| Vinyl Warranty Summary (Standard/60mil) | Duradek | Dek-Master | Dec-k-ing | Tufdek | Weatherdek | DekSmart | Dec-Tec |
| Transferrable | YES | NO | N/A | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| Basic Product Warranty Length | 10 yrs | 7 yrs | 10 yrs | 15 yrs | 15 yrs | 15 yrs | 10 yrs |
| Appearance Warranty | 5 yrs | 3 yrs | N/A | NO | 5 yrs | 5 yrs | NO |
| Certified installer required | YES | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Labour costs included | 10 yrs | NO | NO | 5 yrs | 2 yrs | 2 yrs | NO |
| Prorated Refund | NO | YES | N/A | YES | YES | NO | YES |
Vinyl decking has been the choice of builders and homeowners in metro Vancouver since its entry to the Canadian market over 40 years ago. The low-cost, low-maintenance waterproof decking is ideal for the Lower Mainland’s infamous wet environment. But with the ever-climbing popularity of vinyl, decking manufacturers are churning out various brands to capitalize on demand, flooding the market with countless options for buyers to navigate.
One reliable way to choose between vinyl brands is to compare warranties. Deciphering the legal-ese of warranty documents is a nightmare, so we’ve gathered the most popular contenders and broken down the legal mumbo-jumbo to help you see the difference between each company’s warranty.
Our goal is to help you make an informed decision on your vinyl decking purchase.
Duradek Vinyl Warranty
We’re starting with Duradek because it’s our vinyl decking of choice.
Duradek is coined as “the original walkable roofing membrane.” It was the first vinyl decking on the market, back in the 70’s, and it is arguably the most well-known vinyl brand in North America.
But does it live up to the hype? We think so.
Duradek doesn’t have the longest warranty, but in our experience, it’s the most comprehensive and reliable. The Duradek product warranty for all 60 mil vinyls is 10-years. This covers repair or replacement through the full duration of the warranty. Unlike other brands, Duradek does NOT prorate the product warranty fulfilment; if your membrane fails within the warranty period, it is repaired or replaced–period.
THIS IS HUGE.
Think about it: would you rather be covered for 15 years, but only get pennies toward your replacement, or be fully covered for a decade? Companies that prorate their warranty (every other company on this list) only refund the fraction of what you paid, corresponding with the remaining warranty period. For example, if you paid $4,000 for your vinyl and it fails 10 years in, with Duradek, you’re getting that full $4k value back. With companies that prorate their warranty, you get about $1,300. If your deck fails 12 years in, you’re only getting about $800 from your prorated 15-year warranty.
In other words, Duradek is incredibly confident that their decks will last for a minimum of 10 years, whereas the other guys seem to be hedging their bets.
Duradek also carries an appearance warranty, which is 5 years for all Duradek Ultra lines, except for their Okanagan line, which is 2 years. The caveat here is that on appearance claims, the material and labour costs are included for the first 2 years and only the material costs are covered from 2-5 years.
A major point to consider is that Duradek is the only vinyl brand listed that explicitly honours warranty transferability. That means that if you sell your house, the new owner can make a claim. Without transferability, when you sell the deck, your warranty goes down the drain.
Check out Duradek’s 60 mil warranty details:
So yea, we like Duradek. But it’s not the be-all-end-all, there are some other worthy vinyl decking brands out there (and some to stay away from). Keep reading to find out more.
Duncan Dek-Master Vinyl Warranty
Duncan Dek-Master can be found on the shelves of most hardware stores. It’s the go-to vinyl decking for DIY enthusiasts, but it’s rarely used by professional decking installers. The 60 mil Pro-series has a 7-10 year warranty, depending if you DIY or hire a certified installer.
If you DIY, the 60 mil line has a 7-year product warranty. Professional applications have a 10-year product warranty, as well as a 5-year workmanship warranty. There’s also a 3-year appearance warranty, regardless of who installs.
All warranties cover a repair or prorated refund and do not cover labour costs. While there is a ‘workmanship warranty’, because Dek-Master doesn’t have a network of certified installers, we’re not sure how they would enforce this. Also, the terms of the warranty only bind them to repair or replace “the affected portion of the Dek-Master sheet vinyl with the same (or similar) colour, design, or grade of material.”
