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.

Deck Waterproofing the Celebrity Builders Prefer

Celebrity Builders are a unique breed of professionals and when it comes to deck waterproofing, celebrity builders rely on the professional waterproofing experts of Duradek. Known for their expertise and their ability to bring solutions to ‘problem’ projects, celebrity builders keep viewers entertained while educating them on specific details of various projects and the most reliable materials to use. For homeowners and builders alike, these home renovation or building reality shows bring valuable advice on a variety of projects, and with waterproofing projects the insights given can save precious time and investment to ensure you do it right the first time.

Deck Waterproofing on HGTV’s Dream House

On Episode DRH-1601 “Groundbreaking in Chattanooga” extreme sloped property and uncooperative weather added challenges to the project. The project manager and the general contractor were brother and father to the homeowner and it is certain they wanted the best, most reliable waterproofing for their family member. It is no wonder that they chose Duradek vinyl for waterproofing the second-level deck that kept the area below dry and usable.

Deck Waterproofing on HGTV’s Holmes on Homes

Few names hold as much esteem as Mike Holmes when it comes to reliable building projects. Mike Holmes is known as Canada’s most trusted contractor and he has built an empire from his mission to Make it Right®. His #1 rated show on HGTV, Holmes on Homes® is an honest and revealing show that gives homeowners around the world tips on how to manage a renovation and what out look out for in home repair and maintenance.

Deck Additon on 'Rocky Reno'

On Episode 7081 “Rocky Reno”, Mike came in to save the day when the homeowners’ planned addition was left hanging by an unreliable contractor. For the deck portion of the project, Mike called on the Duradek professionals for the roof grade waterproofing membrane that keeps the area below the deck dry, as well as the low maintenance Durarail aluminum railing system that can stand up the to the relentless elements of the Rocky Mountains.

Deck Waterproofing on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Ty Pennington

Sometimes home renovations are very life changing and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition changes lives with each episode. Hosted by the charming and enthusiastic Ty Pennington, this home building/renovation program focuses on families who have faced incredible challenges and where home improvement immediately equates to changing lives. Duradek was very proud to be a part of these domestic transformations by providing the deck waterproofing and railings.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition: The Swenson Lee Family Home

On the very memorable and moving 2-part 100th episode in season 5, the Swenson-Lee family has gone from tragedy to togetherness with a home addition to accommodate the almost immediate growth of a family of 3 to a family of 10. This amazing home transformation took place with the help of TJB Homes and hundreds of volunteers to be accomplished in only 7 days. TJB Homes went above and beyond and have documented this heart-warming project with a beautiful photo and video gallery taking you through every step of the way.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition:
The Latiff Family Home

In the 5th season, episode 22, the Latif Family whose lifetime of struggling to improve the lives of their family and that of those in their community gained much needed assistance in renovating the home that was virtually falling apart around them. Duradek ensures that going forward, their patio is protected from the elements and kept safe.

Deck Waterproofing on W-Network’s Home Wreckers

This W Network program’s initial episode “All Hands on Deck” featured a home that put all their renovation eggs into their kitchen basket and completely neglected their deck which was on the verge of completely collapsing. Duradek was there to provide the waterproof vinyl and to ensure the new deck was properly protected for many years to come.

Deck Waterproofing with the Builder Boss on HGTV

Builder Boss Jim Caruk and James of Duradek

Celebrity builder extraordinaire, Jim Caruk recently launched his second successful building reality program, “Builder Boss”. In its first season, Jim and his crew relied on Duradek for two of their projects.

In episode 6, “The Bunker” the task to build an underground room below an outdoor tile patio could have been a stressful endeavor, but with Duradek Ultra Tiledek under-tile roofing membrane, Jim’s crew and customer can be confident that the new room below the tile patio is properly protected with a reliable waterproof membrane with roofing grade approval.

In episode 7, “Porch and Garden” Duradek contributes to the success of the project again by providing the vinyl waterproof membrane on a newly added second level deck which keeps the lower level deck below dry and protected.
During Jim Caruk’s first successful renovation reality series, “Real Renos”, Duradek was there in the 6th season to contribute to the success of a multi-million dollar project on an episode entitled “Picture Perfect”.

Deck Waterproofing Recommendations by Industry Referral Specialists

It is not just the professionals in the reality T.V. building programs that believe in the strength and reliability of Duradek. Renovation experts that have been in the home improvement industry for decades will often recommend Duradek for your deck waterproofing needs. Radio personality, Gary Sullivan with his weekly home renovation program “At Home with Gary Sullivan” recommends Duradek from coast-to-coast in the U.S., while Shell Busey, one of the original Canadian home renovation referral experts often recommends Duradek.

Deck Waterproofing for Your Home

Mike Holmes, John Ogilvie (president of Duradek) and Gary Sullivan

You don’t need a celebrity endorsement to want the best in low maintenance waterproof protection for your own home. All you need is a product you can count on installed by professionally trained experts. With the number of celebrity builders that rely on Duradek and have a national audience where reputation relies upon the success of their work, you can be confident that Duradek is reliable too. How else could you be offered an industry leading 10-year warranty on your waterproof protection? Check it out for yourself by contacting an authorized Duradek dealer in your area for more information on how Duradek can solve your deck waterproofing needs.

