- Correcting those low areas on your patio deck

Does your patio deck have a number of low areas causing puddles to form during those rainy days?

Patio decks are for lounging-not for water puddles, but because of low areas on concrete decks as well as coated plywood decks puddles will form causing discomfort, as well as a mess when it is tracked into the house. Low areas in decks have not been patched successfully in the past because of the different surfaces applied to the deck, such as aggregate concrete, vinyl fabrics and roll-on coatings not being able to match the compatibility with a patch. Duck boards have been used very successfully on decks with poor drainage. To make your own duck boards use 1 x 2 clear cedar strips 24" long and using galvanized 1-1/4 box nails, nail them to 4 pieces of 1 x 2 running in the opposite direction on the bottom, these are called runners, leaving a nail thickness between the boards. This will make 24 x 24 squares and when laid on top of your deck in opposite directions will give you a parquet deck design. Water will run freely between the 1 x 2 bottom runners to the drains and away leaving a dry surface to walk on. There are a number of recycled plastic grids available on the market today for the same purpose. These may be available at your local building supply store.

Article courtesy of: Shell Busey