Dekmax and Tiledek featured!

We are so thrilled to have garnished the attention of Richard Bergman
He has a huge amount of information regarding Decking Materials of all types, Projects, Tips and Advice, Design and Planning Information, etc.
According to Richard, "Vinyl is Where the Future is Heading."

We were done as a feature on his web site and you can see it here-

www.ideas-for-deck-designs.com/

Richard also has lots of information on waterproofing, low maintenance vinyl decking and you can take a look here -
http://www.ideas-for-deck-designs.com/vinyl-decking.html

The work that Dekmax was featured on was a Tiledek job. We completely waterproofed the area then a professional tile setter came to handle the installation of the tile. The comments from the tile setter were "I wish every job had this stuff on it, it bonds extremely well."

The Dekmax website has a link on the first page top right side.

Winter work

Another significant difference between us and the compitition, we work all year. True we have some pretty cold temperatures and that alone prevents the use of just about all other products.

Here are a few shots of a project in Logan UT. These are from the period just before Christmas to the end of January. The first building was done with no protective covering on it, rain casued the use of the tarps, but that was needed for the stucco crew. The decks are done before the stucco guys get started so plastic was used to to cover them to protect from water before installation.

The pictures don't really tell the whole story. On the days that I took these pictures it was below zero F. Yet the decks were being done and the contractor was ahead of schedule, not a common practice in the dead of winter with these kind of temps.

Duradek-Tiledek-Plazadek, have it your way

The Duradek brand is synonymous with waterproofing walkable roofs and decks. If there was one thing that may have limited them it was the finished look of the product. True they have more than twenty-five colors and designs but still some like a different look. The challenge is what product can provide you with the same high level of confidence in waterproofing and allow you to have the desired look too? Duradek has listened and now has more offerings to provide you with both.

If you stay with the lowest cost product then you are working with the Duradek vinyl but you can still use your own design ideas to get the look you want. Two tone surfaces are becoming more and more popular these days and the solid colors compliment the patterns well. Use you imagination and design whatever you want we will be glad to work with you.

Perhaps you are one of those that really likes the look of a wood deck or maybe a paver system? Well then Plazadek is for you! You get the same confidence in waterproofing but we have reduced some of the cost by eliminating the slip resistant ridges and colors, its going to be covered up after all. Want to install a sleeper system but not sure how to do it without putting screws through the membrane? We can help.

If you want to most incredible outdoor area there is then Tiledek opens new doors. Installing tile outdoors is a great way to enhance the beauty of your home and you can do it with confidence knowing it will be waterproof for decades to come.

Does Tiledek really work?

In talking with customers and businesses in the tile industry there is a very obvious need for a proven well developed product for the tile industry to embrace the use of tile in an outdoor applications. Rather than trying to make a tile setter a waterproofing expert (which I have yet to find) why not take a waterproofing expert and have them install a product that not only waterproofs but also readies the project for tile? What tile setter wouldn't love to walk onto the job ready to lay tile? I have learned that in the past years it was the tile setter walking onto to job wondering how they would keep water out.

Sure there are sceptics out there because nothing they or the other contractors they know has come up with a product that works. That is part of the problem, it is not a product that is needed. The solution is a system. A tested, approved system that includes all the materials and components that are used. Each of those components has the manufacturers approvals for it use in the system. Without the proper approvals and a professional installation you may as well start saving for the repair cost and good luck getting somebody to warranty the work.

What I struggle with is the decision to use a tile that costs $5000 then to save a couple dollars by using unproven less expensive ideas on how to protect the tile and the home?

These pictures are of Tiledek installed following the instructions with a couple steps left out. We have purposely introduced water and ice into play. Though a finished project would never be subjected to this kind of treatment we thought we would do it just for kicks. This is why we are so confident we have the correct system to eliminate the past frustrations and extreme cost associated with outdoor tile.

