Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Is there such a thing as a twenty year deck in Utah?

Without a doubt and full of confidence and history, YES.

We have some of the harshest climate changes in the country and to find a product that will withstand not just the rain but the snow and ice build up would be like a slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Would you like whipped cream with your pie?

The Duradek membrane has been around for over 37 years now and has it's roots based in British Columbia. Salt Lake City is very similar in elevation and climate, the big difference is precipitation. Where we get about 16.5 inches a year, Vancouver BC averages 43.98.

So, if you truly want to have a relaxing, long lasting and low maintenance deck you have found the right product. From a beautiful vinyl surface, available in more than twenty designs/ colors to the extravagant look of tile or stone; We have you covered.

Want to learn more? OK lets walk through the two membranes briefly and illustrate what is so different and what gives it the decades of use.

Duradek - A fairly simple single ply installation over plywood, not OSB. The difference is simple, OSB will delaminate with a whiff of moisture in the air. Plywood is much more durable and since the membrane is being fully adhered to the substrate lets do it right the first time. Think of it as a solid surface, outdoor flooring application. You can have a deck with the clock ticking away until you repair it or you can have a usable outdoor living space that compliments your home.

Like with most things in life, It's all in the Details.

The strength of the membrane is not just the fact that it already has all of the UV inhibitors, plasticizers, mold and mildew inhibitors to assist its long life. It is only installed by company trained professionals. When you are looking for a waterproof product and expect to get decades of use out of it stay away from the handyman services and the DYI products. The issue isn't the product. It is not to difficult to glue down; it's having the knowledge and the skills to handle the details correctly.
Water finds it's way in to the most difficult places with ease when the installer lacks experience. Eliminating risk by using the correct detail installation is the name of the game. Here you can see the membrane is being wrapped over the edge of the deck surface. There is a drip edge under it in this picture and the membrane will be glued to the drip edge and finished of with a vinyl clip that compliments the color of the deck membrane. If the membrane was just stopped at the edge of the surface like a coating would be then the water will likely find it's way into the fascia or substrate and the clock starts ticking.

Your home is wrapped with a moisture barrier, this is the "paper" that goes on over the wood the siding then goes over the top of the "paper". The reason for this is to protect moisture from getting to the wood surface. The moisture can be liquid, solid or vapor such as condensation. When there is a moisture build up then there needs to be a way to remove it, here you see the membrane goes up the wall a minimum of 6 inches (building code) then the moisture barrier will over lap it from above allowing water to be moved away from the home.




A similar detail is the outside corner, still goes up the wall and protects not just the surface but the entire area. Anyone that has experience in deck repair will tell you the risk isn't in the field, it is how the details are done. I have often wondered how you can use a liquid material like a coating to go up a wall?






Tired of playing games and spending money on your deck year after year? This is a product that is done once and will last for decades even in the snow and ice we experience. I like to BBQ year round but in the winter it can be frustrating and a mess. With the Duradek membrane you simply shovel off the snow or if you prefer use Ice Melt or Rock Salt to get rid of it. Isn't it time you used your deck for what it is intended for? With Duradek you can sit back relax and enjoy yourself knowing we've got you covered.