Deck Warranty – What You Need To Know

NEW! Deck Warranty Coverage For Duradek Vinyl Now 15 Years

Duradek has just added a guarantee of 5 years to its life. Previously, the waterproofing warranty coverage on Duradek vinyl decking was 10 years.

To put the warranty coverage into perspective, Duradek vinyl membranes have been around for 45 years now. That’s more than 4 complete warranty cycles.

The number of warranty cycles a product has been through is quite an important distinction. For example, if a new product comes out offering a lifetime warranty but that company is not in business in 5 years, that warranty means very little.

With a history of 4.5 warranty cycles, Duradek is completely confident in the waterproofing performance that its customers can count on. Therefore, Duradek is proud to increase the length of the waterproofing warranty portion of the Duradek Ultra 60 mil membrane an additional 5 years.

More than just the length of the warranty, Duradek is most proud of the actual terms of the protection offered to homeowners. It doesn’t matter how long a warranty is in terms of time if what is actually covered means little as far as protecting the homeowner. So what kind of details should you be looking for in deck warranty protection? Let’s break it down.

Deck Warranty Coverage Details

To really understand what your warranty covers, you sometimes have to take a closer look at the fine print. Making assumptions on what you are actually protected for can be a hazard for your future peace-of-mind should you run into problems down the road.

One of the first things to consider is that all of the different materials used to build your deck come from different manufacturers. Each manufacturer will offer their own warranties (and will not take responsibility for damage resulting from the failure of another product).

Is Your Deck Warranty Transferable?

Another consideration is if the deck warranty is transferable. This is particularly important if you are building a deck to increase the value of your home for resale. It holds a lot more value for the buyer of a home if they know their deck is covered by a warranty. Not all vinyl deck warranties are transferable, but Duradek’s warranty is transferable. If you sell your home, the new owner is still protected.

Let’s take a closer look at vinyl decking warranties and why warranties with similar-sounding terms (i.e. 15 years) can be vastly different in the actual protection they provide the building owner.

Vinyl Deck Warranty – 3 Levels of Protection for Full Coverage

For a deck building product warranty to have any real value, it needs to address 3 distinct areas:

• Manufacturer’s Warranty
• Appearance Warranty
• Workmanship Warranty

Manufacturer’s Warranty for Vinyl Decking

The manufacturer’s product warranty is the component of the warranty that assures the buyer that the product will perform as intended. With Duradek Vinyl, that means its waterproof performance.

Duradek Ultra 60 mil vinyl membranes have a 15-year Waterproofing Warranty. This protects the homeowner from any leaks resulting from manufacturers defects for a duration of 15 years from the date of installation.

When comparing deck warranties, be sure to check out the fine print. Some vinyl deck warranties say they offer 15 years of coverage, but that can sometimes be pro-rated based on purchase date and length of warranty remaining. It can also sometimes mean you will be provided with vinyl membrane only, but not the cost of other components like adhesives, trims or labor to install.

Vinyl Decking Appearance Warranty

A deck warranty should take appearance into consideration. Anything under constant UV exposure runs the risk of fading over time, but homeowners should have confidence that the brand-new vinyl deck they installed at the beginning of the summer will look that same at the end of the summer.

Duradek Ultra 60 mil vinyl membranes have a 5-year Appearance Warranty protecting the homeowner from excessive discoloration over and above natural aging.

Not all deck vinyl is manufactured the same. Duradek is a North American made product. A few years ago, some poor quality off-shore deck vinyl made its way onto decks where unsuspecting homeowners were taken off-guard with complete appearance failure. Check out this article for an example of extreme appearance failure where the homeowners had no deck warranty for appearance.

Workmanship Warranty for Waterproof Vinyl Decking

Workmanship another key point to take into account: No matter how great the decking product and deck warranty, if it is not installed correctly there may be performance issues. So ask, who will be installing your decking products and can you trust the quality of their installation?

Duradek is installed ONLY by trained and authorized contractors so we can be confident that our waterproofing membrane will perform as expected.

The Duradek Ultra 60 mil warranty includes a section for workmanship so the homeowner knows that if there are any issues stemming from the workmanship, they are protected for the terms as laid out by the installing contractor.

What About the Railing Warranty?

Your railing warranty will be a separate product warranty from your waterproof vinyl decking. However, it is important to understand how they can work together or against each other.

When railing is installed on a vinyl deck – particularly with surface mounted railings – it is important the installer understands the waterproofing performance of vinyl decking. They must be certain the railing installation will not compromise the waterproof integrity of the deck.

If railings are installed without consideration to the waterproofing and you experience leaks resulting from that installation, you are not protected. Your vinyl warranty will not cover that issue as it not a result of a failure on the part of the vinyl decking.

However, if you choose Durarail railings to be installed by your Duradek contractor, you can be confident that they understand how the railing installation must be completed to keep your deck waterproof.

Additionally, it gives you the convenience of a one-stop-shop for your decking products and for your deck product warranties. If you ever having any concerns about either product, it is just one call to one contractor.

What Did We Learn About Deck Warranties?

• Not all deck warranties say the same thing. The length of years of a warranty is only as good as the coverage it provides.
• Some deck warranties cover full replacement including labor, others cover only a partial cost of the material.
• Not all deck warranties cover appearance. Some offer product replacement and the labor to install it. Others only offer the product to coat over it Some deck product warranties offer no appearance warranty at all.
• Deck warranties offer separate components and labor is usually different terms than the manufacturers’ product warranty.
• Duradek is the only vinyl decking product that clearly and specifically states that the warranty is transferable. Others vinyl brands either do not mention transferability or state that it is specifically NOT transferable. That is one of the many reasons Duradek decks are often listed as a value-added feature on real estate listings.

Check out all the details on Duradek Warranties here.

A local Duradek approved installer is ready to assist you with your new deck protected by Duradek’s industry-leading warranty right now!

Any job sold prior to June 1, 2019 still falls under the 10-year warranty.