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Setting A Roof Appointment – Deck Type – Part V

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Deck Type:  Once again, as your roofing representative is in your attic, he or she will determine what type of decking you currently have. With that info they can determine if your roof deck needs to be replaced, improved upon or it’s just fine the way it is. 

Deck Type:  Once again, as your roofing representative is in your attic, he or she will determine what type of decking you currently have. With that info they can determine if your roof deck needs to be replaced, improved upon or it’s just fine the way it is. 

Generally in the Northwest we will find 3 types of roof decking: Skip-sheeting / Shiplap / Plywood. Skip-sheeting was installed up until about 2000 for homes that have cedar shingle or cedar shake roofs. Your inspector can easily see this when in the attic whether you will need plywood added over the skip boards or if the roof deck already has plywood. He or she can also see on an older home that the skip-sheeting is in place but the last time it was roofed it had been covered with plywood. Generally the skip-sheeting is left in place and the new plywood decking is installed over it.

When in the attic if you see boards (generally 1×6 / 1×8) you probably have some form of shiplap. Sometimes these boards are used first as foundation forms when the house was being buillt and then installed as the roof deck – so they may have some old and odd looking stains. These boards often have knot holes / gaps / and twists so the manufacture often requires the old decking to have a layer of plywood laid over the top to provide a flat and stable nailing surface.

The most common type of roof deck found is plywood. However, that does not mean there aren’t plenty of good and bad outcomes that can be found with this type of decking. If the decking as an exterior grade rating stamp (cdx)and the attic is dry without leaks, its probably in pretty good shape. However, if it was manufactures in the 1950’s or 60’s – your representative will need to walk the roof to determine strength and delamination.

Being aware of your current deck type and what needs to be in the roofing proposal as a requirement or as a possible repair will help to provide you with a comprehensive and accurate roofing proposal.