Ask a Pro How to Build and Waterproof Your Deck

When it comes to renovating and maintaining your deck, there are so many options out there it can be a bit of a challenge to know what type of deck is best for your needs; but even once you do have an idea of what type of deck you want, it is worthwhile to seek the advice of a ‘pro’ on proper waterproofing to ensure you get the most longevity and good overall value from your deck as well as protect the building envelope of your home.

Celebrity builders like HGTV’s Mike Holmes, Scott McGillivray  and Jim Caruk are well known building experts and they can be an incredibly valuable source for information on building products and the techniques used to properly install them. While these celebrity builders often offer advice on do-it-yourself projects, when it comes to deck waterproofing even these experts know that specialty trades like deck building are not the place to save money to try to do it yourself. Deck waterproofing is best left to the experts.

Rolling out Duradek's Tiledek membrane on 'Income Property'.

While many at-home do-it-yourselfer’s have been captivated by programs like Deck Wars, it is HGTV’s Disaster Decks with Paul LeFrance that shows all too vividly the problems that can occur when your deck was not constructed by a professional deck builder.  It’s enough to make a building envelope consultant cringe!  Many at-home builders unknowingly ignore critical sequencing, drainage and other deck building details that will leave their brand new, beautiful deck vulnerable to the elements and therefore a much shorter life span.

Duradek installer attending to the critical inside perimeter details on Tiledek installation.

For your deck to be constructed properly, choose a professional deck builder. And for the longest lasting deck, trust your waterproofing to the professional installers of Duradek vinyl membranes.

Duradek has 40 years of proven performance history and will extend the life of your deck by providing exceptional waterproof protection without the need for regular maintenance or re-application. Just the one time installation by one of our trained and authorized Duradek installers will keep your deck protected for many years.

The finished porch...all water-tight!

Duradek comes with a 10-year waterproofing warranty so you can be confident that your investment is doing the job it is intended for…protecting your deck and your home from the detrimental results of water infiltration. This is an investment that will reward you with safe, outdoor living space for your family…and more time to actually ENJOY that outdoor living space with your family since you will not need to lose any time to annual maintenance. So do yourself a favour and don't do-it-yourself....do it with Duradek.

Failed Tile Decks Don’t Use Tiledek Waterproof Membrane

Tile decks are beautiful, but have a reputation as a trouble project and many contractors will shy away from them all together. There are countless stories out there about failed tiled deck projects where a home owner's beautiful new tile deck started leaking after only a short time. But you don't have to be afraid to surface your deck with tiles, even on a roof deck over living space. You only need to be sure to use a contractor that does it right, with the right products.

If you want to fulfil your dream of having a tile deck, talk to a few contractors to ensure you are getting one that knows the special considerations for tile deck projects....and if you don't hear them mention waterproofing...run away immediately! 

Read the full article....Failed Tile Decks Don’t Use Tiledek Waterproof Membrane

JLC Live and Duradek Bring Important Info to Builders in New England this Week

JLC Live New England takes place this week at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI with education sessions starting on Wednesday, March 19, through to Saturday, March 22,2014; and Exhibit Hall on March 21st and 22nd only.

JLC Live New England is the most anticipated regional industry event for residential construction professionals and offers real world construction education with a conference program that highlights the fundamental skills that can help you elevate your proficiency and differentiate your company from the competition.

JLC Live makes it easy for you to get the most out of this event by providing extremely flexible registration options to allow you to participate as much or as little as works for you. You can register for exhibit hall access only or sign up for a full 4-day education conference pass choosing the courses that most benefit your niche in the residential construction industry...or any level in between that works best for you!
Visit JLCLive.com to register.

Access Decking Solutions at JLC Live 

Anyone who is in the business of deck building or sub-contracting deck builders knows that decking is a speciality trade of its own and comes with its own unique challenges that can affect the overall integrity of the home; particularly in instances where the deck is on a roof deck over living space.

Information on this specialty trade is easily accessed at JLC Live from two excellent sources.

1. Register for Bill Leys' education session "Construction and Waterproofing Methods for Walking Decks and Tile Covered Decks" which takes place on March 20th from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
2. Visit Duradek booth #1314 and talk to Duradek expert Steve McTaggart. Steve, who is the owner of Railing Pro, is Duradek's authorized distributor in New England and the only local source of Duradek, the original vinyl deck membrane. 

About Bill Leys 

An authoritative voice in the deck building industry and a regular presenter at JLC Live events, Bill is a big enthusiast and promoter of encouraging best practices. Bill is a licensed contractor in California and owner of DeckExpert.com. Since waterproof decks and/or tile-covered waterproof decks rate high on the list of components claimed to have construction defects, Bill's session is an incredibly valuable 3 hours for any construction professional who takes on decking projects.

"I am most looking forward to returning to Rhode Island (Newport is my hometown) and making New England contractors aware of the benefits that pedestrian traffic coatings offer over other methods in building and waterproofing roof decks." says Bill in the weeks leading up to the show.

