Outdoor Kitchen Fundamentals from Duradek

Outdoor kitchens are a feature that homeowners are increasingly interested in adding to their residential outdoor living space. Whether expansive roof decks or small ground level patios, cooking outdoors is on the top of the list for many homeowners.

Barbecue grill manufacturers are making huge advances in grilling equipment that are very functional and have features similar to interior kitchens making old table-top hibachis nearly as obsolete as cassette tapes. Deck designs that include built-in grills with counter space, refrigerators and warming drawers and now becoming common place. When it comes to outdoor cooking space, it seems that the larger the space to work with, the larger the kitchen being installed.



Duradek gives outdoor kitchens attractive outdoor flooring
as well as roof grade protection above for year round use.

One fundamental outdoor kitchen design detail in which Duradek is proud to contribute allows homeowners to use their outdoor kitchens year-round. By providing a roof-grade waterproof surface on upper level decks, homeowners can enjoy the advantage of a lower level deck protected from the elements so they can cook and be out of the rain or the hot sun.

The ideal place for kitchens is under or below an existing 2^nd level deck and we offer several solutions keeping the under deck dry and waterproof. The most common deck we see is wood boards on the deck surface with space between the boards. When it rains water will leak through to the lower deck, leaves and other debris fall through to the area below, or leaves and pine needles end up stuck between the boards holding moisture for a breeding ground for insects.

Duradek 60 mil vinyl decking membrane is one easy way to waterproof an elevated deck making the upper deck look great, and at the same time, keep the under deck dry.

Duradek vinyl provides complete waterproof protection with an attractive look that truly transforms deck surfaces into designer outdoor flooring. Extending the design of the interior of the home to the outdoors, Duradek helps to create outdoor living space and makes outdoor kitchens a cohesive part of the home’s design.

For a Lower Deck: If you have waterproofed the upper-deck, it is likely your under-deck will be a concrete surface. If you’re installing a new kitchen under your protected deck, you are going to want the flooring in your outdoor kitchen to look good as well….solution: Duradek.

Prefer the look of tile for your outdoor kitchen? Don't forget to
include Tiledek under-tile waterproofing membrane below.

Now on both upper and lower level decks, Duradek provides the homeowners with more usable space for outdoor living and gives outdoor kitchens a polished look and the ability to be used year-round.
Prefer the look of tile? Another option Duradek presents is Tiledek, an under-tile waterproofing membrane. Tile deck surfaces are a popular choice for outdoor kitchens, but it is important not to overlook the critical detail of waterproofing. Many homeowners have been caught off-guard with expensive repairs because proper waterproofing consideration was not given to outdoor tile projects.

You can do it right the first time with Duradek’s Tiledek membrane specifically designed for use in exterior tile assemblies.



This elevated poolside deck uses Tiledek under-tile membrane
to provide roof grade waterproof protection for the kitchen below.

The full outdoor kitchen below with plumbing and electrical
is totally protected from above and can be used year round.

Whether you prefer the look of tile or one of the many attractive colours and patterns of Duradek vinyl membranes, outdoor kitchens get a great foundation and can be used year-round when the design includes Duradek.

Contact a Duradek dealer in your area to discuss your decking needs.

Free Registration to Buildex Vancouver Before February 5th, 2015

Duradek is proud to be a participating exhibitor at Buildex Vancouver 2015, one of the largest trade shows in Western Canada for Design, Construction and Real Estate Management professionals, taking place at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre West on February 25th and 26th, 2015.

You can take advantage of free registration for the trade-show floor and discounted seminar prices if you register before February 5th (see link below).

With over 13,000 attendees expected to visit the 600+ exhibitors and over 100 speakers at more than 50 educational seminars, Buildex keeps professional builders, designers and property managers up-to-date on the latest in construction and design trends, and how it affects your place in the building industry.

Duradek, the suppliers of the original waterproof roofing membrane believe in being on the top of your game, no matter what your specialty may be. That is what makes the Buildex Vancouver 2015 show such an valuable opportunity. Offering the latest and greatest products and information for 3 distinct professional markets, Buildex covers the most relevant topics for Real Estate Design, Building and Management professionals over 2 days.

In addition to the excellent selection of seminars, you will find presentations throughout the show at the Passive House Pavilion on the show floor. There are also some excellent opportunities for networking as you wander through the exhibit hall or attend the networking reception on Wednesday, February 25th between 4 - 5 pm.

Duradek is a proud participating exhibitor and you can find us at booth#307 - near the Construct Café. We are excited to introduce you to our latest selection of PVC Waterproof membranes such as our 'Legacy' line which was recently introduced in honor of Duradek's landmark 40 years in business; and we couldn't be prouder to have pioneered the sheet vinyl method of waterproofing. This new line emulates the appearance of aged wood and provides an attractive outdoor design scheme while still providing the superior level of waterproof protection you've come to trust from Duradek.