Birds of a Feather Share Airtime Together

from left: Mike Holmes, John Ogilvie, Gary Sullivan

Q - What do home renovation experts Mike Holmes, Gary Sullivan and John Ogilvie have in common?

A - They all believe in doing it right the first time...and they were all on the radio airwaves during Gary Sullivan's show last weekend.

On Saturday, April 28th, Duradek president John Ogilvie hosted a live web-chat during 'At Home With Gary Sullivan', the #1 call-in Home Improvement Radio Show in North America.

While Gary Sullivan spoke with his call-in listeners and highly recognized industry icon, Mike Holmes, John was busy hosting the live chat on garysullivanonline.com and answering questions about Duradek vinyl waterproof membranes and how it can solve difficult waterproofing problems.

Duradek displays its vinyl and railings
at IBS 2012...watch for them at IBS 2013

When Gary spoke with John live-on-the-air, Gary revealed that he discovered Duradek at the International Builders Show in Orlando, Florida last year. While it is evident that Gary is very excited about the Duradek product when he describes it with words like 'awesome' and 'versatile', he was surprised to learn that already over 100,000,000 square feet of Duradek vinyl has been waterproofing decks since 1974...and that's a LOT of decks!

While Duradek is a fantastic waterproofing membrane for a variety of applications such as sundecks, patios and pool or hot tub surrounds, its approval as a roofing membrane and its ability to provide a stylish waterproof and walkable deck surface over living space is one of the factors that makes Duradek stand out above other vinyl options.

And just like Mike Holmes, Duradek believes in doing it right the first time! Which is why, as John explains to Gary, that Duradek is only installed by trained applicators that are familiar with the intricacies of waterproofing best-practices to guarantee that the product performs as it is intended to.

To hear some of the great advice and insights John shared with Gary, have a listen to the April 28th edition of 'At Home With Gary Sullivan'. You can hear what John has to say at about 16:00 into the first hour of the show, and following Mike Holmes in the second hour at about 14:40.

Is Duradek Really Green? YES!

Years ago, being ‘Green’ meant one of 2 things – Was it made of recycled materials or Could it be recycled?
We are now much more educated on what being ‘Green’ truly means and take into consideration the entire ‘Cradle to Grave’ concept of the product.

Here’s Duradek’s ‘Cradle to Grave’ story...as compared to the alternatives;

Mining – PVC is a derivative of natural gas and sodium chloride; which is also known as Salt and is one of the most abundant natural resources available on earth.
Manufacturing – At one time, manufacturing PVC had some hazardous side effects. But measures have been taken to rectify those and these safety issues no longer exist. The EPA states that while the manufacturing of PVC is on the rise, toxic dioxins are decreasing.
Transportation & Distribution – Due to the low weight of Duradek compared to the alternatives (such as EPDM & pavers or wood planks), there is considerably less energy consumed in the transportation of the product; from raw resources to manufacturing to distribution to the jobsite.
Building Design – The structural requirements to support a deck with heavy pavers requires many more construction materials. Duradek’s light weight needs only basic structural requirements, using far fewer materials and energy.
Installation – The one-step application process of Duradek requires fewer trips to the job site and uses less manpower, both of which means less energy being consumed.
Maintenance – Duradek does not require re-coating or re-staining, both of which consume materials and manpower. Maintaining Duradek consumes far less energy than the alternatives.
Useful Life – Duradek is a waterproofing membrane, therefore the entire structure is protected and will not decay. The structure remains intact, helping the building to last longer. This saves cost, materials and energy in repairs or replacement.
End of Life – When the time comes to renew the surface, Duradek’s re-installation process will consume less manpower, materials and energy, as well as less disruption to the structure and building use.
Disposal – Compared to Treated Lumber PVC does not leach chemicals into the environment as it decomposes. In fact PVC is often used as landfill liners to prevent other materials from leaching toxins into the earth. Other alternatives, such as composite deck boards are much larger in volume therefore taking up much more space in a landfill.
Recycling - The current opportunities for cost-effectively recycling PVC are minimal, but progress is being made. Some solutions include creating new building materials and man-made reefs.

Compare PVC to the Alternatives

When compared to products that perform the SAME function, consider the following:

• PVC's one-step application and longevity compare favorably to the multiple application and reapplication requirements of liquid-applied systems, saving many trips to the job, which in turn consumes less energy.
• There is a huge weight savings benefiting the structural requirements and the energy consumption to transport as compared to an EPDM membrane with concrete pavers.
• When compared to pressure treated wood, there are no chemicals leaching into the environment and likely double the life expectancy.

As a waterproof roof or deck, compared to alternatives, DURADEK IS THE GREENER CHOICE!

Click here to see more information on the Green side of Duradek including LEED points.

Duradek on 'Holmes on Homes'

Yes, it's true! Mike Holmes has chosen to use Duradek to solve some of his tough waterproofing problems!
Duradek was featured in Season 7, on Episode EP7081: Rocky Reno. This was filmed in Canmore, Alberta near the Rocky Mountains.

Holmes on Homes Episode: Rocky Reno

We have a link on our website News Page to the Episode...

We are listed as one of his Approved Contractors on the 'Make It Right' website.