This is a small trapped deck that we made and it is lined with Tiledek. Water was added, to the top of the tile, about a half inch or so. It is left outside the shop and freezes over night. Each morning we bring it inside and place it under a heat lamp to greatly speed up the freeze thaw process. Here is a sample of what happens -

10:10am 26 degrees Solid ice

10:20 40 degrees Ice on top of tiles melted as well as the area closest to the lamp

10:30 48 degrees 1/2 of ice melted and the tile itself is warm to the touch

10:55 60 degrees Ice melted and back to water, back outside it goes.

Tiledek Freeeze Thaw issues solved!

Everyone likes the look of tile and stone but for years it has been frowned upon in our area, a result of the climate we experience. Anyone that has tried can tell stories of the costly errors and repairs. Duradek, North America's largest maufacturer of a walkable roofing membrane has developed the solution along with some of the tile industries largest companies.

Known for years as the solution for walking decks over living space Duradek has taken their decades of experience in the roofing industry and applied it to a solution for tile and stone. Now you can have the ellegant look and not be concerned about the repair or damages of the past. So how does it work? It is a simple system that has been tested not only through the TCNA and TTMAC but here in Utah, some of the harshest climate changes in the USA. There are so many so called products out there and to be honest until now it was often left up to a contractor to deciede what to do. Sorry to say that was often a combination of several layers and or products assuming that more is better. Duradek's Tiledek is the whole package, it is the roofing membrane that the tile industry call s out in their instructions (often called waterproofing) it is also the flashing running up the walls and thresholds. Thinset will bond to not just your tile but to the mebrane itself and yes it has been installed on decks around the Salt Lake Valley for three years now. The work has been both over living space and a simple exterior deck exposed to the cold winter climate. The number of customer complaints? Zero

How can our confidence and our customer stasfaction be so high? It's like poker, what gets you in the game? Ante up. Being licensed, insured, nice emplyee's and things like that are just the ante, it allows you to get in the game. Real hands on training and support is what makes the contractors we work with a cut above. They have been through a company provided training course and are provided a path for on going continuing education. Since we are local we often are on the job sites ensuring our standards are being followed but most important we are answering questions and continuing the support. It can be easier to demonstate a skill in a classroom environment it is different on the job and on the job is not the way to learn how to waterproof.

When your design includes tile work the cost will be much higher. Would you want to have somebody that can talk the talk working on it or a company that walks the walk day in and day out?

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.

It's crunch time

The phone lines get busy each year about now. As soon as the temperature starts to drop people start thinking about getting work done around the house. It is a good idea to get some repairs done before the rain and snow becomes the norm. It is also a good idea to be aware of the products your considering, as an example -

Coatings are pretty popular and some do a good job for walkways and garages but there is a very slim window to install them here in Utah. Many of these coatings are water based and virtually all of them have required temperature ranges that must be followed during installations. The importance of the temperature is not the time of the day it is being used, it is the entire period during the curing process, these typically are a 24 hour period. So, here in Utah the "window" to do any of these installations would be June to August, historically our low temperatures fall below 50 degrees.

Want to find out if your installer is doing the right thing? Ask them for the installation instructions so you can follow along. Be careful though, some products are readily available but there is nobody training and providing support for the contractors doing the work. There is a tremendous amount of information available on the Internet and a little effort will provide plenty of data. Look for things like "installation procedures" and "manufacturer's specifications"
Do these two reports have the same information in them?
Are there steps in the installation procedures that vary or are simply missing when compared to the manufacturer's specifications?

What are the re coating requirements? Yes that's right requirements. Again the manufacture of these products knows that in order for them to offer a warranty etc they need to be maintained. If there is a failure and the area was not re coated timely there could be some finger pointing.

Check the contractors labor warranty. They are required to warranty their work for at least one year but you will find that the quality of the products they use have a lot to do with the time frame they will offer.

Investigate, investigate, investigate. Then relax and enjoy!