Produced by the same manufacturer over our 40 year history and having gone through several warranty cycles we are very confident in our product and that it can provide the level of waterproof protection you need whether for a single family residence or a large multi-family development.

Buildex has the support of several sponsor associations, several of which Duradek is a current participating member. Associations like Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association (GVHBA), Canadian Home Builders Association of BC (CHBABC) Condominium Home Owners Association (CHOA), Landlord BC, and the BC Building Envelope Council (BCBEC) and its members help to share information to ensure best practices in residential construction, and you can access a lot of the information gathered by the professional Vancouver builders market while you explore Buildex 2015.

Duradek would like to invite you to come visit us at booth #307 and ask us anything you'd like to know about outdoor waterproofing projects and what makes Duradek the leader in waterproof roofing membranes you can walk on.

You can register online before February 5th for free admission to the show floor and lower seminar prices.

We hope to see you there, but if you can't make it down to Buildex or one of the other great construction industry shows or home shows, you can always contact a Duradek dealer in your area for more information on this most reliable method of waterproofing your outdoor living space.

A Story of 3 Waterproof Deck Options

When there are so many products to choose from for your outdoor living space, it might seem a little intimidating to make your product choices. Especially when some of the options are so completely different in cost, installation recommendations and maintenance requirements. The bottom line is that you want your deck to last, and it is protection from the elements that will best accomplish a long life for your deck or balcony.

Therefore, the critical detail of deck waterproofing should not be overlooked. Not only does it protect your deck, but it also protects the building envelope where deck meets wall. Cutting corners or taking short cuts at the insider perimeter of your deck almost always guarantees you will have problems down the road; or at least certainly reduces the effective lifetime of your waterproofing system.

Here we take a look at 3 very different deck systems, with 3 very different waterproofing solutions.  A common scenario in building product selection that is somewhat reminiscent of a nursery rhyme, one offers too little, one offers too much....and one is juuuust right!

Too Little Effort for a Waterproof Deck 

Take for example this deck waterproofing system that relies on caulking at the inside perimeter of a composite deck. A professional waterproofing specialist would not recommend or perform this method as it almost guarantees the home owner will have leak issues. And as the video demonstration continues to explain, this method can be a very messy and you must properly account for that factor as you proceed with the project.

Even when going up against brick or stucco, a Duradek professional will make sure the job is done right. For example, take a look at Duradek-Tiledek Case History #143 where the Duradek installer refused to install the Tiledek waterproofing membrane until the project's contractor agreed  to incur the cost to remove the lowest level of  brick to allow the membrane to be run up the vertical surface for proper waterproofing.

On this stucco balcony in Duradek Case History #148, the Duradek installer used his ingenuity and skill to recycle a previous membrane by heat-welding to the new Duradek membrane being installed so that the waterproofing up the vertical wall of the balcony remained intact without having to remove any of the recently added stucco which would otherwise have been required for adequate waterproofing.

Too Much Effort for a Waterproof Deck 

While at Duradek we commend efforts to ensure reliable waterproofing is in place, sometimes contractors over-complicate matters by designing complex, multi-stage structures that use more material and take more time to install than is really necessary. This occurs often in the case of roof decks where contractors turn to traditional roofing materials. Yes, roof grade waterproofing is important, but so is having an attractive deck surface with a reasonable lifetime cost.

In this example, a very complex, multi-stage system is used which requires much more time, material and patience than some alternatives! There are troughs, extra joists, additional cut-outs placed within the joists, roofing tar, rubber epdm, custom drain pans and more. After all of this, the roof deck is still at the foundation stage and you have yet to even begin to install the deck's walking surface.

Ahhhh...Roof Deck Waterproofing Done Just Right! 

The Duradek system of waterproofing roof decks is the simplest, most reliable way of bringing roof grade waterproof protection to your decking projects. With ICC approval as a roofing membrane AND a pedestrian traffic surface, Duradek provides it all in one single-ply application. Duradek is best installed on a simple, sloped, untreated plywood surface, but can also be installed on concrete or coated surfaces. (See Duradek's substrate requirements for details).

Installed exclusively by trained and authorized applicators that are familiar with the intricate details involved in deck waterproofing, Duradek brings waterproof peace-of-mind and performance that often well exceeds its 10-year waterproofing warranty.

The real beauty of the Duradek system is that once Duradek is installed, there is no maintenance required to the deck surface. Your waterproofing is always intact and the deck's appearance stands up to the elements better than most alternatives.  No sanding, staining, re-coating required...ever! All Duradek requires is an occasional cleaning and annual inspection that will mostly serve to remind you that your deck material decision was definitely the right one.

To give yourself a fairy tale perfect roof deck, call a Duradek installer in your area for a free consultation.

