Leaking Deck Prisms

[pelorus32]

I have six rectangular glass deck prisms in a newly constructed solid teak deck (40mm thick x 50mm wide). The deck is caulked with cotton and payed with Deckflex (improved version of Sika). The deck does not leak.

The deck prisms are set into the deck and have a brass surround plate that is set flush with the deck and fits into a rebate in the top of the prism. This plate is screwed down and bedded in Sika.

Every one of the prisms leaks. It is also very difficult to remove the surround plate because there is no clearance on either side of it (from deck or prism) to get a wedge in to remove the surround.

I'd appreciate any learned suggestions on removing the prisms (and no I can't get anything solid underneath to jack them out!) and on how to properly bed them so that they never leak again!!!

Regards

Mike

 

[howardclark]

One possibility is that you have fully tightened up the deck plates before the sealant has gone off. Generally its safer to leave the last few turns on the screws until it is rubbery - if you tighten up whilst its soft you can squeeze all the sealant out at critical points, hence leaks. The same thing happens with some window designs.
Getting the prisms out!. Its a [no thanks]!! Too much impact and you'll chip the prisms. I used sheer force but hated doing it.

 

[Mirelle]

A \"Job\'s comforter\" replies.

They very often do leak.

The only leaks in our deck come from them, now.

I have thereforee abandoned bedding them in Sikaflex in favour of cheap and cheerful gloop, and expect to re-bed them from time to time.

My attempts at removing the Sika-bedded ones were a mess. See if you can get a thin knife blade along the edge of the bronze surrounds, and get the screws out, then slowly prise them up. You will almost certainly smash the glasses.

"Plan B" involves a small tin of Coelan, which seems to be quite compatible with Sikaflex, sticks like glue to glass and bronze, and is almost invisible - except, of course, where it is in contact with the bare teak. This would definitely be worth a try, before wrecking the deck.

 

[Peterduck]

Re: A \"Job\'s comforter\" replies.

I had a deck leak from a now-disused tank filler fitting. In an ideal world [not the one I live in] I would have removed it and fitted an invisible graving piece. Instead I melted beeswax with an electric soldering iron all around the fitting, so that it soaked into the wood, and ran along the ends of a shrinkage check which had gone through where the fitting is now. This is a similar approach to Mirelle's solution, where you are using an initially thin liquid to run into all the tiny spaces that the water finds, occupy them and then stiffen up. A thin epoxy such as 'Everdure' would also do the same thing. As any of these solutions will darken the timber of the deck if it is still in its natural condition, it would pay to mask the edges of the timber to minimise the spread of the liquid.
Peter.