In last summer’s HIDEAWAYS, We introduced readers to a transformative product, WeardeckTM—a deck board that would not decay, splinter, or discolour, that did not require re-staining or repainting, and that was not destined to need replacing after a certain number of years. Some readers might have been forgiven for thinking WeardeckTM was too good to be true.
Perhaps they thought it must be ugly, slippery, or hot underfoot. But, no. WeardeckTM has the look of wood and is available in ten beautiful colours. Its embossed surface has excellent slip-resistance. And it’s heat-reflective, to keep even bare feet comfortable on hot summer days. Even better, it’s stable, meaning it won’t expand or contract when experiencing freeze and thaw conditions.
Span strength of WEARDECKTM decking is up to 36” on centre.
With all the attributes of WeardeckTM that we were able to detail in last year’s edition, there is still exciting news to add into the mix this summer. WeardeckTM has added a structural product to their portfolio.
WEARDECKTM, manufactured by Owens Corning, employs the most advanced structural technology in the world. According to Jason Smith, co-owner and president of Bala’s Baycrest Distribution, Canada’s only authorized dealer of Owens Corning WeardeckTM boards and accessories, the addition of certified structural products is the latest in a long line of the company’s game-changing innovations for deck building. “Until now, you’d be putting a WeardeckTM deck on top of a substructure made out of wood,” he explains. “The problem is, the deck would last for life, but the structure underneath would eventually rot or succumb to the elements. Now, they can be made out of the same material.” Baycrest is Muskoka’s dock and deck specialist, offering same-week delivery on most popular colours from the largest decking stock in Muskoka. Their experienced staff are product specialists, committed to selling only the most dependable lines of deck boards. At Baycrest’s showroom, they welcome the opportunity to show customers the difference a quality deck board makes and to connect them with the region’s top installers.
In this boathouse, synthetic lumber is not only used for decking on the interior floors, but also for window and door trim.
WeardeckTM is a pure synthetic board (not a composite or PVC) and is void of any organic material. The composite deck boards on the market, which are made up of compressed sawdust, confine the protective properties of their formula to a coating. By comparison, WeardeckTM colours, protectants, additives, UV-inhibitors, heat reflection, and anti-static technologies permeate throughout the board. “These boards are meant to be used just like wooden deck boards,” says Jason, “so you can imagine, if your product is made of sawdust and the colour and protectants coating is only on the exterior, when you cut through a board, at the cut end you’re exposing all that organic matter on the inside to the elements. Now you don’t have an impermeable board anymore, and all bets are off.” With WeardeckTM, boards can be cut crosswise or ripped along the length without compromising any of the product’s properties or affecting the warranty in any way.
WEARDECKTM manufactures the strongest, coolest, and most durable deck and dock boards, built to last a lifetime.
Like all Owens Corning WeardeckTM products, their new structural lumber comes with a limited lifetime residential warranty, meaning the product is guaranteed for the life of the purchaser. This speaks to the confidence the company has about the durability, integrity, and longevity of their product, and it stands them in contrast to many composite-board competitors. “We can talk about the benefits of WeardeckTM all day long,” says Jason, “but for many people, that warranty is the clincher. It tells people that the company actually stands behind its product.” Like other long-life, low-maintenance building elements, such as steel roofs, vinyl windows, and non-porous countertops, cost comparisons should be made to include the long term.
A wooden deck installation today can’t be expected to last more than 10 or 15 years at the most. “Why put a 10-year product on your cottage or boathouse?” asks Jason. WeardeckTM is a multigenerational product. An investment today secures a safe, attractive, and structurally sound deck for decades, without replacement or maintenance costs. And it keeps an important aesthetic and functional aspect of your cottage’s exterior sell-ready, so you or your loved ones won’t need to make expensive repairs in a hurry if you decide it’s time to put your property on the market.
Each WeardeckTM board boasts a natural-looking directional wood grain pattern, and with the introduction of Driftwood, named in homage to Muskoka, WeardeckTM now offers a palette of 10 solid colours, ensuring there’s a shade to go with practically any design scheme. The colour permeates through the boards, minimizing risk of fading or becoming chalky over time.
Baycrest Distribution stocks all lengths, colours, and profiles of WeardeckTM and distributes from coast to coast. “If you want it today, we’ve got it today,” says Jason. All WeardeckTM products are proudly made in North America.
AMONG Baycrest’s newest additions to their line-up of Lifetime Products ARE two distinct lines of decking, from TruNorth Composites and Clubhouse Premium PVC Decking.
TruNorth is a premium-quality, built-to-last alternative for around the cottage and home, priced from just $2.69 per linear foot. Located in Brantford, TruNorth Decking is the largest Canadian manufacturer of composite and PVC decking. TruNorth’s composite is product-tested to withstand all seasons, backed by a 25-year warranty, available in a wide variety of colours, and proven to resist water penetration. Thanks to the rice hull composition, this makes for a deck that will not mould, rot, or swell,
and these are all attributes that fit Baycrest’s Lifetime Products agenda.
Clubhouse PVC Decking comes in a colour palette of variegated hardwoods and contemporary solid hues. This allows for the most realistic replication of true hardwood decking. Clubhouse features advanced colour technology, is 30 percent cooler than competing brands, offers extreme impact resistance, and comes with a lifetime warranty.
For boathouses, laundry rooms, mudrooms, garages, sheds, shops, basements, dog-washing stations, and other areas that frequently get wet, Baycrest also offers another lifetime product in Trusscore wall and ceiling panels. “Trusscore is lightweight and waterproof,” says Jason, “and it installs faster than drywall, without the need for mudding and painting.” When taking those factors into account, Trusscore’s price point is very competitive with traditional drywall, without the need for tiling or other means of creating water resistance.
Low-maintenance, high-performance products like Owens Corning WeardeckTM,Trusscore, and TruNorth composites liberate cottagers to reclaim some of their time, and enable them to focus on their surroundings, the people they’re with, and all the reasons they were drawn to the cottage lifestyle in the first place.