40 Fun Facts About Duradek Vinyl Membranes for Decks

Duradek was very proud to celebrate 40 years in business in 2014 and to continue to provide the reliable waterproof protection home owners have come to rely on for their decks over the generations.

In 40 years of business, we’ve seen a lot through our amazing network of installers and our happy customers! We thought we’d end our landmark 40th year by sharing some of the interesting fun-facts and unusual uses you might not know about Duradek vinyl membranes.

1 - Duradek vinyl membranes were inspired by the marine vinyl used on the floor of small boats in the 1970's.

2 - In 2013, Duradek heat-welded seam strength was put to the test by a Ford F250. It actually towed a Ford F250 Diesel Super-cab (approx. weight 5,752 lbs.) 100 ft. and still did not break! Check out the video on YouTube.


Duradek towing a Ford F250 by Duradek of Utah.

3- Speaking of trucks…Duradek has been used for paneling on vehicles. In one case, an old work truck and in one instance it was used to panel he sides of a Cadillac to stop annoying door dings from neighboring parkers.


Duradek panelled truck.

4 - Some creative and skilled Duradek installers created and wore complete suites made from Duradek. While it is a little heavy to wear, it is a breeze to clean if you happen to get a little spill on it!


A sharped dressed Duradek man!

5 - Recycled Duradek plywood gives a dog house some good waterproof protection and a nice easy to clean floor too.


A Duradek'ed dog house.

6 - Morningstar Tequila once used Duradek on a RV Deck for a custom deluxe promotion. Speaking of recreation vehicles, Duradek has been used to waterproof the roof of RVs and Campers and on interior RV floors.


R.V. roof waterproofed with Duradek.

7 - Duradek had been used to finish deck furniture like the top of a picnic table and a tiki bar.

Tiki bar top covered in Duradek.

Picnic table top covered in Duradek.

8 - Duradek training once included making a vinyl beer stein…if all the seams were done right, you could drink your beer from a Duradek mug!

9- Recycled Duradek plywood makes great raised garden boxes.

Garden boxes lined with Duradek.

10 - Duradek was used to waterproof the pyramid of the Hoover Building during the Stanford Hospital remodeling project.

Duradek waterproofed the pyramid roof of the Hoover
Pavilion at Stanford University Hospital.

11 - Recycled Duradek protected plywood has been used to create shielded wood sheds.


Woodshed protected with Duradek.

12 - Duradek was used to line the floor of a drunk-tank ….love that low maintenance clean-up.

13 - Duradek was used to waterproof the domed roof of a synagogue in both Toronto and Burnaby.


Synagogue roof waterproofed by Duradek.

14 - Duradek was used on the basement floor of a wine cellar.

15 - Duradek was used to line a gutter that routes water and debris off of roofs.

16 - The most recent Duradek colour (Graphite) was named by a public contest presented on Facebook.

Duradek Cork Graphite was named on an online contest.

17 - Duradek was used to surface a kitchen floor…not just an outdoor one like you’d normally see, but the actual interior kitchen of a residence.

 

18 - The democrats walked all over us! - Duradek was used to surface a winery deck that was above a garage and equipment room, which was a location that hosted a democratic convention.

 

19 - Duradek was used to cover a garage floor - suitable for the best looking man caves ever!

Duradek on a garage floor.

20 - Duradek was used to line the trailer of a cargo truck.

 

21 - Duradek was used as a bird cage liner….again, love that easy clean up!

 

22 - Duradek was used to make BBQ covers. A perfect match to the deck surface and keeps the barbecue protected from the rain.

 

23 - Duradek was used to make Hot Tub Covers and is another great way to tie together the design of the deck surface with its add-ons.

 

24 - Duradek covered the barrel -vaulted entrance roof in a 1980s McDonalds Restaurant.

 

25 - Duradek was used by top home-improvement celebrities on shows like Holmes on Homes, The Builder Boss, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Income Property.

Duradek's Tiledek used by Scott MacGillivray on
HGTV's Income Property.

26 - Duradek has been used to make custom tool belts.

 

27 - Duradek has been used to make great costumes - the Tin Man, a superhero cape and holsters (in this case, for an Indiana Jones costume).

 

28 - Duradek has been used as a toboggan. The vinyl can slide down the snow, but keep the rider dry!

 

29- Duradek has been used to make a hammock.

 

30 - Duradek has been used to construct a water-tight kid’s treehouse.

 

31 - Duradek has been used to repair footwear. It lined the bottom of old slippers to re-sole them and was used to repair a pair of ladies shoes and added a unique, decorative element to damaged heels.

A favourite pair of shoes saved by re-heeling with Duradek.

32 - Duradek was used to line the floors of businesses that were subject to liquid spills. It was used on the floor of an upper-level photo lab to provide water-tight protection in the case of liquid chemical spills. It also was used to surface the floor of an embalming parlor.

 

33 - Duradek was used to wrap and protect an arm cast (can't let those things get wet, you know!).

 

34 - Duradek was used to cover Oil Tank Tops.

Large tanks with roof-grade Duradek protection.

35 - Duradek has been used to line residential shower walls and floors. Speaking of showers…

 

Shower lined with Duradek.

36 - Duradek was used to line the floor of a prison facility shower where 24 hour shower allowances were mandatory. The quick one time installation was a huge asset!

37 - Duradek was used to create a deck-sized snow slide to block snow from accumulating on the deck and keeping access to stairway and cloths line dry.

A Duradek snow-slide to protect the stairway.

38 - Duradek was used to line an elevator floor. It was a perfect solution for an easy to clean area where people were often coming in from the rain and carpet stains were a reoccurring problem.

39 - Duradek was used to cover the 'bleachers' viewing area of a pool.

40 - Duradek was used to make a bucket to be used in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.


This bucket held strong for many ice-bucket challenges
and continues to stay intact after holding that weight.

As you can see, over the span of 40 years, Duradek has been used for a great many projects. However, its intended use as a waterproof surface on decks, balconies and roof decks continues to bring home owners and property managers a cost-effective, low maintenance waterproofing solution.

 

All of us at Duradek look forward to another 40 years of finishing your decking projects and protecting your homes. Cheers to a great 2015!