The Deckheads Podcast

3D design services are becoming more and more a part of the decking building process.  From free design tools online, to paid services provided by landscapers and deck builders, these tools can provide a fantastic visual for your upcoming project.  Let's learn a little bit more about the value and options of this trend!   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatedecksho...

Our history with Dave and Joey gave us the confidence that we didn't have to spend any time prepping for this episode, we knew we would just connect, hit it off, and fill the entire hour and then some.  Maybe that was a mistake.  On today's episode of completely random thoughts, laughing, and stupidity... we rip of a round table for the ages with the Brolaws live in our studio!   Find more The Ult...

February is here, IBS is over, and spring is soon to be sprung.  And that means every manufacturer has committed to their game plan for 2020.  So on this episode, we discuss what all of the big brands are bringing to the table in 2020.  Included in this conversation, Trex, Timbertech, Fiberon, and Deckorators.  What's new, what's hot, what's no... let's go!   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: http...

Pressure treated lumber is the go to material for framing decks in almost any market, anywhere.  But steel has slowly gaining attention over the last number of years mainly via Trex Elevations steel framing.  But now new options are coming to market such as Fortress Evolutions steel framing and DexSpan aluminum framing that are helping from both a distribution, availability, and price point.  So m...

There are no shortage of trade shows in our industry... IBS, DeckExpo, LOC, WRLA, JLC Live and on and on.  And then there are local home, garden, and spring shows in every market.  All of these shows fall into 3 main categories: Product Trade Shows, Buying Shows, and Home Shows.  We discuss all the above and chat about what value they could bring to your business.   Find more The Ultimate Deck Sho...

One of the biggest challenges of running a business in the decking industry, or literally any industry ever, is finding good people.  As a business grows beyond the founder doing everything, it's pivotal to find the people that can help you succeed.  And there's a few key points that help weed through the masses to find those good people.  We tackle that on Episode 61.   Find more The Ultimate Dec...

It's not often that contractors are so in tune with the backend of their business, but Michael Scott of Simcoe Decks has a passion for the numbers.  In spite of being in the very early stages of his company, Mike understands the importance of knowing your numbers, implementing processes, and the psychology of his customers.  There's a lot to learn in today's episode of The Ultimate Deck Podcast, e...

Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020!  At this time of year, the gyms are full and burger joints see a slump in sales as we all make resolutions that we hold for at least 72 hours.  But what about your business?  This is a great time to make some adjustments and get off to a good start for the year.  So here are 5 resolutions you should consider for your business.   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://w...

What a year it's been!  In late 2018, we decided to start a podcast.  We had an idea in mind and knew what we wanted to do, but no concrete plan.  Well, as it turned out, 2019 was a great year for the podcast.  And so, let's have a look at the who, the what, and the how 2019 treated The Ultimate Deck Podcast.   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatedeckshop https://i...

On today's podcast, Shane and Justin chat it up with Vinyl Guys owner, Ryan Leslie.  Operating out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Vinyl Guys is a fence and deck company that focuses on high quality, maintenance free solutions.  Listen to learn a little more about Ryan and his company!   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatedeckshop https://instagram.com/theulti...

As Christmas draws near, we list off 12 items that any deck builder should love to find under the tree, to make their work lives easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable.  Merry Christmas!   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatedeckshop https://instagram.com/theultimatedeckshop https://www.facebook.com/theultimatedeckshop https://twitter.com/theultdeckshop   Find...

The NADRA Deck Award dinner happened in Louisville, Kentucky during Deck Expo 2019.  Winners from 24 categories were announced, and the hardware was handed out.  One today's episode, we discuss the award categories and who won them, and follow that up with 10 reasons why you might want to consider entering in 2020! Find the award winning projects here:  https://www.nadra.org/awards/2019-awards    ...

When the snow falls, the phone stops ringing.  But for homeowners, the winter can be an ideal time to invest in a deck.  Here are 6 reasons why a winter build make good sense! BONUS:  At the end of the episode, Shane, Wade, Justin, and Pat partake in the One Chip Challenge... the hottest tortilla chip on the planet.  Ouchie.   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatede...

