A look Inside Deckorators & Their Rapid Growth w/ Chris Berg | F&D Mastery Podcast #35

Chris Berg moved from a Hilti account-management role into decking after falling in love with the trade through deck-resurfacing projects with his father-in-law, and now serves as Deckorators' Northeast Territory Manager from Virginia to Maine.

Deckorators started as a baluster and aluminum-accessories brand, then acquired a technology originally meant for siding about a decade ago and turned it into deck boards — the foundation of what became its trademarked Surestone line.

The wood-composite lineup runs from Venture (an entry-level scalloped board with a high-end streaked/variegated finish) to Vista (a full-body board in four colors with enhanced slip-resistant traction and fully capped slots to prevent water channeling).

The flagship Surestone boards — Vault and Voyage — contain no wood (crushed limestone and polypropylene pulled like taffy), making them as light as PVC yet strong enough to survive a full trade-show sledgehammer test unbroken, plus heat-resistant caps and ground-contact rating.

Warranties are a core selling point: wood composites carry a 25-year structural warranty while Surestone technology gets 50 years, with a 25-year limited labor-and-replacement warranty across the board — even entry-level Venture.

Deckorators' aluminum railings use a special coating that holds a 10-year warranty near salt water where competitors typically drop to a one-year warranty, and its boards work with any hidden fastener rather than forcing a proprietary clip.

A massive consumer-facing marketing push — roughly $8.4M last year rising to about $10.6M this year — spans March Madness and HGTV ads, a Vista deck in the Barbie movie, and a new PGA partnership, driving homeowners to educate themselves and pull contractors toward the brand.

Growth is fed by a feedback loop: R&D staff walk trade shows with pen and paper collecting contractor input, a certified-Pro program routes website leads to nearby builders, and Berg coaches contractors that a website, Google ads, and 3D rendering are now essential.