Shell Beach Tile Deck Failure

We looked at a job done by DeckTech in Shell Beach CA. Similar story to the others, only a year or two old and already major issues on this high end home. Owner reports they filed a complaint with CSLB.

 Gray area is a "repair" DeckTech made to the previously applied and failing

Granite Deck Under Tile Membrane. They used plain old urethane and tried tying 

into the polyurea materials. What a joke...

 Yellowish material is Granite Deck material and you can see it peeling back. 

 Here is a close up of the peeling material

 Water intruded at the door area and you can see the result-RUSTED flashing

 I can pop the crap right of with a fingernail under an edge. 

 Large numbers of splits in the Granite Deck membrane are clearly marked. 

Tile over Deck Tech's membrane popped off with very little effort. 

Almost all of the grout came off too, stuck to the tile.  

Decktech's Granite Deck Failures at Pismo Beach Medical Center

Just a few years old, the building owned by Coastal Community Builders at 2 James Way in Pismo Beach has walkways and a lobby coated with Decktech's Granite Deck system...and it's already had major repairs done!

DeckTech appears to have made some  repairs to the job, but they don't match and the repairs look terrible! As this is a medical building, we'd call this terminal!

Check out the pics we took a couple weeks ago of the repaired areas. DeckTech says their stuff will last years or "even decades", but we're betting it lasts less than that judging from it's performance so far. Is this an example of what you can expect from Granite Deck and Decktech's work? Maybe you better think about using other products and companies?

Go check it out for yourself if you are in the area.

 Seam showing signs of failure. 

 I don't even wanna know what this is called as a repair

 Lobby area on second floor with large area of repairs

 Lousy match

DeckTech's "Granite Deck" - The Truth About Their NCS/Nevada Coating System

DeckTech likes to brag about the NCS Granite Deck System, short for Nevada Coatings System ( http://www.nevadacoatings.com/), talking about it's elongation properties and how they are only one of a few applicators in the state of CA approved to install this material.

Well they are only one of a few applicators, the other applicator being the company owned by the owner of Nevada Coatings System, David Krubinski aka David Mazor. Mazor secretly owns WICR Inc (see wicrleaks.com). No one else wants to put this crap on your deck.

Most applicators of decking products install ICC-ES tested and evaluated systems such as Mer-Kote, Desert Brand, Life Deck, Westcoat, Pli-Dek, Excellent Coatings Duradek etc. This link tales you to ICC' website where bonafide decking systems are listed http://www.icc-es.org/Reports/index.cfm?csi_id=301&view_details You'll note that Nevada Coatings System is not listed here, for good reason...

 Sample of Granite Deck by Decktech.

Bucket of Carboline as found on a jobsite. 

The Nevada Coatings System Granite Deck material is actually manufactured by Carboline under Reactamine. It is a two part polyurea designed for steel and concrete, not plywood. The Carboline people say it could go on wood, but they don't have a specification for that. IT IS not tested or evaluated as a decking product, it is not listed as a Class A roof coating, it does not have any UL or ICC-ES evaluations for use as a decking product.

Polyurea is used in lining tanks, pipes, even in a different variant for truck beds. It can be very tough, when applied in a minimum thickness of 1/8"+ or more. When applied like what we find on Decktech jobs, it's usually failing. It is UV resistant but yellows when exposed to sun. That's why Decktech wants to reseal your deck every year, so it won't yellow.

The product will also burn when exposed to open flame. Toxic fumes are emitted when it burns, requiring firefighters to wear self contained breathing apparatus.

Supporting open flame with no combustible materials. 

With so many better and bonafide decking systems to choose from, we recommend that you pass on Granite Deck from Decktech.

Suit Filed Against DeckTech in San Luis Obispo Superior Court

A suit, #14VC 0467, was filed in Superior Court in San Luis Obispo on September 8th that alleges that DeckTech Inc of Grover Beach made numerous violations under the California Business & Professions Codes, along with Breach of Contract, Construction Defects, Negligent Misrepresentations and Deceit Damages on a large project in Morro Bay. The 35 page complaint claims numerous problems with the work.

No dollar amount was claimed in the initial filing, however part of the claim by the plaintiff hints that they will be seeking a large sum when it stated that DeckTech's owner Ron McKenna's "outrageous and despicable conduct subjected the Plaintiff to a cruel and unjust hardship in conscious disregard of the Plaintiff's rights, so as to justify an award of exemplary and punitive damages."

As the suit has just been filed and no answer from the defendant has been made, this just represents one side of the claim. The first hearing has been set for January. Once the reply from DeckTech has been filed, we will provide copies of that in another story.