Avoid Wood Deck Maintenance by Finishing with Duradek Vinyl

Deck Building is a specialty trade and most deck builders will go to great lengths to ensure they have built the best designed and engineered decks possible. Often though, deck builders may overlook the aesthetic details and maintenance requirements of the deck as part of the initial project.

When you are planning on building a new deck or renovating an existing deck for your residential outdoor living space, the maintenance it will require is an important, practical consideration. While that may seem to directly contradict the emotional satisfaction and immediate gratification of your new deck purchase, it is the best way to ensure you enjoy it for as many years as possible.

While the look of a deck protected with a vinyl membrane is very different than that of a deck constructed of wood plank, there are many advantages to choosing a vinyl membrane as your deck finishing material.

Duradek Cork and Durarail Panorama Post

For starters, Duradek is applied on untreated plywood, which is much cheaper than the cost of both the material and the labour involved in wood or composite board installation (and it is also aGreen Option with no chance of chemical of treated wood ever leaching into the environment).

Additionally, when choosing Duradek there is no drying or curing time required. You can use the deck as soon as the membrane is installed. But even more importantly, there is no reapplication required. Once a Duradek vinyl membrane has been installed on your deck, you do not have any additional maintenance (besides cleaning) throughout the product’s lifetime. Duradek is warranted for 10 years but has a life expectancy that far exceeds that (actual life span will vary by environment).

Another consideration is the added amount of usable living space. When you build a deck, the square footage is added outdoor living space. When you chose a vinyl membrane versus drip-through deck systems on a second level deck, you not only protect your deck, but you provide additional dry, usable space below.

 Let’s look at why those are important points to weigh when considering deck options.

Home owners that are eager to start enjoying their new deck are sometimes told by deck builders to leave their wood deck untreated so it can be ‘weathered’ for a year first. That advice is a little antiquate in many instances with the majority of today’s deck building products and would require a more costly finishing project than if it were done at the time of the initial deck construction.

Not to mention, the new wood plank deck looks great when the project is first complete, but with use by the home owner and exposure to the elements, the deck quickly loses its ‘newness’ and begins to take on a less than ideal appearance with stains from spills and general greyness from weathering in as little as a few weeks. Even expensive hardwoods like ipe that are naturally resistant to rot will still loose appearance appeal if not treated.

There are some companies that specialize in maintenance of wood finishings and will provide the service of application of finishes on new decks or restoration of an older deck. An article by finishing specialist Scott Burt, “Deck Maintenance Programs” on Professional Deck Builder online discussed this issue in great detail and explained that he frequently gets calls for new, unfinished decks.

Whether it is for a relatively new deck or a very old deck, the steps required in wood finishing are virtually the same. First the deck must be cleaned which usually involves a light pressure washing with some gentle cleaning products and sometimes a mild sanding. Then the deck would be cordoned off to dry for a few days.

The second step would require the application of a finish which would also require the deck to be shut down for a few more days of cure time. All together, the best case scenario for a mini restoration would cost 1 ½ weeks of time on the deck, or more if weather conditions impeded progress.

According to Scott, the cost for the first restoration would be about $2,500 and maintenance every 6 or 12 months would cost about $1,200. The length of time between deck finishing maintenance would depend on climate, exposure and wear patterns; but the bottom line is that if you want to keep your wood deck looking good, it WILL require maintenance.

What Decking Considerations are Most Important to You? If the look of a wood board deck is something you cannot live without, you may feel tempted to go with a traditional, high maintenance wood deck or risk a potentially disappointing composite deck.

But Duradek vinyl membranes may be your deck finish of choice if you:

• Want to enjoy your deck without the losing the leisure time required for maintenance.
• Want to enjoy an attractive deck without the need to continually invest money in annual or semi-annual maintenance.
• Want to enjoy an attractive deck surface that can blend well with your exterior design scheme (Duradek comes in over 20 colours/patterns).
• Want to take advantage of a deck surface that brings complete waterproof protection providing a dry area below for living space or a covered patio for dry outdoor living space.
• Want to feel comfortable that your decking product has a reliable history and will perform as intended.

If any of the above points resonate with what you desire for your outdoor living space, be sure to talk to a Duradek installer in your area for a free, no-obligation estimate on your decking project. Duradek has been protecting decks, balconies and patios for 40 years, and with over 125 million square feet of Duradek vinyl installed we are confident we can bring an attractive and functional contribution to your residential outdoor living space that you will enjoy for many years!

Spring Cleaning Advice for your Duradek Deck

Finally! Winter has come to an end and the promises of spring are starting to be revealed with an increased amount of sunshine for many of us as we happily ease into peak season for deck use.

While we anticipate the many barbecues, family events and social gatherings that take place on our favourite outdoor living spaces in the coming months, now is the perfect time to give your deck a really good cleaning to prep it for a long season of enjoyment.

