There are two 'common' modern types of waterpoof vinyl decking membranes widely used today in the marketplace for consumers to choose from. Both are constructed from PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and are commonly referred to as 'fluffy or fuzzy back' vinyl and 'slick or smooth back' vinyl that describes the appearance of what you see on the back of the vinyl membrane sheeting. Most if not all Fuzzy back vinyl decking is Non reinforced where most Smooth back vinyl decking is reinforced in the core. There is also a 'scrum back' vinyl or what appears to be a mesh backing vinyl but its purpose is so that the solvent based glues will stick to the vinyl and don't really offer tear resistance or product strenght integrity. Most quality vinyl membranes range in thickness from 45mil to 66mil.

It is important to remember that the quality of the vinyl and its construction is paramount to its thickness which is a miniumum requirement as some lower cost vinyls will perform much differently and may not pass critical Building code and North American testing requirements. Some vinyl suppliers have had catastrophic product failures from the importation of cheap off shore vinyl membranes where the plasticization properties have broken down making the vinyl soft and sticky. All Building code approved vinyl sheet decking installations require that the adjoining sheets be overlapped by a minimum of 1" and have these seams hot air welded together in order to fuse or melt the membrane into a single waterproof membrane covering your deck.

Most if not all 'Fuzzy back' vinyl membrane manufacturers Require that the overlapping welded seams to be 'cap welded' aswell to insure a reliable waterproof seal so that any fuzzy backing that isn't burnt off during the seam welding process doesn't wick water and cause pinhole leakage and/or weaken the seam. Welding or 'bleeding' the cap or edge of where you see the two vinyl sheets meet will leave a distinct line or pinstripe that some will find undesirable which is not the case with some smooth back vinyl membranes like Tufdeks Supreme & Designer series vinyls that do not require cap welding.

That is why quality smooth back vinyls with approved testing parameters are now commonly called for by most building envelope engineers because of the membranes stability, tear resistant strength and the welded seams ability to be stronger and more reliable than fuzzy back membranes making them at par with roofing code standards. You may be surprised to know that Tufdeks innovative No and Low VOC glues are used for our smooth back vinyl installations.

Galvanized steel perimeter drip edge flashing is commonly used with fuzzy back vinyl that ends up being glued to the flashing so the manufacturers require that either a plastic retention clip be installed on the flashing edge to keep the vinyl from peeling or curling up or alternatively a mechanical fastener can be used instead of drip edge flashing.

You may agree the appearance of another color added by the 3/4" metal strip with screws every 4" that will catch dirt and mildew and make a mess of your fascia boards to be a not very attractive option. Plastic flashing clips also appear like a pinstripe, catch dirt and grime and have a habit of coming off eventually thus allowing the vinyl membrane to peel or curl up overtime.


Vinyl coated perimeter drip edge flashing that we use on almost all of our projects is made from Heavy guage aluminum that is coated with the same vinyl material as the vinyl decking membrane. This provides 4 significant benefits for our customers.

1) The thicker flashing does not 'ripple' from expansion & contraction in the heat. 2) The thicker flashing allows us to recess the flashing into the plywood with a planer rather than just nailing it to the top surface so there is no 'build up' areas for water to pool and deposit dirt along the deck edge after rainfalls.

3) The vinyl coating allows us to weld the vinyl membrane to the flashing instead of glueing which is much stronger, reliable and eliminates the use of plastic retention clips. 4) It also provides another unique appearance option for our clients with 5 exposed face flashing color choices that can either match your fascia board, house trim or vinyl selection because the vinyl membrane doesn't need to run down the horizontal face of the flashing with this process.

Regular overlapping seams have been the standard for decades and are what most vinyl companies are only familiar with doing but they do create a 1" wide bump and a shadow line where the vinyl sheets are joined together and have always been a visual shortcoming for some people.

Because of a much needed B.C. building code revision that now states vinyl membranes for new construction pedestrian traffic should be no less that 60mil these seam bumps have become inadvertently taller that can catch water and leave dirt deposits on low sloped decks.

Other than a visual drawback, table chair legs may catch a little on the bumps aswell as foot traffic crossing back and forth certain areas which may prematurely wear the ink patterns off and highlight the bumps even more.


