Jason Varney's Thoughts On Deckorators

[@SteveMichael]

Hey guys thank you for doing this. I am debating between 3 or 4 brands right now and we are considering Deckorators as one of them. It is now the highest on my list because of your videos. It actually for us will probably be the cheapest also. I also like that you mentioned that their warranty includes labor. We live in Indiana and my wife and I are a bit older, not quite retired but up there and I want something that I won't have to replace for at least 20 years. Thanks again!

[@shannonbarrigar7736]

I am a Deckorators dealer. RUN from the brand. I have seen terrible results from the decking itself and from the company. They will not help you at all if you have an issue. I don’t say that lightly either. It is not a good product.

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

Deckorators is a great option. It'll give you 20 years and beyond. But so will every other good brand. The traction, the thermal stability, the warranty, and the colours are all great attributes!

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

Sounds like you have an axe to grind - whether it's fair or not, only you know! The product is great. It's not perfect, but none of them are. The company was great as well, but certainly maybe grew the line too fast and certainly made some business decisions that ticked off a lot of dealers. Maybe you were caught up in that. So I can't say I'm thrilled from that angle - but the product itself is a winner.

[@jimsmith8324]

You are absolutely right. Their warranty is not worth the paper its written on for small projects.@@shannonbarrigar7736

[@Atrium512]

I have had Deckorators Deck for years and have had no problems with it. I am going to do more decking with it soon.

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

It'd a great option!

[@jimsmith8324]

Nine months post Deckorator's installation. Doing my first spring cleaning. The deep grooves hold dirt tenaciously. Power washing doesn't work. 1000 square feet of hands and knees scrubbing is what I am doing. $66,000 deck replacement job. At age 62, I don't have the energy for this. Will take the hit and contract it out after this.

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

There must be something else going on here. Yes it does absolutely hold dirt most than something slicker... but a pressure washer should do the trick most of the time. Do you have red clay soil? Sappy trees? Might need to add a cleaner or degreaser to the process. Sorry to hear of the struggles!

[@jimsmith8324]

@@TheUltimateDeckShop yes I have clay and sappy trees in the area.

[@SteveK99Sub]

Thanks for the video.. You stated in your comments below it's not the most durable to scratching. Scratching is a big issue especially when spending the extra money over wood. Want it to look great for it's life expectancy. Azek vintage was on top of the list but super easy to scratch. I know this is a video on Deckorators but can you share what brand/line you would say is the most durable against scratches? Thanks!

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

In my experience, Trex Transcend, VekaDeck, and Clubhouse are the 3 most durable composite/PVC's. But they don't come without other potential drawbacks. But if scratch resistance is the #1 priority - they all fare pretty well.

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

Fiberon Promenade is quite good too... and is nearly identical look to Azek Vintage.

[@SteveK99Sub]

@@TheUltimateDeckShop Thanks.. Now you know I have to ask. :-) What are the other potential drawbacks? Trex being the most popular around here I know it's not capped on 4 sides which is an issue. Timbertech pro Reserve collection seemed to check a lot of the boxes. Not sure their drawback or scratch resistance. Thoughts?

[@SteveK99Sub]

@@TheUltimateDeckShop Thanks.. I'll have to find a local dealer and test some samples but guessing it's going to have the same scratching issues as the Azek? Thinking it's a PVC thing? Why can't they put the harder shell like the composites have on an all PVC board. Then you will give up some of the traction benefits the PVC shell offers.. Not ready to go back to just wood just yet BUT.... :-) Appreciate the help. Thanks

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

@SteveK99Sub Not a PVC thing...all of the options I mentioned except Trex are PVC. It comes down to the capping material and embossing for the most part.

[@leeannwroblewski7294]

Has anyone resolved their issues with Decorators since posting on here? I thought we had made our decision to use them for our deck but now I dont like what I'm hearing regarding warranty issues.

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

Which issues are you referring to? We have seen very few issues with Deckorators. The odd colour/dye lot issue - but everyone's had those. The only other thing to point out, is that it's not the most durable to scratching. So if you have big rambunctious dogs or plan to party HARD on the deck, maybe it's not the right choice. All comes down to expectations. Aside from that, there's a LOT to love about Voyage.

[@leeannwroblewski7294]

@@TheUltimateDeckShop Many people have stated that when they have issues Deckorators doesn't answer their calls and emails. The warranty is great but if they don't truely stand behind it, thats a problem.

[@jimsmith8324]

I talked to my vendor about a manufacturing issue with some boards. Still no call back from Deckorators. Very disappointed.

