Not a great thing to wake up to this morning...

[Descant]

Zipup looks like great system. A very nice looking finished project.

25(?) years ago we put a "ceiling" over our lower deck to prevent rain from dripping through. We built a separate 12 x 24 frame and covered with corrugated aluminum panels. It is pitched for normal drainage, but it is also hinged so the whole ceiling lowers for cleaning and we leave it in the down position in the winter which protects the stored furniture a bit. It was a DIY project, but some help and guidance from knowledgeable contractors.

[ishoot308]

Here’s a few progress photos…Hopefully complete in the next day or two. Very happy with the zip up system!

The first photo shows the area being worked on.

The second photo shows the layout of furring to anchor system to. (crucial)

The third photo shows some of some of it completed with lights…

There will eventually be a gutter system installed at the end of the system to catch all the water.

Dan

Don’t know why the second and third pic are sideways???

[John Mercier]

Different than the DrySpace.

DrySpace doesn't have any furring strips.

The long rails secure directly to the joists and create the required pitch without any measuring... and then the panels between the rails snap in and can be removed at a later date should it need to be cleaned out.

The rails protect the wood from rot... but have sizing limits.

This is more like our new TrussCore product... but even that one doesn't use furring strips

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Different than the DrySpace.

DrySpace doesn't have any furring strips.

The long rails secure directly to the joists and create the required pitch without any measuring... and then the panels between the rails snap in and can be removed at a later date should it need to be cleaned out.

The rails protect the wood from rot... but have sizing limits.

This is more like our new TrussCore product... but even that one doesn't use furring strips

I did look at Timbertechs “Dry Space” but didn’t like the looks of the large corrugated panels and it was really unsightly at the gutter where all the corrugated gaps were even more exposed.

Zip Up does sell their own PVC furring but it’s crazy expensive and from everything I researched, most contractors were using pressure treated or other rot resistant wood as furring and I can certainly understand why after doing this project. Just the simple ability to rip your own custom size furring is a real nice benefit!

If this space was a simple rectangle and had no lights, this job would take a quarter of the time. While layout is critical no matter what system you use, prepping for lights really consumes time but it’s a must have in my situation. The Trex Rainscape lights are awesome but not cheap!

Dan

[John Mercier]

The only reason I hate furring strips is that the water/debris collects next to them were the waterproof panel is attached.

I have been looking to some newer versions were we will have to apply PT ''shims'' the length of the joists to keep the channel clear.

Our Trex dealer is working with them... but so new that I have just barely seen a sample today... so not much info or real world experience.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

The only reason I hate furring strips is that the water/debris collects next to them were the waterproof panel is

This system doesn’t have that issue as each panel is “zipped” into a full length rafter that hangs down at least 2” off the furring so there is plenty of space. See pic below….

Dan

[John Mercier]

The only reason I hate furring strips is that the water/debris collects next to them were the waterproof panel is attached.

I have been looking to some newer versions were we will have to apply PT ''shims'' the length of the joists to keep the channel clear.

Our Trex dealer is working with them... but so new that I have just barely seen a sample today... so not much info or real world experience.

[MeredithMan]

...Great to see and hear about your experience with Zip-Up, Dan. I am actually getting that for the repair of what started this whole thread last June...allegedly the project is starting in the next few weeks, so it will be about a full year from the crash to the start of the repair.

To say that this has been a bit of a fiasco is an understatement. Many calls to various contractors who either: a) never showed up; or, b) came out and took measurements and pictures, but then I never heard from them again nor received a quote from them. The 3 finalists who stood out in their professionalism were Scott Compton Builders, and the construction arms of Stephens Landscaping and Miracle Farms. None of these folks are inexpensive, but I was able to see actual jobs they had done and it is all top-notch. Lastly, getting the insurance company to cough up the money was also a back-and-forth hassle and while they are not covering the entire cost, (they deem the Zip-Up system to be an "upgrade" over the original soffit material), they are covering more than half of the cost.

Finally, light at the end of the tunnel...

