# Slate floor on second story patio leaks



## Redbear7938 (Jan 26, 2017)

I have an outdoor patio off by second-floor master bedroom. This patio has a slate floor. There is a leak from rain water on this patio floor into the wall in the kitchen below the patio. I have  had a roofer seal the seam between the patio and the wall with a real good rubber caulk.  The leak persists.  I have narrowed it to about a half a square foot in one corner of the patio. I don't think the water is getting through the rubber seal that was just put down and I can't see any cracks or holes in the slate,  although there are a couple of seams where several pieces of the slate come together and these are very narrow seams. They don't visibly look like water would flow through them.  I think there must be micro channels that the water is getting through and seeping into the wall. I'm wondering if there is a sealant of some kind that would flow into those micro channels and seal itself to prevent water from flowing through. I'm working with slate on the floor  Your thoughts and suggestions are appreciated!


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## oldognewtrick (Jan 26, 2017)

First off,  to House Repair Talk!

Now, what type of water barrier is under the slate?


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## nealtw (Jan 26, 2017)

So upstairs deck and down stairs kitchen, so is the deck a wooden deck or with high landscape is it on the ground?


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## Redbear7938 (Jan 26, 2017)

This is a picture of the corner of the deck that leaks


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## Redbear7938 (Jan 26, 2017)

No idea what membrane is under the slate. I hope there is one!  House is ten years old  and the problem has been here long enough that when I remove the drywall in the kitchen the 2 x 4's that were put onto the concrete block to put up drywall on had already rotted out! The floor of the upstairs deck serves as a roof for the downstairs deck of exactly the same dimensions.


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## nealtw (Jan 26, 2017)

I see the hose, so have you seen water from the hose coming in?
There will be a membrane under the flooring running up the outside wall 6" and under the door. Do the deck would not be my fist suspect.
I would be inspecting behind the drywall beside the door in the bedroom.


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## Redbear7938 (Jan 26, 2017)

I  have been using the hose to test the various areas for the leak. When I run the hose in that one certain area at the back corner that I have in the picture I get the water trickling down the wall in the kitchen below and adjacent to the patio.


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## oldognewtrick (Jan 26, 2017)

nealtw said:


> I see the hose, so have you seen water from the hose coming in?
> *There will be a membrane under the flooring running up the outside wall 6" and under the door. *Do the deck would not be my fist suspect.
> I would be inspecting behind the drywall beside the door in the bedroom.



Maybe....I've seen some creative ways of installing hard surface on a covered deck. Caulking will only be a temporary repair at best. I usually see materials removed and proper repairs performed to eliminate the issue.


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## nealtw (Jan 26, 2017)

So the problem will be the membrane, what ceiling do you have in the downstairs covered deck. 
I would expect the leak to show up there, but you most likely have more rot to find, deck sub floor and framing?
Inspecting that from below would give you a better picture of repairs needed.


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## nealtw (Jan 26, 2017)

oldognewtrick said:


> Maybe....I've seen some creative ways of installing hard surface on a covered deck. Caulking will only be a temporary repair at best. I usually see materials removed and proper repairs performed to eliminate the issue.



Yeah we got there already.


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