Vinyl decks have seams that are hand welded on-site by the contractor or applicator.

Experience is everything!!  To little heat and the seam is not strong. To much heat and the seam becomes brittle. Usually the manufacturer excludes the seam application from their warranty so if you end up with an inexperienced applicator this can be a big issue.

Since all seaming is done by hand, even the most experienced applicators can make a mistake that is difficult to detect and may not be noticed until you start leaking.

Glues used to bond the vinyl to the deck must be meticulously cleaned from the seam area or it will act like a bond breaker and prevent a proper meld.

This can cause drainage issues or puddles in some situations.

Puddles cause premature breakdown of the vinyl membrane.

Puddles are not generally covered by the warranty.

Raised seams catch dirt and debris which can also be unsightly.

Most vinyl deck products can be stretched or elongate up to 200%.

Buildings settle and move.

This type of common occurrence is usually excluded from the vinyl decking warranty.

Vinyl gets brittle as it ages, lessoning its ability to elongate causing the likelihood of problems in later years from normal day to day building movement.

The Vinyl Product color pattern can easily fade or be ruined or rubbed off by weather, common cleaning agents, chemicals, puddles and pedestrian traffic. 

Color patterns look great when new but can not be repaired or renewed. 

Only complete replacement can correct color pattern issues. 

The warranty for a surface pattern usually only last for a very short time and problems must be reported in the early years with the most common and likely reasons for the pattern being ruined not even covered by the warranty.

Ice melting salts and debris need to be washed off prior to the spring sun hitting it or it also may damage the surface.

Even changing to a different color in later years is not a problem.

Polyglaze Aliphatic colors are resistant to chemicals commonly encountered on these surfaces.  Even ice melting salts pose no issues with a Polycoat waterproof deck system.

Ponding water is not allowed and voids the warranty.

Puddles and ponding water actually break down the vinyl membrane

and accelerate deterioration and is therefore excluded from most vinyl warranties.

Cuts and gouges can not be easily repaired.

The repair of a cut or gouge requires cutting out the discrepancy and replacing it with an unsightly welded patch with raised seams

Many vinyl deck manufactures claim that their products can be applied in almost any weather condition.

When you actually read the Vinyl applicator guidelines you will see that the substrate needs to be meticulously prepped with products that usually require dry conditions and temps above 40 to 50 degrees.

All glues necessary to apply the vinyl require dry substrates and all seam welding needs to be bone dry prior to welding or it can weaken the weld and cause failure of the seam.

The Polycoat chemical cure base rubber however is relatively insensitive to moisture and temperature.

It can safely be installed in hot weather or in as low as 25 degrees Fahrenheit allowing your project to move forward without the risk of failure due to hot or cold weather extremes. 

Imperfections such a low spots, cracks and debris can show in the finished product so meticulous prep is required prior to installing the vinyl membrane.

Polycoat is perfect for puddle filling, repairing cracked and spalling concrete or checks and knot holes in plywood.

When thickened with Silica sand it can even be used as a sloping medium to correct slope and drainage issues. see slope installation video

In some cases the vinyl can be recoated but nothing stops the normal ageing process of vinyl which will brittle with age.

The color becomes the UV protector and wear surface allowing the base coat to theoretically last forever. The protected base rubber does not brittle.

It has a long track record of successful use even in the harshest desert climates as well as ski lodges all over the world.

Don't be fooled by how many coats a system uses.  Many five coat liquid applied systems on the market today only equal half the thickness and elongation of our Polydeck® 160 decking system.