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by MeredithMan

...Great to see and hear about your experience with Zip-Up, Dan. I am actually getting that for the repair of what started this whole thread last June...allegedly the project is starting in the next few weeks, so it will be about a full year from the crash to the start of the repair.

To say that this has been a bit of a fiasco is an understatement. Many calls to various contractors who either: a) never showed up; or, b) came out and took measurements and pictures, but then I never heard from them again nor received a quote from them. The 3 finalists who stood out in their professionalism were Scott Compton Builders, and the construction arms of Stephens Landscaping and Miracle Farms. None of these folks are inexpensive, but I was able to see actual jobs they had done and it is all top-notch. Lastly, getting the insurance company to cough up the money was also a back-and-forth hassle and while they are not covering the entire cost, (they deem the Zip-Up system to be an "upgrade" over the original soffit material), they are covering more than half of the cost.

Finally, light at the end of the tunnel...

Glad to hear Meredith Man! I think you will be quite happy with the Zip Up System!

Good luck with your project!

Dan

[pondguy]

When making major decisions like this, one must always ask themselves. What would John do?

[John Mercier]

Since I sell the materials to Compton, Stephens, and Miracle Farm... anything they want.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Glad to hear Meredith Man! I think you will be quite happy with the Zip Up System!

Good luck with your project!

Dan

Meredithman,

Here some final pics of my completed under deck roofing with gutter completed. Extremely happy with the Zip Up System! Simple install and zero leaks so far! I think you will be very happy with yours….

Dan

[MeredithMan]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Meredithman,

Here some final pics of my completed under deck roofing with gutter completed. Extremely happy with the Zip Up System! Simple install and zero leaks so far! I think you will be very happy with yours….

Dan

That looks awesome. Thanks for sharing and congrats! We are allegedly starting in a couple weeks, so I'll put up some pix when done.

[MeredithMan]

Originally Posted by MeredithMan

That looks awesome. Thanks for sharing and congrats! We are allegedly starting in a couple weeks, so I'll put up some pix when done.

Finally done, a year and 3 months after the initial disaster. Had to replace a number of mahogany deckboards that had become punky, as well as some that had completely disintegrated and stain the whole deck. The under-deck Zip-Up system looks great. The carpentry crew from Stephens Landscaping was fabulous. Kept us informed the whole way; very engaging and pleasant to work with; and they kept the whole jobsite immaculate.

[ishoot308]

Looks great!! What a difference!

Glad you liked the Zip Up System!

Enjoy!

Dan

[retired]

Those ceilings look great. I'm sure they weren't cheap. We have a patio under our deck at home and when it rains, it gets wet. I don't really care since we don't want to sit out on the patio on rainy days. Inside is much cozier.

[MeredithMan]

Originally Posted by retired

Those ceilings look great. I'm sure they weren't cheap. We have a patio under our deck at home and when it rains, it gets wet. I don't really care since we don't want to sit out on the patio on rainy days. Inside is much cozier.

Thank you for the kind words. We don't use that patio area under the deck when it rains, either, but the real benefit of that under-deck ceiling is that it keeps the pine needles and dirt and debris that falls through the deck boards from getting all over the patio. The really neat feature of the Zip-Up system is that the panels "unzip", which allows you to clean out any debris that collects on top of them.

[retired]

I get it. What did you use for decking? Ours has 22 year old pressure treated decking that needs constant board replacement and staining. We want to replace it with some kind of composite next year. I looked online at Timbertech, which looks very nice. We are in full sunshine with a southern exposure. The joists are in good shape and are 16 inches on center. Any ideas on what would be a good choice for us?

[MeredithMan]

Originally Posted by retired

I get it. What did you use for decking? Ours has 22 year old pressure treated decking that needs constant board replacement and staining. We want to replace it with some kind of composite next year. I looked online at Timbertech, which looks very nice. We are in full sunshine with a southern exposure. The joists are in good shape and are 16 inches on center. Any ideas on what would be a good choice for us?

Hi Retired--

Just sent you a private message.