Caulking Does Not Deck Flashing Make

When decks are attached to houses, if no deck flashing is installed water can get into the house via the through bolt connections or behind the siding underneath.

Neither is a good alternative.

This is even true with EIFS (Exterior Insulated Finish System) - or synthetic stucco.  It is ESPECIALLY true when the deck is added after the house has been built.

I have had a couple of posts about this before.  That is one of them.

Deck flashing, sometimes called "Z" flashing, is a simple, but important, addition to the deck.

On a beautiful home recently I noticed from underneath that some portions of the ledger beam (the big beam attached to the house onto which the deck joists are attached) were flashed and others not.

While I can't say why they did it that way, it is important that I point it out to my buyer.

The homeowner, very maintenance conscious, had apparently noticed that too.

So he provided his own "flashing" in the only way he could figure out to do it.

Caulking!

This home is six years old, but the deck is in the afternoon sun ALL afternoon.

The caulking is obviously cooked.

It is separating between the decking members as well as the connection to the house.

If it ever worked at all, it is not working now.

And although the seller has been diligent about treating the deck, the caulking is left in this condition.

Here is another problem.

Wood rot!

And at many of the doors.  The framing, NOT maintained, is rotting badly in spots.

The water is running right behind the EIFS.

While it did not demonstrate any problems inside the house at this time, it probably will one day.

And soon if the rot, and associated gaps, are not taken care of now.

My recommendation:  it is easy to see deck flashing from under the deck.  It will look like a strip of metal along the wall, just over the ledger beam.

It is a very important part of deck construction.