Best Decking System for Canadian Weather

Being Canadian and living in Canada is pretty awesome! As Canadians our one main complaints is the weather. Snow and freezing temperatures limit our ability to enjoy our backyards and certainly limit our opportunities to use them. So the less time we spend maintaining them during the nice weather, the better.

Decks are a big part of our backyard features, so we should explore the best decking system for Canadian weather.

There are 3 basic types of cladding materials available for decks; wood, composite and stone. By far a stone deck is the best decking system for Canadian weather.

When it comes to the effects of weather on materials, there are three main factors that come into play. First, exposure to the sun can break down the integrity of certain materials, causing them to fade over time. Second, the temperature changes can cause expansion and contraction of the material and third, the freeze thaw cycle can happen quickly and repeatedly, putting further stress on your deck.

When thinking about the best decking system for Canadian weather, wood – regardless of whether it is pressure treated, cedar or exotic hard woods – is at the bottom of the list. They are the most affected by the environmental conditions – expanding, letting moisture in, drying and cracking and if you add sudden freeze-thaw cycle to that, wood breaks down and deteriorates rapidly compared to other products. A wood deck requires regular maintenance, which results in the homeowner spending much of their valuable time doing it or hiring a company to do it for them.

A composite deck is a step up from wood when it comes to the best decking for Canadian weather. Depending on the make and brand, you will find them to be made of ground plastics, wood fibres and glue. Composite decking is very susceptible to expansion and contraction depending on temperatures. Many homeowners who install composite decking in the heat of the summer, taking extra time to ensure the spacing, cuts and miters are done just perfect are shocked to see how things separate and come apart when the temperatures drop. Conversely, when installed in colder temperatures and if the spacing, cuts and miters are tight – as the temperatures increase, this will cause the composite decking to expand and buckle. Another factor is how hot the composite decking gets, especially darker colours. We were told by one contractor that he actually fried an egg on composite decking – we did not believe it until we tried it for ourselves.

The best decking by far for Canadian weather is stone! Stone is not affected by temperature changes as it does not expand or contract. It does not require sealers or stains and cleaning it is as simple as pressure washing it off. It does not get as hot as composite, but like anything – the darker the colour the more heat it will absorb. It will not scratch or scuff like wood or composite, and if an area stains you just need to remove and exchange a few of the affected stones as opposed to changing complete decking boards. Porcelain Pavers are at the high end of stone for decking, and these tiles are virtually indestructible. They will not absorb moisture or water, will not scratch and will not stain. They are perfect for our Canadian environment and for those of us wanting to use our decks over the winter, you can even use ice melt products.

The bottom line is as Canadians we love spending time outdoors and enjoying our backyards. So, when it comes to choosing the best decking for Canadian weather you will not go wrong with choosing stone!

Advantages of Paverdeck Plank

When it comes to transforming an existing wood or composite deck into a maintenance-free stone deck there are some pretty cool products on the market are making it possible both efficiently and cost effectively. The same goes for building a new stone deck, and these products don’t rely on the old outdated techniques of excavation and granular compaction. One such product is Paverdeck Plank. Let’s look at the advantages of Paverdeck Plank and better understand the product.

Paverdeck Plank is manufactured by Evolutiondeck and was created to follow their Paverdeck System. Unlike the Paverdeck System that is specifically designed to be used for new builds, the advantage of Paverdeck Plank is it can not only retro fit an existing deck but can be used to create a new stone deck. Originally Paverdeck Plank was called Tiledeck, but the name was changed allowing it to follow the Paverdeck brand and to ensure it was not pigeonholed it into only being perceived as to be used for tiles.

Another one of the advantages of Paverdeck Plank is that the panels comes 6″ x 48″ weighing 6 lbs and cover 2 sq ft. The panels make for coinvent and cost-effective shipping and are easy to handle. So, if your new stone deck happens to be a second story balcony with limited access – hand bombing the panels through the house is a non-issue.

Paverdeck Plank is made of galvanized steel and is designed to work with wood or metal framing; creating any style or shape of stone deck is possible. The steel planks cut easily and can be done so using a 4″ angle grinder with an abrasive wheel or any saw or tool designed for cutting steel. When it comes to converting an existing wood or composite deck, one advantage of Paverdeck Plank is it can work with both 12″ and 16″ on center framing. For whatever reason, homeowners like to build decks 12″ on center which makes converting that configuration somewhat challenging for some to the other products on the market.

Offering an industry leading 20-year standard warranty is yet another one of the advantages of Paverdeck Plank, ensuring customers have confidence when using this product.

Paverdeck Plank creates a sturdy all weather subfloor that significantly reduces the amount of water and moisture that migrates through and onto the wood or metal framing. This can be completely eliminated by simply putting a small bead of silicone between planks upon installation. And to highlight yet another advantage of Paverdeck Plank – you don’t need to add a waterproof membrane to create a dry area underneath your new stone deck.

If you are able to build a wood deck, you can certainly build a stone deck using the Paverdeck Plank system. Stainless steel self-drilling screws are used to install the planks onto the wood or metal framing. This means there is no need to predrill the planks and the stainless-steel screws ensure there is no negative reaction between the metal and chemicals used to preserve the pressure treated wood.

Finally, one of the biggest advantages of Paverdeck Plank is that it is made in Canada, using Canadian steel. During these challenging times in 2020, there is no better satisfaction than supporting our Canadian economy and workers.

The advantages of Paverdeck Plank make creating that stone deck a breeze. A stone deck offers value to your home and gives you peace of mind that this new extension of your home will last a lifetime and require little maintenance allowing you to enjoy your outdoor living space without worries.