Low Maintenance Rooftop Deck Materials

Low Maintenance Rooftop Deck Materials

It’s important to use low maintenance materials in a rooftop deck design. Rooftop deck materials get exposed to UV radiation and battered by the weather. Most people visit rooftop decks during sunny spring and summer months. During the off season a rooftop deck’s most frequent visitor is mother nature. During this time materials degrade, become weathered, and can even begin to rot. To get the most value out of a rooftop deck it’s best to use long-life materials that are impervious to the elements. The added bonus is that these same materials also give the benefit of requiring little or no maintenance.

Example: Low Maintenance Rooftop Deck Materials

This outdoor terrace used long-life, weather-resistant, low-maintenance materials available from HDG Building Materials. Materials used in this design include:

• Resysta Decking
• Aluminum Joists
• Buzon Pedestals – for the raised deck, stairs, and for the turf decking surface
• Artificial Turf  (available through partners)
• HDG Grating Panels

If I had known about screw-jack pedestals earlier in my career I absolutely would have put them everywhere. I like that you can create comfortable level surfaces for people right over the top of sloped surfaces designed to drain. I also like being able to hide irrigation, plumbing, and electrical services below the surface. This is much more elegant than running conduit everywhere.

– Bing Sheldon, FAIA, retired chairman and founder of SERA Architects

Low Maintenance Materials Are High Value

Rooftop Decks Are Attractive and Productive

There is no question that adding a rooftop deck to a building can increase outdoor living space and provide access to dramatic views. It can also increase property value. Rooftop decks are perfect for creating useful spaces for entertainment or dining. Occupants and visitors alike appreciate it. Rooftop decks are often cited as a reason tenants choose to live in certain buildings rather than the competing alternatives. Restaurants, bars, and hotels with rooftop decks are also more attractive to their customers insofar as they are available.

Low Maintenance Increases Availability

Most everybody reading this article will have enjoyed a commercial rooftop deck at some point. Most of these experiences, however, are limited to warmer spring and summer months. Using high-quality, low-maintenance materials that are always ready to perform can lengthen the season by eliminating the downtime needed for repairs or to restore decking surfaces to be public-ready.

HDG Provides More than Materials

Work with HDG to gain these rooftop deck advantages for your project.

• Long-life, low-maintenance materials available including porcelain pavers
• Lightweight materials are available for under-engineered buildings (See Rooftop Deck loading app note)
• Slope correcting pedestals provide perfectly level decking surface with substrate that slopes to the drains
• Constructive solutions available when you run into problem areas
• Expert assistance from project concept to completion