Recessed/Flush overlapping seams are hot air welded together just like regular seams and overlapped by the required 1" aswell but are inverted into the plywood decking that completely removes the bump.

Our refined procedures and 100% reliable techniques make our overlapping seams hard to find sometimes with certain vinyl colors and makes the entire vinyl deck surface look much more natural.

We only offer flush seam service with our smooth back vinyls and the procedure slows down the installation process so there is a tremendous amount of added value if the customer wishes to choose this option.

Seam direction is usually parrallel to the house or the longest span especially if you are using our wood grained viny decking. Sometimes the vinyl can be run perpendicular to the house to reduce product waste or for decks that are improperly sloped to help reduce water sitting along the seams if you don't choose our flush seam options. Keep in mind this scenario does result in more seam bumps and noticeable shadow lines that cross the pedestarian traffic path that can result in premature wear to the ink color on the seam bumps.

Standing water (water pooling) on existing sundecks is from the original structure (deck framing) not being built properly. Vinyl resurfacing and plywood replacement does Not include the re-sloping or alteration of any existing structural components such as the joists of your deck if you have areas where there is standing water or 'pooling'. If you have areas where water is pooling and it bothers you, you must notify us so that we can further identify the problem and include a cost estimate in your quotation and your contract so that we can try to correct these original building defects in a cost effective manner.

Keep in mind there is a fine line between safe non-slip floor traction and product porousness that can attract dirt and mildew quicker that requires constant and longer cleaning times and possibly product discoloration as a result. For example quality vinyl decking that has anti bacterial properties built into the vinyl and some will have a non-slip concave texture rather than a convex texture design that is much easier to stay and keep clean. Some quality vinyl decking membranes like Tufdek vinyl decking has been tested by the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) to meet certain safety criteria that is important for wet climates.

We offer the 2 main types of vinyl decking available in the industry
Local Authorized Tufdek Dealer Located on the North Shore serving the GVRD
Our portable product samples, show you what to expect with your order
We supply & install all types of deck railings systems to go with your deck
Our home page and company page shows what cities that we work in.

  Prices include supply and installation

Tufdek Econodek - All colors $7.50 sq ft (Fuzzy backing) 10 year warranty
Tufdek Tuff Shield - One color $8.50 sq ft (Smooth back / Reinforced) 10 year
Tufdek Supreme - All colors $8.95 sq ft (Smooth back / Reinforced) 15 year
Tufdek Designer - All colors $9.95 sq ft (Smooth back / Reinforced) 15 year
All sq ft costs are based on the materials required to complete your project
Better pricing with railings, new deck builds or larger projects
First come, first service booking; Weather dependent
All fixed price quotes are valid for 30 days only
Minimum charge $2000.00

  Drip Edge Flashing Options

Tufdek vinyl coated heavy guage - recessed into deck (welded transitions)
Option 1 Vinyl terminated at deck edge by welding (4 Color options) $9.00 per LF
Option 2 Vinyl welded down flashing face (No PVC clip) $12 per LF
Mechanical fastener or non recessed/vinyl coated flashing $8 per LF
Inside wall, galvanized flashing if required $5 per LF

  Seam Options

Regular seam - no cap weld - overlapped by 1" and airwelded - Included
Regular seam - cap welded - overlapped by 1" and airwelded - Included
Flush/Recessed seam - overlapped by 1" and airwelded $2.00 per sq ft

  Related Services

Vinyl removal & disposal; sand & patch existing plywood $1.50-$3.00 sq ft
Railing removal and re-installation $10-25 LF or hourly
Plywood repairs and replacement $15-$20 sq ft or hourly
Fascia board replacement $25-35 Lf or hourly + painting
Re-sloping existing water ponding decks; hourly or contract/quoted

  Project Timing

Average time from Ordering to Installation is 2-4 weeks during busy season
Average completion times for vinyl decking installations is 1-3 days
Average completion times for building a new deck is 2-3 weeks
Average completion times for an outdoor living space is 2-5 weeks
Completion times vary upon project size, complexity and client input

Convenient estimate provided by email with the following criteria: Your deck dimensions or plans, 4 corner deck location pictures, Your Name, Phone Number and City. Site visit required for quotation and order.

  Please inquire here or phone 604 921-9185 to book an appointment.