When Experience Counts – Installing Duradek Floors in Saskatoon Since 1993
Saskatchewan summers are short, and with today’s busy lifestyles the last thing anybody wants to do is spend their valuable weekend sanding, staining and repairing their rotten wood deck. For the last 25 years the Saskatoon Deck Shop has been providing Saskatoon and area with maintenance free decking alternatives so their summer weekends can be left for the fun they are intended for. “Every product we carry is maintenance free. People just don’t have the time to be staining their decks and railings every other year” explains Rene Laberge, company owner.
In 1979 Rene Laberge owned a successful company that specialized in stucco application and maintenance free exterior siding products. For the next 13 years he dedicated his time and energy to finding the best maintenance free exterior home products available for his customers. In 1992 he discovered Duradek vinyl decking at a product trade showcase and chose to add it to his product offerings. This addition proved to be so popular that he eventually phased out all of the other products to concentrate exclusively on deck products. With the new passion for all things maintenance free decking, the name change to the Saskatoon Deck Shop seemed natural.
As the province’s pioneer in maintenance free deck products, the company has faced some challenges. “Saskatchewan is unique in its weather conditions so products really have to be able to hold up for the long run to be successful” states Laberge. The Saskatoon Deck Shop has spent 25 years extensively researching product lines, training and certifying in specialized installation techniques, and continuing their education on building codes and industry specifications to ensure that they always have the absolute best products for your projects. “We have worked very hard in these years to discover what products work in our unique climate, and which ones don’t. We are extremely proud of the products we call our own and the level of service we provide to our customers.” says Laberge.
“Today’s customers are more researched than ever before. People will often come to us with pictures that they found on the internet and we try to find a way to bring that vision to their backyard using products that we know will last in our climate” says Laberge. This passion to create the perfect combination of beauty and long-lasting durability is what sets the Saskatoon Deck Shop apart from other retailers and home centers that offer competitive lines. “Decks are what we do. There is nothing more satisfying than creating a beautiful space for a client that you know will last a lifetime.” declares Laberge.
As trends change and new maintenance free decking products become available, the Saskatoon Deck Shop has expanded their product offerings to include even more options than ever before.
Duradek is the flagship product of the Saskatoon Deck Shop. Duradek is the original, industry leading vinyl deck system developed over 40 years ago in British Columbia. One reason why Duradek consistently outperforms do-it-yourself products on the market that make similar maintenance free claims is professional installation. “The 25 years of experience and knowledge that we have earned by installing Duradek in Saskatchewan cannot be matched.” says Laberge. Duradek must be installed by a factory trained authorized installer and this is what sets the Saskatoon Deck Shop apart from the competition. Duradek is committed to their leadership position, and they invest heavily into ongoing product testing and thirdparty quality control. With over a million square feet of Duradek installed in Saskatchewan, you can be confident that your Duradek deck will outperform your expectations.
Based on recent customer demand, the Saskatoon Deck Shop has added Fibron composite decking to their product lineup. Fibron is a high-performance, eco-friendly wood alternative. “Fibron has the look of wood that so many people love without all of the time and money that goes into maintaining a traditional wooden deck.” Laberge explains. “Fibron composite deck boards are eco-friendly and toxin free, and because they do not splinter, crack or rot like a traditional wooden deck does, it is safer for children, pets, and your bare feet.” With approximately 20 different colours and finishes to choose from you are sure to find a Fibron product that suits your style and budget.
The Saskatoon Deck Shop is also excited to have added Flexstone liquid coatings to their product offerings. Flexstone is an eco-friendly, cold applied seamless liquid coating. Once installed, a Flexstone surface is a resistant, versatile and completely waterproof deck that is long lasting, resistant to freezing temperatures, and to heavy traffic. The finish coats are also 100% UV stable and fade resistant. “We are seeing lots of people that want to extend their finishes from inside their home to their exterior living spaces.” Laberge explains “Flexstone is popular for garage floors and front steps where concrete has typically been used before. The Flexstone brings an updated finished feeling to these spaces”. The Flexstone colour options are limitless so you can really make the space fit with your style.
Railcraft aluminum railing systems have also been installed by the Saskatoon Deck Shop for the last 25 years. “This railing system is so versatile. We have cost efficient standard styles available but we can also customize the railing to any design you can dream of” says Laberge. “With 8 standard aluminum colours and countless combinations of top rail profiles to choose from you really are limited only by your imagination”.
If that wasn’t enough, the Saskatoon Deck Shop can also finish your backyard space off with a state of the art awning, screen room or glass enclosure system to really get the most out of your backyard oasis.
The Saskatoon Deck Shop is long time members of the Saskatoon Region Home Builders Association, Saskatoon Construction Association and the Better Business Bureau. They are committed to staying on the leading edge of new building technologies and innovations so they can always bring the most relevant information and best products to their customers. As a Saskatchewan distributor they also have a network of certified dealers to work with out of town clients or on your lake properties.
The Saskatoon Deck Shop has been awarded the Consumer Choice Award for business excellence in the category of Decks and Patio Contractors in Saskatoon for the last 6 years.
“This 25th anniversary and our success would not have been possible for us to achieve without the support of our customers and trade partners, and for that we are immensely grateful.” says Laberge “Thank you, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.”
With a completely renovated showroom, The Saskatoon Deck Shop is the place to go to start planning the deck of your dreams. Laberge and his friendly staff invite you to their showroom at 111B Wheeler Street to touch and feel the products that they carry and see real life displays of how they will look once installed on your deck. You can also see them this weekend at Gardenscape at booth #200/201.