Waterproof? It's kinda like buying a new coat.

Many times during inspections or visiting with customers the questions revolve around what the surface of the project will look like.  The outdoor living market is growing very fast and of course everyone wants to get a piece of the action.  This is where it gets tricky, it's like buying a new Waterproof coat.


We have probably all done it, me, several times.  The rainy season is approaching and we look all around to find a good looking but waterproof jacket to keep warm and dry.  Of course how good we will look in it counts and whats it going to cost us; so we try them on and look in the mirror, strutting our stuff.  Sure the thought about "Is it really waterproof" crosses our mind a few times but that's not important right now, darn I look good and it doesn't cost as much as those over there.  So we buy it.

Ah, the first rain.  The compliments are coming our way but I feel a little chill, almost feels a little damp?  Oh, well made it inside and dry now, but it is nagging me a little bit that if I was out there a little longer I think I would have gotten wet?  Days go by then it starts to rain again and surprisingly the first thought is our new "Waterproof coat".  Looks like it will get a real test with this storm.

Darn, going to have to park in the back of the lot today, long walk now.  Oh no, this coat isn't waterproof I am getting wet now that there is some real rain, just when I needed it too.  So now what? Take it back to the store and get your money back? Will they pay the dry cleaning bill for your clothes too? Good luck with those.

Home owners and contractors go through similar issues with finding the right products for their projects too.  When they find one that works and does what it says it will do, they get hooked.  This is what we call peace of mind, confident.  In one case with a high profile, high end builder here in Utah they have taken it to a completely new level. Not only are the roof decks done with Duradek, so are the bathroom showers! Imaging getting a rain storm everyday at least once and you absolutely can not afford to have a leak. That is what Duradek does for our clients, we eliminate the water issues and bring peace of mind, confidence.

An unexpected bonus was the fact that they clean so easily, much easier than a normal shower.  Maybe it has to do with the mold and mildew inhibitors that are manufactured into Duradek?

Is it Waterproof? Maybe that should be the most important concern when your looking for walkable roof solutions or outdoor living products.  Duradek has the systems and solutions for your project whatever they may be.

Outdoor living with Peace of Mind

This home owner like so many others was simply frustrated and upset that their "waterproof"deck was failing.  It was a concrete surface that had a nice pattern and looked great.  So what happened to it and why do they have to spend so much money to repair it now? We will try to answer these common questions. 

Concrete is a very durable product and has many uses but it is not waterproof itself.  In order to make it shed water a sealer or top coat needs to be applied to it on a regularly scheduled basis.  These sealers are applied to the top of the finished surface or the pedestrian surface.  The more you use the deck the quicker you will wear off the sealer thus needing to have it reapplied.  Often the warranty is tied to the owner ensuring they have had the installer re-apply the sealer as required.

But "they" didn't tell me that! 

The simple truth is you need to do some work investigating the product, the history and the companies that are involved.  Are they a local company? Have you been to their office? Exactly who will stand behind the product and the installation? 

A contractor has to agree to warranty their installation / labor for a minimum of one year here in Utah, this will vary by state.  So what if you have questions after that time frame?  I can only speak of our networks experiences, we want to hear from our customers regardless who the installer was after one year, five, ten or twenty.  Its simple, at Duradek we care. 

Donner Lake, Roofdeck by Duradek

This home owner had an ace in the hole when it came to finding the right solution for their new rooftop deck.  Their daughter is an architect! 

This beautiful cabin in Donner Lake California did not have a garage / work area and only a walk out patio in the rear.  During the design phase they had decided to open up the upstairs bedrooms, removing the old windows and adding doors opening right to the roof of the garage.  Very cost effective and added not just value but serious jealously form the neighbors too. 

 Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains there are fire concerns and a class A fire rated roof is required. A sheet of 1/2" cement board is installed over the wood substrate and the seams leveled with thin set. The building inspector was not familiar with Duradek and had some questions.  The following morning he received what he wanted direct from the Duradek Technical support staff.

This cabin has a nice rustic look to it so Duradek's PVC coated drip edge is used around the perimeter.  This allows for the membrane to be welded to it and yet form the ground you only see the face of the drip edge, complimenting the design.



















Fully adhered and thoroughly inspected by the local Squirrels (like the neighbors they were really interested in what was going on). Duradek is in use immediately and ready for whatever the weather may be. It was good thing too, mornings were very cold and frosty with certain snow by now this couple has piece of mind knowing they are protected.

Rock salt or ice melting chemical or even a shovel if needed will allow them to take advantage of this awesome roof deck year round.

Legacy Line

Duradek Announces Duradek Introduces the all new LEGACY line of Vinyl with Two Vintage Looking, Wood Inspired Finishes Legacy - Wood Look Vinyl Duradek, the original Walkable Roofing Membrane expands its response to market demands for naturally inspired textures and colors for outdoor living space and now, in its 40th year, launches a brand new line in its extensive collection of 60 mil vinyl colors and patterns. Discover Duradek Ultra Legacy...

Different for sure, but when you need really good waterproofing - We have you covered!

So what do you do when your pool design ha a really cool creek bed or stream that flows into the pool?  One way to do it is to use a liquid applied product that you can do over and over again each year, but that gets expensive, frustrating and sometimes just forgotten.  That's what happened to Red Pine Condo's in Park City; until Copper Canyon Construction came along.

