Are your mitered deck joints opening up after installation? You're not alone — it's one of the #1 callback reasons for deck builders. In this episode of The Deckheads Podcast we break down everything you need to know about managing joints in composite and PVC decking.

🔧 WHAT WE COVER:

🇨🇦 GAP CAP IN CANADA: We're the official Canadian distributor for Gap Cap. Canadian stock is landing soon — we'll be able to ship anywhere in the country. Builders and dealers: reach out about wholesale pricing.

🪵 BRANDS DISCUSSED:

🛠️ PRODUCTS MENTIONED:

Whether you're a pro builder or a serious DIYer, understanding how your decking moves with temperature is the difference between a deck that looks great on day one and one that still looks great years later.

🛒 Shop composite and PVC decking: www.tuds.ca

#CompositeDeck #DeckBuilding #PVCDecking #DeckInstallation #DeckTips #MiteredJoints #BreakerBoard #GapCap #Azek #Trex #DeckPodcast

White pants. A golf course. No bathroom in sight. That's where this one starts — and somehow we still end up breaking down the 7 outdoor living trends Deck Specialist Magazine says are defining this spring's decking season.

We go through all of them: blending indoor and outdoor style, weather protection and why Zillow says an outdoor fireplace adds 2.8% to your home's sale price, the color debate, black railings, fast-install railing systems, whether cooler decking technology is real or snake oil, and wellness spaces. We agree on most of it. We push back on a few. 

Build something worth being outside for. 

00:00 Deal Site Banter

06:48 Baseball Pants Talk

10:55 Outdoor Living Trend One

14:01 AI Designs and Expectations

16:34 Realtor Demo and Budget Shock

19:03 Weather Protection Upgrades

19:45 Selling the Fire Pit

21:09 Pergolas Shade and Privacy

25:13 Modern Black Railings

26:19 Fast Install Railing Kits

28:52 Cooler Decking Myth

33:17 Wellness and Home Gardening

37:40 Wrapping Up and Banter

#DeckheadsPodcast #OutdoorLiving #DeckDesign #Decking #TheUltimateDeckShop #tuds.ca

Most people spend $3,000 on a patio set before they spend $200 on the deck it's sitting on. In this episode of The Deckheads, we walk through five deck upgrades that are all under $500, all doable in a weekend, and all the difference between a deck that looks tired in five years and one that looks (and lasts) like it costs twice as much. 

Some of these you'll see. Some of these you won't - and that's the point. From the $150 roll of joist tape that adds 10-15 years to your frame, to the lighting trick that changes how often you actually sit out there, to the picture-frame retrofit that makes any deck look custom-built - these are the upgrades contractors wish more homeowners knew about. 

Whether you're planning a new build, resurfacing an existing deck, or just trying to get more out of the deck you've already got, this one's for you. 

The Deckheads is brought to you by The Ultimate Deck Shop - Saskatchewan's backyard building centre, with locations in Regina and Saskatoon. We stock every product mentioned in this episode. 

www.tuds.ca 

Winter is brutal on decks - especially in Saskatchewan. Frost heave, ice loading, and months of freeze-thaw cycles can turn a perfectly good deck into a safety hazard before you even notice. In this episode we will walk you through a complete spring deck inspection in about 20 minutes, covering every part of your deck from the surface boards to the ledger board(the #1 cause of deck collapses). 

Whether you've got a wood deck, composite, or PVC, this checklist will help you spot problems early - while they're still cheap fixes - instead of finding our the hard way in the middle of the summer. 

Got questions about something you found on your deck? Send us the photos and our team will help you sort it out.

tuds.ca

If you're shopping composite decking in 2026, Eva-Last keeps showing up - but with three flagship lines and lots of marketing, it's easy to get lost. Today we break down Infinity IS, Apex Plus, and Pioneer: how they're built, what the warranties really cover, and who each one is actually for. 

A lot has changed in the decking industry in just the last 30 days - new acquisitions, new products, new cost pressures - and if you're planning a deck this year, whether you're a contractor quoting jobs or a homeowner getting ready to build, there's some stuff you need to know. We're going to walk you through all of it, and by the end of this episode you'll know exactly how to navigate the 2026 deck season like a pro. 

Dave and Joey — the BROLAWS behind one of Ontario's most recognized deck-building brands — pull up a chair at TUDS-X and it goes exactly where you'd expect. Zero script, zero filter.

You'll hear why some young people walk away from the trades before they ever find their footing, why the trades need better culture as much as they need more workers, and what it actually takes to build a business — not just a pile of decks.

Turns out, school teaches you how to learn. The trades teach you how to build. This episode is about doing both.

Trade show season is here — but are you actually getting ROI, or just showing up out of habit?

In this episode, we break down how to evaluate trade shows the right way, what we learned from building our own contractor-focused event, and how to set goals that actually drive results — whether you're chasing brand awareness or qualified leads.

In this episode we break down everything you need to know about deck footings — from simple on-grade systems for low decks to deep helical piles for Regina's expansive clay soil. If you've ever wondered why your deck shifts every spring, this one's for you. We cover frost depth, soil type, load ratings, local codes, and compare three real products side by side: GH Levelers, Pyx adjustable saddles, and 50" helical screw piles. Plus — why water weight from hot tubs and pools catches builders off guard, and when concrete piles actually make things worse. Built in Saskatchewan. Tested in the prairies. This is the foundation conversation most deck builders skip.

🔨 Shop footings & piles at tuds.ca

📐 Get a free quote: https://estimator.tuds.ca/