Live from the Deckorators booth in Louisville, Kentucky at Deck Expo 2019...for the FINAL time.  We chat with Greg Groenhout, Product Manager at Camo Fasteners about their new Camo Edge system.  We also open the mics back up to chat with Joel Siebert from Moutainview Building Materials in Calgary, Alberta and Quebec contractor Eric Theroux.   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.c...

Live from the Deckorators booth in Louisville, Kentucky at Deck Expo 2019.  We sat down with some of the best in the industry, Deckorators Certified Pros: Sean from Premier Outdoor Living, Joe from All Decked Out, and Leif from Cascade Fence and Deck.  There's a lot of awards hardware sitting at this table as we learn a little more about how they run their operations!   Find more The Ultimate Deck...

Live from Louisville, Kentucky at Deck Expo 2019.  Hosted by Deckorators at their booth, and during the Instagram Meetup, we held an OPEN MIC and gave the crowd of contractors an opportunity to sit down and chat it up on the podcast  Listen to find out who!     Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatedeckshop https://instagram.com/theultimatedeckshop https://www.facebo...

We are live from Louisville, Kentucky at Deck Expo 2019.  Hosted by Deckorators at their booth, we sat down with Jase DeBoer to chat about what's new for 2020 from Deckorators.  Exciting stuff! Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatedeckshop https://instagram.com/theultimatedeckshop https://www.facebook.com/theultimatedeckshop   Find more Shane Chapman: https://www.in...

Being an entrepreneur is a lonely and stressful gig.  And one of the most lonely and stressful lines of work is that of a contractor.  Nobody ever teaches you how to manage employees, manage customers, manage your books, manage your finances, your purchasing, your taxes, your competitors, you market.  It's a big job and quite often it lands all on your shoulders alone.  And nobody teaches us how t...

Warranties are used as marketing tools by the whole decking industry.  At face value, they all seem great!  But what's really behind the number?  How good is the warranty?  And how does it compare to other brands? This is Part 2: Deckorators, Wolf, and Clubhouse.   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatedeckshop https://instagram.com/theultimatedeckshop https://www.fa...

Warranties are used as marketing tools by the whole decking industry.  At face value, they all seem great!  But what's really behind the number?  How good is the warranty?  And how does it compare to other brands? We do a deep dive on decking warranties, and we start with the big three: Trex, TimberTech, and Fiberon.   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatedeckshop h...

In what is sure to be one of our favourite episodes ever, small business owner Sean Stefan of The Rusty Shovel Landscape Shop joins us in studio to talk about his journey, small business advice, and random foolishness with The Ultimate Deck Shop crew. Sean is a smart dude, who has grown his business to a staple in the community of Regina, Saskatchewan.  Give this a listen.   Find more The Ultimate...

Working for free might not be something you've put much thought into, but we think there's a ton of value in doing it.  So we discuss that, and a bunch of other disorganized rambling on THIS episode!   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatedeckshop https://instagram.com/theultimatedeckshop https://www.facebook.com/theultimatedeckshop   Find more Shane Chapman: https:...

Every once and a while we hit up Instagram Stories to ask the community for questions we can discuss and answer on the podcast.  This is one of those times.   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatedeckshop https://instagram.com/theultimatedeckshop https://www.facebook.com/theultimatedeckshop   Find more Shane Chapman: https://www.instagram.com/theshanechapman

"Composite Decking" is a bit of a catchall phrase.  So let's break this down and chat about all the different types and ways that this stuff is made so we understand why some is CHEAP, and some is not.   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatedeckshop https://instagram.com/theultimatedeckshop https://www.facebook.com/theultimatedeckshop   Find more Shane Chapman: http...

There are your run-of-the-mill contractors, and then there's Dave and Joey from BroLaws Construction: the funny, quirky, "living their best life" personalities from your favourite HGTV shows such as Decked Out, Deck Wars, Home to Win, Custom Built and more. Something told us we'd have a few things in common.  Check it out.   Find more The Ultimate Deck Shop: https://www.youtube.com/theultimatedeck...