What we repair · Waterproofing & Decks
Pool Decks, Walkways and What Is Underneath Them
Elevated decks, walkways and pool surrounds sit on structure, and when their waterproofing fails the structure below is what pays for it.
We will turn it into a buildable scope, a phasing plan and a realistic range — so the board can decide with numbers rather than adjectives.
Not us
We do not perform the inspection. An engineer does
30/25
Years to first milestone — 25 within 3 miles of coast
Occupied
Buildings stay occupied while we work
Licensed
General contractor, licensed in the state of Florida
The damage is under the tile
A pool deck looks fine and the ceiling of the parking level below it is spalling. The waterproofing membrane failed years ago, water has been tracking through the slab, and none of it is visible from the surface that everybody walks on. Which is why these findings surprise boards.
The reason this surprises boards is that the two surfaces are inspected by different people at different times. Somebody walks the pool deck and reports that the tile is sound. Somebody else looks at the parking level and reports spalling on the ceiling. Nobody connects them, because the connection is a failed membrane buried between the two.
What the work involves
- Removing the finish to reach the membrane, which is most of the labor.
- Repairing the structural slab where water has already reached it.
- A new membrane system, correctly detailed at every termination.
- Slope corrected so water goes to drains rather than sitting.
- Reinstating the finish, which residents will judge the job by.
Reading the ceiling below
The underside of a deck tells you what is happening inside it. Efflorescence — white mineral deposits — means water has been moving through the slab and depositing what it dissolved on the way. Rust staining means it has reached the reinforcement. Active dripping means it has been doing so for a while.
That is why a competent deck survey looks up from below as well as down from above, and why the ceiling below a plaza or pool deck is worth walking once a year even when the surface above it looks perfect.
How we handle it
- 01Survey from below as well as above — the ceiling tells the truth.
- 02Remove finishes and assess the slab condition properly.
- 03Repair structure before waterproofing, never the reverse.
- 04Install and detail the membrane system as specified.
- 05Correct slope, then reinstate the finish.
Terminations and penetrations are where membranes fail — at drains, at upstands, at posts and at doors. The flat field of a membrane almost never fails. Judge any waterproofing proposal by how it details the edges.
Said plainly
Where we stop
We will not install waterproofing over a slab that needs repair. It buries the problem under a new finish and guarantees the whole job is repeated.
FAQ
Common questions
- Why is the garage ceiling wet under our pool deck?
- Almost certainly a failed deck membrane. The damage is under the finish where nobody can see it.
- Can we just re-tile it?
- Not if the membrane has failed. New tile over a failed membrane hides the problem and guarantees a repeat.
- How long does a membrane last?
- It varies by system and exposure. Terminations fail long before the field does.
- Is the pool out of use?
- For the deck work, generally yes. It is planned and communicated in advance.
The requirements
Milestone Inspections
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Phase 1 and Phase 2
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Structural Integrity Reserve Studies
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Funding the Work
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Choosing the Team
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Next step
Find out what is actually wrong with it.
An inspection, photographs of what we found, and a written scope. If the honest answer is that it can wait another season, that is the answer you will get.