Save money by doing it right the first time.

When you enjoy the outdoors and our wonderful views there is nothing like an outdoor entertainment area to relax in. The choices you make while designing your outdoor living area will determine the amount of effort to maintain and repair in the coming year(s). Since this is a very common question we field let break it down again for you -
Lowest initial cost (Good)- Wood. It doesn't matter if your using Redwood, Cedar or even treated lumber, they begin to deteriorate as soon as they are installed. The average home owner spends money on these designs every 3 - 5 years and normally about 7 - 10 years there is significant repair or replacement.
Medium range initial cost (Better) - Composites and Coatings

Composites - These are the manufactured, wood looking materials that will last longer than wood. They are subject to the effects of the elements and although they are often mentioned as waterproof they do not waterproof the area, the implied comment it that the composite itself is not effected by water. The colors can fade, they can splinter but more significant the supports are the same old building materials (wood) and they will deteriorate and need repair or replacement.
Coatings - There are a wide range of coatings available on the market and can range from a DYI project to one that is installed by a contractor. The bottom line with coatings are they require ongoing maintenance from every 1 - 3 years. they are difficult to repair and if you do not keep up on the required re coatings and maintenance then you are risking failure. When you add up the initial cost and then the re coatings these can quickly become the most costly and inconvenient products.

Realistic initial cost (Best) -

Roofing membrane. Duradek has the widest options of colors and designs as well as the highest ratings for testing and approvals. Here is where you have a choice to make - do you want a waterproof, very long lasting, minimal easy maintenance, with lots of choices OR do you want the seemingly never ending hassle's and frustrations that have always been associated with decks and outdoors?

Perfect solution for harsh climates

This wonderful home is located in Timber Lakes, just east of Heber. The unique design has several portions of the roof draining onto the deck surface. The home owners wanted to make use of the patio below without the hassle of the water and debris falling through the slots of the previous wooden slat deck. Initially their concern was simply to "dry in" the lower patio without much concern for the looks of the deck surface.

It's a good thing the pros at Decking Solutions were on the job. They far exceeded the owners desires by using Duradek's Ultra Cork on this waterproofing job. It's not only providing the dry space below but looks awesome too. You can shovel snow off or simply use some salt or ice melting compound, it is all save and approved.

These guys don't play around, there is only one way to do a job. No short cuts, do it right the first time and your done. Here you can see where they have taken the time to go over every seam in the plywood with some filler, making sure they are level. Taking the time to do this makes the surface completely smooth like a floor. Duradek is often thought of as outdoor flooring and when installed by professionals the results are wonderful.

Since the drip edge is coated and of a thick gauge recessing it like you see here makes for a smooth transition and no bumps or lines showing through. This also prevents any standing water at the edge. There were two bedrooms on the upper floor, each leading out onto the deck area. With log construction it can be challenging to make everything fit exactly right. Here Shane and Tyler were able to come up with a design that was not just waterproof but also enhanced the finished look of the deck, again exceeding the owners expectations. What you see here is a "filler" being used to smooth out and fill in any gaps where the plywood transitions to the log, allowing for proper installation of the Duradek membrane.

The membrane is also used as the flashing along the wall so once fastened to the plywood they continued up the log and under the original door threshold. Then to make it safer and more attractive they added a small step, this was a great touch and turned out fantastic!