About Duradek 

Duradek celebrates its 40th year in business this year and is very proud to have pioneered the use of sheet vinyl membranes as a deck waterproof surface and further developing it for building code approved use as a roofing membrane. Whether your project requires an attractive, waterproof pedestrian surface on a deck or a waterproof membrane for use under tile or stone pavers, Duradek has the reliable waterproofing methods you need to protect the living area below.

If you are in the New England area and are interested in waterproofing and railing solutions for your decking projects, you can rely on Steve at Duradek of New England / Railing Pro who is Duradek's own decking and waterproofing expert in New England. One of the main factors that makes Duradek a superior choice for decking projects is that Duradek professionals understand the critical details involved in waterproofing projects which can be a huge advantage over less specialized building professionals.

Moisture is the Enemy

Duradek is a reliable method of resisting the elements and protecting a home from water damage and this is partly due to an excellent membrane product that has proven itself over a 40 year history, but is also due to the skill of its applicators who are familiar with the details involved in professional waterproofing.

To keep informed on this critical topic, you might want to check out two other sessions on the JLC Live education track:

• Moisture and Leak Investigations - Friday, March 21st 

• Keeping Moisture Out: Flashing Details to Prevent Water Intrusion - Saturday, March 22th 

The Fun Stuff from JLC Live New England 

JLC Live New England has an app available for download from both the Apple Store and the Google Play Store to help you get the most out of your JLC Live experience.

When you are scheduling your JLC activities, don't forget about the networking events - the Opening Day Welcome Party and the Conference Happy Hour.

Have a great, rewarding time at JLC Live and we hope you stop by Duradek's booth #1314 to say hello and ask us whatever you wanted to know about finishing your decking projects with a reliable and low maintenance Duradek vinyl membrane and Durarail aluminium railing systems.

Deck Expert Bill Leys Talks Decking at JLC Live New England

Deck Expert, Bill Leys, will be at JLC Live New England on Thursday, March 20, 2014 conducting a not-to-miss conference session that focuses on deck building best practices.

When you want the fast-track to knowledge in your trade, hearing what the experts have to say gives you a great advantage over some contractors that might only just 'get by' with what they already know.

JLC Live New England is the most anticipated regional industry event for residential construction professionals and offers real world construction education with a conference program that highlights fundamental business and technical skills that can help you elevate your skill level and your reputation well above the competition. JLC Live New England takes place at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI and offers conferences from March 19 – 22 and Exhibit Hall from March 21 - 22.

Bill Leys

A regular presenter at JLC Live events, a licensed contractor in California and owner of DeckExpert.com, Bill Leys is a big enthusiast and promoter of encouraging best practices.

"I am most looking forward to returning to Rhode Island (Newport is my hometown) and making New England contractors aware of the benefits that pedestrian traffic coatings offer over other methods in building and waterproofing roof decks." says Bill in the weeks leading up to the show.

Bill presents “Construction and Waterproofing Methods for Walking Decks and Tile Covered Decks” which takes place on Thursday, March 20th, 2013 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The session covers best construction practices and will be divided into two parts. The first half discusses pedestrian deck systems and best building practices to construct a well built and long lasting deck assembly. The second half instructs on roof decks and how to properly build and waterproof them for a systems to last 30+ years.

Learning objectives include:

• Best practices when installing new waterproof systems for tile.
• Best practices in building and framing a deck that will receive tile, which materials are available for waterproofing tile decks.
• How to properly sequence the waterproofing of the deck with the construction of the building.
• Tile Council of North America standards and methods for tile decks. (Durdek Ultra Tiledek has been tested to meet TCNA ANSI specification for load bearing, bonded, waterproof membranes for thin-set ceramic tile and dimension stone installations.)
• Reduce your risk of exposure to liability.

Since Bill specializes in the installation of deck coatings for decks over living space, he is very familiar with the Duradek family of deck waterproofing solutions. An authoritative voice in the deck building industry, Bill brings a not-to-miss highlight of JLC Live with his education session. Since waterproof decks and/or tile-covered waterproof decks rate high on the list of components claimed to have construction defects, this is an incredibly valuable 3 hours for any construction professional who takes on decking projects.

Tiledek as part of an outdoor tile assembly is
one of the best methods of waterproofing
under exterior tile

JLC Live New England takes place at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI with conferences from March 19 – 22 and Exhibit Hall from March 21 - 22.

Registration options are very flexible and range from exhibit hall only to full 4-day education conference passes. You have the freedom to choose whatever combination works best for you.

Visit JLCLive.com to register.

JLC Live New England is the most anticipated regional industry event for residential construction professionals and offers real world construction education with a conference program that highlights fundamental business and technical skills.

If you are in the New England area and are interested in waterproofing and railing solutions for your decking projects, you can also talk to Steve at Duradek of New England / Railing Pro who is Duradek's own decking and waterproofing expert in New England!