Among the many claims by the plaintiff, some of which appear to be corroborated with copies of the contract are that Decktech violated the law by taking an initial deposit above the maximum $1,000.00 or !0%, allowable, whichever is LESS, failed to install the waterproofing membrane for a tile covered deck to the proper thickness, failed to install, grout and layout the tiles properly, failure to slope the deck properly to drain and also caused damages to the Plaintiff's home that wasn't repaired.

The suit also claims that Ron McKenna of Decktech made false and misleading statements to induce the Plaintiff to buy from Decktech.

More to come as we receive information.

Via Bandolera Deck Done By Decktech Fails in 3 Years Time

A deck on Via Bandolera failed within 3 years of being "fixed" by DeckTech. With the additional water intrusion damage from the failures, the deck had to be completely replaced at a cost of over $15,000. The Granite deck system was poorly installed and led to water intrusion

 Cracked coating at corner allowed water to intrude.

 Poorly applied Nevada Coating System Granite Deck at weep screed

 Granite deck peels off deck easily

 Water damaged plywood underneath Granite Deck system

Peeling off at the edges

Decktech's Ron McKenna Threatening Email Advises a Client "To Dig Deep and Move on"

A client of Decktech's has issues with his job and hasn't paid the final balance...Ron McKenna sends an email that is downright scary and threatening.

His "Company Private Capital Investors" told him to collect their money they loaned him...Ron can't protect the client from them if he doesn't pay up...

Does this look like a person/company you want to do business with?
The owner called the police and filed a complaint. We would too. What kind of a douchebag is Ron McKenna to email threats like these?

From: Ron McKenna

Date: 11/27/2013 12:37:42 PM

To:

Subject: RE: Railing Install

X,

As usual your comments are laden with miss information and have no merit. To even respond to them would be beneath me. I will notify all trades involved with project to move forward with liens, unless the following request is accommodated.

I tried calling you several times yesterday afternoon based off request of individuals I must answer too. (Company Private Capital Investors) My instructions were to resolve. Based off approved contract and your email electing to install rail and glass there is $9k owed. You will have until Dec. 1^st to pay the 9K and close this issue out. Once payment is received I will have controller provide unconditional lien releases and were done.  If payment is not provided by then, I will confirm with trades to file liens. In addition I will not be able to protect you from Private Capital Investors, and Frank these individuals will take this to an arena, I can certainly guarantee you have never visited and don’t think for a minute it will be worth 9k savings you cheated them on.

I suggest you dig deep on this, resolve and move on.

Now the DeckTech client fires back, having consulted his attorney...they have major concerns about the quality of their job. From the thickness of the waterproofing material  to the lack of quality on their tile installation... 

Cayucos Home With Failed Granite Deck on Roof and Decks

A private home under construction in Cayucos experienced Granite Deck failures before the house was even completed.

 White sealant temporarily seals split Granite Deck materials. 

 Every seam of plywood has split the coating as seen where white lines exist. 

 Granite Deck peeled of copper flashings and going to the garbage where it belongs. 

 Sun comes right through poorly applied membrane, all pinholed.

Granite Deck failing off copper flashings

Orcutt Bluffs HOA Pool Deck Failure

Decktech applied Granite Deck to a concrete pool deck at Orcutt Bluffs HOA several years ago. . Within a short time the coating they applied to the pool deck began experiencing failures.
Minimum thickness of the coating is 1/8" thick according to the "manufacturer" of the materials...we found far less and the crap pulled right off in big sheets, like picking a scab.

 Peeling failing Granite Deck comes off concrete deck

 Material applied so thinly you can see it's pinholed-water travels right through and gets 

under coating, causing it to fail. 

 More failures

 Control joints should be filled with caulk-note peeling material.

Cracks not fixed show right through coating

Video show material peeling off easily. 

We went by the job a few weeks ago (December 2014) and saw that the pool deck has been stripped clean of the failing material from DeckTech and the deck is now a concrete broom finish that appears to be doing great.

Decktech Job Failure- Spyglass Condo's Pismo Beach

A Granite Deck system installed by DeckTech on condo's in Shell Beach on Spyglass Dr is experiencing failures on the carport garage. Photo's taken April 2013. As of late 2014, this material was gone, replaced with a conventional proven roofing system.

 Closeup of Granite Deck system failing. Decktech blames the association for not resealing every year for the failure. What crappy coating do they use that can't last a couple years exposed to sun and rain? 

 The whole roof is in a state of failure. 

Another closeup of a failing system

Rust is showing through at the edges of the deck from water intrusion

Decktech's picture from their old website. The new website doesn't show this job.