Deck installation is easy. Handy homeowners often purchase our DEC-K-ING system and install it on their sundeck, balcony or vacation cabin patio themselves. It all depends on your comfort level.
With that said, we generally recommend that you leave installations on new homes or decks that cover a living space to trained contractors. Click here to find one near you.
To get started with your installation, follow our step-by-step guide below or download our installation PDF.
Follow this step-by-step guide to install our DEC-K-ING vinyl deck surface at your home.
Prefer Video Instruction?
Look for the play button on any of the images in the steps below, and simply click it to watch the video for that step!
1.
Preparation of the surface is very important. As such, the first step to installation is to ensure that the area that you are covering is clean and dry.
The next step is to smooth the surface. This is accomplished by applying a special floor patch compound mixed with latex to plywood joints, knot holes, uneven spots and the first half inch of the drip flashing. On other surfaces such as concrete, the surface must be ground smooth or leveled with a floor leveling compound.
Do not apply over treated plywood as chemicals may react with adhesives or PVC membrane.
4.
After the patch has been applied and the surface is smooth, the deck must be sanded. We recommend using a disk sander or floor edger to ensure that the area is as smooth as possible.
5.
Once smooth it’s time to put down the vinyl. To do this, lay the vinyl in place and staple it at the seams to prevent any shifting during installation. The vinyl should be laid so that it overlaps in the same direction as shingles on a roof with a ¾” to 1” overlap.
An allowance of 1” of vinyl is required at the edge of the deck and 6 inches up the walls.
We have two types of adhesives.
1.
For Contact Cement
Apply contact cement to one half of the vinyl sheet at a time. Make sure the contact adhesive is applied to the back of the vinyl and the substrate (wood, concrete, etc.) Wait until the adhesive is tacky, then roll the vinyl sheet onto the substrate using an 8lb roller and proceed to step 1 of Application.
2.
For Latex
Apply latex with a 1/16” trowel applicator. Latex should be applied to new plywood, not the vinyl backing. When applying the latex, make sure that you only spread enough that you can recover that surface before it begins to dry. Covering the vinyl when the adhesive is both wet and tacky is ideal, however going down wet is also acceptable. Once the vinyl is laid onto the substrate, roll a 50lb steel roller over the PVC membrane to set it in place.
Latex glue will set at 70 degrees F or 21 celsius in 10 minutes. Allow at least 12 hours to set.
1.
Insert a rubber roller or a new paint roller under the vinyl membrane and push out the vinyl area that has just been glued, starting in the centre.
Caution: make sure that you don’t create wrinkles in the process.
2.
If using the latex adhesive, roll a 50lb steel roller overtop of the membrane immediately after it makes contact with the substrate.
If using contact cement, it is still recommended to roll a steel roller overtop after the vinyl membrane has been laid in place.
1.
After one half of the vinyl sheet has been glued and laid in place, the staples must then be removed. The other half of the sheet is now glued to the substrate.
2.
To ensure a permanent bond, overlap seams 3/4” and heat weld them together. This method should be followed whenever two or more pieces of vinyl are required.
The pieces should be overlapped and fused with a hot air tool.
3.
At the deck perimeter, fuse the PVC membrane to the PVC flashing with the hot air tool and cut flush with the edge.
4.
On outside corners, cut the PVC membrane at 45 degree angles. Glue the prefabricated V-KOTE TEK accessory to the wood surface and fuse the overlapping vinyl to the membrane.
5.
On inside corners, cut out excess vinyl and use the V-KOTE TEK 90 degree inside corner component by gluing it to the wood surface and fusing the overlapping vinyl to the membrane.
6.
When a drain is required, cut a hole and recess it into the deck. Then lay and glue the PVC membrane over the deck surface. Do not use glue where the membrane covers the drain. Instead, cut a hole in the membrane in a star shape and trim excess vinyl. Follow by heat welding the PVC membrane to the PVC coated drain.
7.
To waterproof a post, use our V-KOTE TEK post wrap of the corresponding size. Glue the wrap to the wood post, fusing the overlapping vertical edge and the bottom flange with the hot air tool.
8.
An alternative deck edge option is to fasten a strip of wood 1” x 2” to the deck edge and glue the PVC membrane over the top. If using this method, fasten the membrane with an aluminum bar.
9.
A fastening bar can also be used under a door threshold or along the wall when vinyl is not able to be properly installed 6” up.
10.
A fastening bar can also be used under a door threshold or along the wall when vinyl is not able to be properly installed 6” up.
Need Help?
If you have trouble with your DEC-K-ING vinyl membrane installation or have any questions, please contact us.
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