Duradek deck owners can happily start enjoying their outdoor spaces while neighbours with wood decks are procrastinating the labour intensive maintenance required before the leisure time begins...but even Duradek decks need a little TLC in the form of cleaning. Particularly if you've used rock salt or other ice melting chemicals throughout the winter months, you need to give your deck a thorough cleaning before the sun can 'bake' any of those chemicals into your deck surface.

EYA Builders, twice named America's best builder had made good use of thoughtfully planned spaces in their homes which often includes roof decks waterproofed with Duradek. With over 4,000 homes in over 30 neighbourhoods in Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC, EYA builders takes great care of its customers by providing maintenance advice for various features of their newly built homes. This video on cleaning Duradek is one of the ways EYA helps its customers enjoy the fabulous features of their homes and we thought we'd share it with you.



So remember these simple tips for proper care of your deck:

1 - Give your deck a seasonal cleaning.
While all cleaning products are not always available in every market, your best option is to use a cleaning product that states it is safe for use on vinyl. Choose a gentle cleaner and always follow the manufacturers recommendations for use. Here are a few popular examples:

• Vinyl Deck Cleaner (available from Duradek)
• Simple Green
• Tide Detergent (diluted)
• Cascade Powdered Dish Detergent (diluted)

2 - Give your deck a gentle scrub.
Use a soft bristled broom or brush, but be careful to not apply too much pressure that might wear down the embossed pattern of your vinyl.

3 - Be sure to rinse off all cleaning residue very thoroughly.

While Duradek is manufactured with UV and mold inhibitors, in some rare cases mold growth can be a frustrating issue with a little more work required to clean. If you are experiencing mold on your Duradek, you may want to read this article on mold removal which features an excellent case study by Duradek MidAtlantic on how to identify and combat mold.

Cleaning your deck is a comparatively easy, maintenance free alternative to the sanding, staining, painting and sealing required from other deck systems to keep it looking great.

Just invest the few minutes it takes to clean your deck seasonally and you will have a deck you want to show off for many years like these happy Duradek deck owners.

If you don't yet have a Duradek deck and would like a free estimate for the best option in low maintenance decking, contact a Duradek dealer in your area.

We hope you enjoy creating a ton of happy memories on your deck!

Duradek is gearing up for our participation at Surfaces which is less than two weeks away. Surfaces is one of three distinct branded shows that are now united to create the ultimate industry event – The International Surfaces Event.

Taking place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center from January 28-30, 2014, this show brings you everything you want to discover about all things stone, tile and floor coverings for both indoor and outdoor living space.

Duradek invites you to register for complimentary Exhibits admission ($60 value) and come visit us at booth #B2339.



We said 'Forest Floor' vinyl blends
well with the natural environment...
some builders took us very literally!

The International Surfaces Event keeps you in the know on virtually any type of surfacing in construction or remodeling projects. With the trends of expanding outdoor living space, it is wise for architects and builders to have a good arsenal of reliable outdoor flooring products and Duradek is proud to highlight our waterproof flooring solutions for decks and roof decks.

As seen in the ISSUU New Products Lookbook, Duradek's latest offerings include the stylish and unique Forest Floor line of vinyl in the versatile shade of 'Ash' for this year's new floor covering options.

The International Surfaces Event is a comprehensive event encompassing industry resources, trademark events and a wealth of education, featuring:

SURFACES Show Floor – with thousands of square feet of exhibits, the show floor is where you’ll find the most innovative floor covering products and supplies in every major category. America’s largest event for the floor covering industry, SURFACES is held annually in Las Vegas, NV and offers an unrivaled education program. Duradek will be there at booth #B2339 to take care of your outdoor flooring needs with our Duradek Ultra walkable, waterproof PVC membranes. A great solution for any outdoor pedestrian surfaces, Duradek Ultra is ideal for decks situated over living space where professional waterproofing is critical.

StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas Show Floor – from everyone and everything stone and stone related. Interested in stone pavers for your outdoor living space? Here is where you will find them…and remember to check with Duradek over at the SURFACES show floor to find out about Plazadek, our roof-grade waterproofing membrane for use under paver systems.

TileExpo Show Floor – here you will find a wide collection of exotic, innovative and distinctive tile products from all around the world. Building and design professionals who are interested in the elegant beauty of tiles on outdoor surfaces likes patios or decks are well served by visiting the SURFACES show floor to stop by the Duradek booth and discover the advantages of the Tiledek system of waterproofing under exterior tiles. With the same roof-grade protection of our original vinyl membrane, Tiledek has been manufactured with a special fabric surface to provide the best adhesion of thin-set in outdoor tile applications. Installed by trained and authorized dealers, Tiledek is part of a superior assembly system that can accept the thin-set tile application immediately after installation.

Stop by the Duradek booth #B2339 to say hello and ask us anything you want to know about deck waterproof surfaces…we hope to see you there!