If you’re looking for a decking material that is low maintenance and you’re set on installing your own this vinyl is an option. However, we would never recommend a DIY install over living space. When you’re relying on the waterproofing capabilities of vinyl, the installation technique and welding is much more important than the vinyl brand. Call a pro and consider letting them use their preferred vinyl.
Check out the full details of the Dek-Master 60mil Warranty:
Dec-k-ing Vinyl Warranty
Dec-k-ing is also available for DIY installation, but unlike Duncan’s Dek-Master, it’s more commonly trusted by professional installers.
The 60mil line, Roofseal, is approved for installation over living space. DIY installations have a 10-year warranty and when a professional installer is used, there’s a 15-year warranty. Sweet! But the warranty doesn’t cover appearance issues and only covers the replacement of materials; no labour costs are covered.
If you’re using Dec-k-ing, you have to use the whole system. The full warranty only applies when their proprietary V-Kote Tech system is used. And you better keep your receipts; to make a claim, you need to produce a copy of the signed warranty, an invoice, and your proof of payment.
If you’re set on a DIY vinyl deck–and have the skills to install it properly–in our opinion, this is the best option.
Read the full warranty details below:
Tufdek Vinyl Warranty
Full disclosure: we don’t recommend this product. Here’s why:
- They’ve only been in business since 2003 (15 years), but offer a 15-year warranty.
- They don’t offer an appearance warranty.
- Local homeowners have had major issues with the Scuffguard top layer burning and discolouring rapidly in the sun.
- Their warranty terms are refund or replace on a prorated basis.
- To be eligible for the warranty, you have to adhere to a strict annual maintenance routine, as outlined in the Tufdek warranty agreement.
To their credit, Tufdek mandates a 5-year workmanship warranty, where they will repair “free of charge” any portion of the project that has failed, solely due to defective installation. And they have some pretty colours.
Read the full terms and requirements below:
Weatherdek Vinyl Warranty
Weatherdek’s warranty is a strong contender for our favorite, Duradek. The 65 mil Weatherdek vinyl lines have a 15-year product warranty, plus a 5-year appearance warranty. Labour costs are covered for up to 2 years on appearance claims, but are not covered on other claims. Unlike Duradek, all Weatherdek warranties are prorated and non-transferable if a home is sold. Despite these differences, Weatherdek is a top-tier vinyl brand with a strong warranty.
Read the full terms of the Weatherdek warranty.
DekSmart Vinyl Warranty
DekSmart has one of the strongest warranties for vinyl decking and it’s written in plain English to boot!
The Ultra RoofDek and Smoothback lines have a non-prorated 15-year waterproofing and a 5-year appearance warranty. The terms are to repair or replace the defective material throughout the duration of the warranty. Labour costs are also covered if appearance or waterproofing issues are reported in writing within 2 years of installation. After two years, labour costs are not covered. The workmanship warranty isn’t standardized, but is offered by each certified installer at their discretion.
DekSmart has only been around for less than 2 full warranty cycles, whereas Duradek has over four full cycles under their belt. Also, there’s no mention of transferability in the DekSmart warranty terms.
In our opinion, DekSmart is a reliable vinyl brand. Read their full warranty terms here: DekSmart warranty
Dec-Tec Vinyl Warranty
These guys are the outliers when it comes to the thickness of their vinyl. They offer 60mil and an 80mil lines. Rather than compare apples to oranges, we’ll give you the full picture of both thicknesses:
The 60 mil lines have a 10-year product warranty and 80 mil lines are warrantied for 20-years (although they’ve been around for less than 30 years). DecTec doesn’t offer an appearance warranty on its vinyls.
Warranty terms outline that if the membrane fails to waterproof within the first 5-years, the full cost of the vinyl (installer cost, not the price paid by the owner) is refunded. After 5 years, a prorated amount is refunded. Labour costs are not included.
If you use this brand, you better be on the ball. To be eligible for the product warranty, you must register your purchase within 90 days.
Read the full terms of their warranty below:
Vinyl decking warranties: Conclusion
There are a ton of different vinyl decking brands available and it’s hard to know what matters when you’re comparing them. A good rule of thumb is that a vinyl is only as good as its warranty.
We’ve broken down the warranty components and terms of the most popular brands and provided our expert opinions on each. We hope that this helps you make a more informed purchasing decision on your vancouver deck renovation.