Evaluating a Vinyl Decking Warranty

When evaluating a vinyl decking warranty, there are a few key things to look for when comparing your options.

To begin with, if you have selected sheet vinyl as your waterproofing product of choice when building or renovating a deck you have already made a great choice; but not all vinyl is created equal – and not all vinyl decking warranties are created equal.

Here we will help you by highlighting a few of the key things to look for when comparing vinyl decking warranties.

Is a Longer Warranty Better?

If a 5-year warranty is good, a 10-year warranty must be better…and if a 10-year warranty is good, a 15-year warranty must be better…. Not necessarily so! The length of the warranty terms is certainly something to look at, but how those terms actually protect the homeowner is much more important.

Key Points to Look For in a Vinyl Decking Warranty

The Waterproofing Warranty – how long the product is warrantied to provide its primary function as a roofing membrane.

Further than the overall duration of the warranty, some vinyl decking warranty details show that the manufacturer will only cover a percentage of repair or replacement of a failed vinyl product, and that amount decreases with the duration of the warranty terms, so by the last year or two of a warranty the homeowner may only be eligible for a small percentage of replacement cost of the product but none of the labour.

The Appearance Warranty – does the manufacturer of the vinyl offer any guarantees of the vinyl’s appearance?

Due to the normal aging process of any material under constant exposure to the elements, many exterior vinyl products do not state any claims on appearance in their warranty terms. This is reasonable in that there is some fading to be expected over time, however, what if there is excessive discoloration over and above normal aging? Should homeowners be stuck with a product that has been dramatically and negatively altered by UV exposure?

The Workmanship Warranty –does the installation of your vinyl decking include a workmanship warranty?

No matter how reliable a vinyl decking product is manufactured, if it is not installed by a contractor who is well trained and skilled in waterproofing details, there can be issues down the road. That’s why leading deck waterproofing vinyl like Duradek is only available as an installed product, not a do-it-yourself solution. Be sure to check that your warranty includes a statement for workmanship. When comparing installation companies, do not be shy to ask what kind of workmanship guarantees they offer.
Image showing a comparison of Duradek products to other suppliers after exposure to elements

Key Points to Look For in a Vinyl Decking Warranty

A properly waterproofed deck is just as critical for the protection of the building envelope of the home as a reliable roof, particularly if the deck serves as a roof on any habitable areas of the home. This is an important consideration whether you plan on staying in your home or if you plan on selling it. If there is a chance you may be selling your home within 10-years of your decking project, it is a value-added feature to inform potential purchasers that the home’s deck waterproofing is warrantied for ‘x’ amount of years so that they know they will not have to worry about any unexpected issues on their new investment.

Vinyl Decking Warranty Take-Away’s

When installed professionally, vinyl decking is one of the most reliable methods of waterproofing available for your deck. Like John mentioned in the video above, in the rare chance there is going to be a problem with your vinyl deck waterproofing, it would typically happen within the first couple of years so a 10-year term is more than adequate coverage in residential applications. Central Ontario Duradek is very proud of our product and our warranty to back it up, and we encourage you to compare warranties of other vinyl products.
Just remember to look at the fine print for details on appearance, workmanship, and transferability – and for just exactly what promises your written warranty claims it will provide.
Central Ontario Duradek™ vinyl deck membranes are the original vinyl decking. With over 125 million sq. ft. of vinyl installed all over North America over more than 40 years (that’s 4 complete warranty cycles!), Central Ontario Duradek knows our vinyl performs as intended.