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By Dave and Mary
Tongue and Groove Floor on Porch
Over Interior Space
Linda, one of our site visitors, asked:
I am replacing a pine tongue and grooved front porch floor.
The porch floor is over an interior basement room (a work-shop is below the porch floor).
Although the front porch is covered by a roof, it still needs to be waterproofed as not to leak into my
basement room. Can I use this type of flooring?
You pose a very interesting question.
I'm assuming it has not leaked into your basement room before with your existing tongue and groove flooring so I'll address my response based on that.
Option 1 - Build a Roof Under Your Tongue and Groove
I always build on the side of caution so I'd lay down a layer of exterior plywood (1/2 or 3/4
inch depending on the height of your door, etc.) over the joists.
Cover that with roofing felt. Then I'd lay the tongue and groove over that.
This may not be feasible due to your door threshold height, etc. I'd also use a good quality caulk between the porch flooring and your home's siding.
On the interior workshop ceiling, I'd insulate between the joists and then cover the joists
with plastic for added insurance. Then dry wall over the plastic.
Be advised this could cause moisture issues if water penetrated your tongue and groove as
it wouldn't have anywhere to go. So make sure everything is laid correctly from the beginning
to minimize any potential water issue. Moisture is your enemy so I wouldn't take any shortcuts.
We also asked our porch experts at Vintage Woodworks to address a similar
situation - see their
response.
Option 2 - Waterproof Your Porch
Perhaps the best solution to your situation is to install a waterproofing system; almost guaranteed to keep water from entering your shop.
Such a system can be installed as new construction or attached to existing joists. DEK Drain® consists
of high quality panels that prevent water from entering the space below.
DEK Drain® System being installed on deck
Learn more about the DEK Drain® System.
Without being there to see exactly what you'd be dealing with we always recommend you contact
a few local contractors and pose the same question to see what they would advise.
We try to give you our best recommendations but sometimes it is difficult to be precise in most cases
when we can't see the porch, porch foundation, or joists first hand.
Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches.
You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.
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Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches.
You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.
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