During the discussion of ongoing maintenance and re-coating the creek every year Bob with Copper Canyon says "I have a product that you need to take a look at. I think we can fix your problem long term."  Red Pine Condo's loved the idea and Duradek's Ultra Marble Mocha was the perfect color combination to accent the creek bed.   As you can see a few stones were also added and they look almost natural too.

The creek bed fills up with several inches of water before overflowing into the pool.  A feature that attracts the swimmers, they just gotta play under the waterfall!

Regardless of your waterproofing needs, from a complex pool design, a flat roof or a plain old deck Duradek and Copper Canyon have you covered.

Duradek of Utah – Exceptional Performance

Duradek of Utah – Exceptional Performance

from left: Bob Ogilvie – Duradek, Samantha McClure – Dekmax
Matt McClure – Dekmax, John Ogilvie – Duradek.

The rarely issued Exceptional Performance award was resurrected this year for stand out performance for Duradek of Utah who may have not been the top volume performer, but has fully taken on the Duradek philosophy of educating people to “Doing it Right the First Time” and really embraced the opportunity to develop the roof deck waterproofing business in a region that historically not been recognized for roof decks but is now showing a growing number of new developments embracing this outdoor lifestyle advantage.
Check out these articles featuring notable projects from Duradek of Utah:

• Creating Value in Real Estate and Quality of Life
• Changing the Landscape in Salt Lake City One Roof Deck at a Time

The Duradek of Utah Mobile Showroom

Duradek of Utah is getting noticed. Besides these  great high profile projects that show Duradek doing exactly what it was meant to do, Matt has a few other unique, eye-catching techniques up his sleeve. The Dekmax truck has been transformed into a mobile showroom and the custom canopy Matt has made beautifully displays Duradek’s range of waterproofing membranes,  perimeter details, drain details and railing options. Really making his work truck work for him, Matt also put together a little YouTube video demonstrating the strength of Duradek seams by using his truck to tow a Ford F250 with a heat-welded piece of Duradek. It is really amazing to see the welded vinyl stretch as it pulls the F250..and the seams still hold.

Duradek of Utah Seam Strength Video

With these kind of initiatives and the excellent work Duradek of Utah is doing with educating the local architectural groups like the Salt Lake City chapter of CSI, Utah is poised to embrace roof decks as much as any major metropolitan harbor city.
 Congratulations to all of our top performers and thanks for your ongoing support of Duradek and bringing reliable low-maintenance roof decks to communities all throughout North America!

Ask the tough questions and check the answers

Not to long ago I was talking to a contractor that installs a liquid applied product.  We were just comparing products and the installation process.  After listening to what they have to go through I asked him if he would consider learning how to do the Duradek system since it was a simpler process reducing the labor cost.  He asked what our warranty was and I said 10 years for leaks and 5 years for appearance.  His reply was immediate and firm; "we give a 50 year warranty!" Wow, that caught me off guard that's a long time for a waterproof system with pedestrian traffic in an outdoor environment.  But, it is what is written in the warranty that counts along with the quality of the company providing it and their years in business.  Anyone can offer a long warranty but if the product has only been around a short time the warranty really doesn't mean much.

 So I go to work checking out the "competition" and this 50 year warranty.  In a nut shell what they will warranty is that in 50 years their product will be there.  There is nothing that cover water intrusion or leaks, took about 5 minutes to get a copy off the internet of the warranty. The contractor is selling the warranty and doing very well, that's scary.

Warranty -
Q- What does your warranty cover? 
Q- Who do I call if there are any leaks, damages or just concerns about the product itself?
Q- Can I see your warranty?

He is another "warranty" I found.  The installers say it is a ten year warranty but look at the red section.

 

XXX warrants that its products,

when properly installed by a state licensed waterproofing contractor according to XXX guide specifications and product data sheets over a sound, properly prepared substrate, will not allow water migration for a period of 12 months.

 

 

Ongoing maintenance requirements is another very common issue with home owners.  Way to often we get called out to take care of a leaky deck only to tell the home owner that the product they had installed required them to have it recoated annually. Had this requirement been followed they probably wouldn't of had the leaking and damages.  Make sure your getting what you want, waterproof, long lasting and no ongoing cost.

Ongoing maintenance requirements -
Q- Once your product is installed are there any required maintenance cost in order for the warranty to apply?
Q- If I fail to meet your annual recoating is there a "grace" period that allows me to catch up on the recoating?
Q- How do you keep track of the recoating process to know my deck has been done each year?

 

I wonder who determines what this means, who is responsible to make the decision?

subject to recoat procedures for normal wear and tear. 

 

Damages are not that common with most of the products available but it happens so it is a concern for every client. The sun or UV rays will cause fading, there are dyes involved so they vary based on the batch it was made from. 

Repairs -
Q- If there is a damage, how do you fix it?
Q - Is that warranted too?
Q - Will the colors match or do I have to re-do the whole thing?
Q-  Can you show me some samples of any repairs you have done?

 

Anyone who is in the waterproofing business will tell you that no matter which product or system is being used it is  All In The Details.  Honestly some of this is common just take the time to look at the installation details and ask the installer how they will be doing the waterproofing at the high risk areas.

Q - How do you flash the up wall (where the deck meets the house) so there is not a leak?
Q - Around the edge where the deck stops but the house continues, how do you tie into the moisture barrier (the paper wrapped around your house under the siding)

This product was installed right up to the wall then caulked to seal the edge.  Obviously water runs down the brick to the deck surface and the only thing stopping the water is caulk.  This is the home owners responsibility to maintain and re-do regularly.  So when the leaking began who was at fault?