Dekmax Blog: Utah Decks

Tiledek customer comments
Jan 27, 2010

Comments from a customer -

My home was built in 1999, and the original decking was a solid surface produce called “deck-o-crete” or something. At the time, I was told that this was a popular and durable type of finish that my builder recommended. For about 4 or 5 years, I had relatively few issues with it. The only water issue I noticed was a leakage of water at the house/deck interface when a unusually large storm hit (1x or 2x in 5 years). The vinyl railing also seemed to be OK for a while.

Starting about 2005, the surface was beginning to fail…cracks developed, and got worse with the freeze/thaw cycles. Ultimately, a large windstorm pulled the vinyl rail off, and this coupled with many cracks and failure pockets led me to decide to redo the entire thing.
I went through many difference design concepts from a simply railing replacement, to a more glorified design with a deck cover, and enclosure underneath to form a sun/California type of room.
I decided on a framed/timber deck cover, with an enclosed sun room underneath to maximize our enjoyment and use of the areas. I wanted a slate-finish on top of the deck, so needed a very robust, water-proof, and suitable membrane to hold up to the harsh SLC, UT winters.

I researched many products, but settled on Tiledek. It seemed to be the best product out there that fit my needs and requirements. Also, having lived in Canada for many years, provided an extra sense of security, as this product’s origins seemed to come from this cold, harsh environment. I actually found Tiledek on the Internet originally, and this was the medium for my research and decision.

During installation, I was impressed with how durable and robust the product seemed. It was fairly easy to install, with the most time consuming and difficult part being the “welding” with the heat guns on the seams. Also, the seals around the posts and doors were a bit trickly, but Matt at Dekmax was extremely supportive, knowledgeable, and helped make sure everything was perfect. I was impressed by the amount of time and effort he spent with me getting the produce installed correctly.

The installation of the slate over Tiledek was very slick. I’ve laid a lot of tile and stone over the years, and I actually prefer laying it on Tiledek vs. even a normal install on backerboard or mortar composite. Due to my time constraints, the slate was installed about 2+ months after the Tiledek was installed, and I did not notice any adverse effects due to the duration it sat waiting for the slate to be put on.

The install of the Durarail railing was a bit more difficult and time consuming than I had anticipated. Handling and cutting of the long sections was tedious and not easy. Once this was up, however, the product seems very robust and strong.

Currently, I am working on finishing the rest of the enclosed space below the deck. There have been some strong storms come through, and the Tiledek has performed just fine.

I would recommend this product to anyone that is concerned about weather/water proofing their project, especially if tile or stone covering is needed. I have not come across a product yet that compares.
Thanks.

Todd

 

 

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