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

Jim if you can send me your contact info, I'll see if I can pass it along to someone who can help you.

[@jimsmith8324]

@@TheUltimateDeckShop how can I do that without posting my personal info on a KZbin board?

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

@@jimsmith8324 Follow us on IG or TikTok and send me a DM. I actually already talked to a Deckorators team member in the US and told him about your posts on here (Nick). I believe he has replied to some of your other posts and will try to help you out.

[@jimsmith8324]

I sent a picture to the company at their request following a follow up warranty claim. They won't send a technician to make the repair. They think I can find a repairman to do the job for $25. $25 won't even cover the cost of their gasoline to drive to the house!@@TheUltimateDeckShop

[@sdlittlefield]

Who is the gentleman (from TN) speaking on the far left? Whats the name of his company? Asking cause I'm in TN

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

Jason Varney from Dock & Deck.

[@jimsmith8324]

Scratches too easily. And the worst part is, the deep grooves hold dirt like a magnet. I have to get on my hands and knees to scrub it out, often needing to repeat the process 3-4 times before it's removed.

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

They do grab dirt a little easier as well, yes. That's more of a "brand new" deck issue as once they've been out in the environment for a bit, it will be less noticeable. Also depends on the type of dirt. Clay or masonry dust will be a bugger.

[@aujmarc5749]

Which product was it? Vista?

[@jimsmith8324]

Voyage@@aujmarc5749

[@JD-ct9rw]

I have used this product. I wouldn't use it again. It has shrunk between 7-8mm in lenght per board, in first year. It leaves big ugly gaps. They had a 3mm gap to allow for expansion, now they have up to 11mm gaps. Installation was followed exactly, and installed in winter at the same temperature 15 degrees celsius. Contacted the company twice, first person passed on email twice supposedly to whoever it goes to for tech issues, and thats as far as it goes. They don't seem to interested in any issue's.

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

That is certainly not a normal experience. The only time we have seen complaints about contraction with Deckorators MBC is when the issue was actually the lumber framing shrinking and causing the gap - not the decking itself shrinking. Our climate has very drastic temp swings and we have seen great stability from the product. Hopefully you're able to find a resolve with them!

[@JD-ct9rw]

I would of loved to get this issue sorted also, however they ignore emails. As far as the lumber moving, in this case the timber is bolted to an existing concrete deck and hasn't moved at all. I wouldn't normally comment on a platform like this, but if deckorators doesn't want to reply to emails, what else can you do.

[@jimsmith8324]

I have a new installation too and am still waiting for the rep to return my call on a warranty claim. Sheesh.

[@richardmckrell4899]

Deckorators enables a higher mark-up to the customer. That's why contractors like it. TimberTech is a better product but more expensive which means a lower profit for the contractor.

[@Danwingheinz]

Seem like a lot of contractors are having unresolved issues... as a contractor who specializes in decks, not so sure the product and company stands up to the hype...

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

We haven't heard many issues, let alone unresolved one. Seems to be the preferred board for much of our contractor base.

[@Danwingheinz]

@@TheUltimateDeckShop I'm just reading all the comments below

[@TheUltimateDeckShop]

@@Danwingheinz I think we have one guy with 2 accounts making numerous comments.

[@jimsmith8324]

They won't honor their warranty! I've gotten a lot of road blocks despite a year of requests.

[@jimsmith8324]

I am getting a song and dance from Deckorators over my warranty claim. At this point, I am just going to sue them in small claims court after I pay for the repair out of my pocket.

[@RoadiJeff]

It's been 9 months since you posted that comment, so what was the outcome of your Small Claims Court lawsuit? I'm having a Deckorators deck installed in a few weeks.

[@jimsmith8324]

@@RoadiJeff So, they did pay for the replacement board. Thankfully, the supply store who sold all the decking provided free delivery. I had to pay for installation. But it was an ordeal.

[@jimsmith8324]

@@RoadiJeff Dekorators looks best in low light such as cloudy days or when it's wet. In bright sunlight, the ridges reflect light and it looks a bit washed out imo. Those ridges are what give it great slip protection when wet. The boards looked better in the store than installed, imo.

[@jimsmith8324]

Deckorators won't fix my problem board under warranty despite requests. The deck is not even a year old yet. They want me to jump through hoops and find someone to fix it for their estimate of $25! They are out of their minds!!! Forget their warranty for small projects, you are on your own.

[@jimsmith8324]

At this point, the more I think about it, I am going to sue them in small claims court.