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Waterproof Ceiling Attaches To Bottom Of Deck
I recently heard an ad on the radio for a new product called "Underdeck". The ad caught my attention because it sounded like the perfect solution to a problem I had.
  Underdeck is a way to put a waterproof ceiling under a standard wood deck. It protects the space below from rain and snow, making it much more usable.
  I recently put a small patio under the deck behind my house with the idea of putting some deck chairs there in the shade. But I was looking for a way to seal off the deck overhead so rain and dirt wouldn't wash down onto the furniture. I also wanted to be able to sit outside under the deck even when it was raining I had considered attaching some kind of makeshift ceiling to the underside of the deck but couldn't figure out a way to do it that my wife would approve.
  That's when I heard the ad for Underdeck, which stated that the product would be for sale at Home Depot stores. I went to the store that day, but they didn't have it in stock yet. Two more weeks went by before they finally got the product. After a bit of sticker shock, I bought it and headed home to install it.
  The small bit of deck I wanted to cover was about 12 by 12 ft. Installation took me about 4 hrs. but I could do it a lot faster now that I know what to do.
  You simply attach a rail to either side of the joists. The rails slope to the outside edge of the deck and are installed with nails. Once the rails are in place, you snap in pieces of curved plastic sheeting between the joists. The final step is to snap on curved rain collectors under the joists.
  When water falls through the deck boards, it flows to either side of the curved plastic sheets and drops down into the rain collectors, which carry the water out to the edge of the deck. At that point, the water simply falls to the ground, or you can run a length of standard rain gutter across the ends to collect the water and take it to one side.
  Once installed, the new ceiling worked great. I sat outside during a heavy rainstorm and not a single drop came through. We now have a dry, clean area that's almost like having a screen porch. My only complaint is that the product is expensive. The small area I covered cost close to $500, or about $3.50 a sq. ft. That seemed steep to me but Underdeck spokeswoman Stephanie Pagel notes that it's a high quality product that will never need any maintenance û painting, caulking, etc. Once in place, it's there to stay and you never have to touch it. When you consider that you're gaining additional living space, the price is relatively inexpensive, she says.
  Underdeck is for sale at Home Depot stores, or you can buy direct from the company.
   Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Underdeck, 3530 East 28th Street, Minneapolis, Minn. 55406 (ph 612 724-6222).


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2000 - Volume #24, Issue #5