** · 10-31-2011, 05:36 AM

BTW, anytime you see ceramic tile retrofitted to the floor or a porch like that, consider the possible effects of added weight.

CT over cementitious backer board can easily add 10 lbs sq/ft, so it that porch is 10x10 feet, that's potentially 1000 lbs, 3/4" quarry tile could be twice as much.

Especially on older porches, this can easily over-stress the floor structure, ledger attachments (if there is a proper ledger at all) and supports below the floor structure - I've seen such porches literally hanging on to the structure by a few remaining partially withdrawn nails.

**Bob Elliott** · 10-31-2011, 09:05 AM

That area may be getting extra water from the clogged gutter I am seeing in the picture also.
Notice the plant material sticking up.

**Mike Schulz** · 10-31-2011, 01:08 PM

The drip edge may be under the exposed trim board. They added the trim as a after thought for detail appearance? Also is that trim Styrofoam trim or plastic/PVC

**Steven Turetsky** · 10-31-2011, 03:02 PM

As Jerry stated, there should be a flashing there. But it does not stop there, as mentioned by Scott, there should be a membrane beneath the entire area terminating on top of the flashing.

Tiled surfaces are not waterproof, and the whole shebang is on top of wood.

Raghav Singh · 10-31-2011, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by Mike Schulz

The drip edge may be under the exposed trim board. They added the trim as a after thought for detail appearance? Also is that trim Styrofoam trim or plastic/PVC

I don't know when or for what purpose the trim was added but can tell you that a dozen minor changes/additions were made to this house after it was put to market (i.e risers on outside staircase , the tile on the porch itself )

the trim is PVC

**Glenn Duxbury** · 11-03-2011, 07:57 PM

Hi, ALL &

Easy remedy = just tear it all off !

It's a piece of work & bound to fail, as with almost any tiles laid outside...

CHEERS !

**Bill Hetner** · 11-04-2011, 12:19 AM

wet tiles= slippery surface which in turn offers someone getting seriously hurt. this application looks like a diy application which started off on with an idea but wasn't thought throu properly. so this leaves us with the current situation do you tear it out now before it does serious damage, or do you wait til it does.

I'd go with Glen tear it out now and plan for the future before the future makes plans for you lol