FAQ

DeckProtect is not mass produced. Since we offer so many different sizes, styles, and colors, plus custom sizes, each DeckProtect is made one at a time at our shop in South Carolina. It may not seem like much because of its low profile, but it involves several different materials including aluminum sheet, aluminum extrusion, powder coating, hard rubber feet, board made of basalt fiber, welding and riveting supplies, packaging materials, etc. We have to source these materials from different vendors and have them shipped to our shop. The Basalt is particularly expensive, and aluminum pricing has gone way up. Making DeckProtect involves, cutting, welding, riveting the aluminum, drilling holes and connecting the feet, cutting and fitting basalt tiles, powder coating, and packaging.

It’s hard to know how much damage a fire pit or fire table will do to your deck. The real value of DeckProtect is that you simply won’t have to worry about it.
DeckProtect™ is not a pad. It is a system engineered to provide maximum protection from the heat under a fire pit. A sturdy aluminum frame houses two layers of tiles made from volcanic rock fiber. Hard rubber feet raise the frame above the deck to allow for air flow and assure that your deck will not become stained from trapped moisture.

There are a number of products advertised online to protect your deck from the heat under a fire pit.

Only DeckProtect™ has been recommended by the leading manufacturer of composite decking.
Only DeckProtect™ has been proven by more than 10,000 homeowners without a single failure. Can any other product say that?
Only DeckProtect™ is available in over 36 sizes and shapes and custom sizes to match any fire pit or fire table.

Yes, DeckProtect seems expensive. If we could make a cheaper product and still be confident that it will protect any deck under any fire pit, we would. In fact, we have been trying for years to come up with a design that we could offer at a fraction of the price. We are still looking at ideas, but so far have not been able to find one. We have tested DeckProtect under the hottest fire pits on warm evenings so that we, ourselves, could be sure of it.

Basically, yes. The frame is aluminum. If you hold a propane torch to the basalt fiber tiles, it will not catch fire. A propane torch, which produces 3,700 degrees Fahrenheit, will degrade the basalt, but not catch it on fire. The heat under a fire pit will probably not exceed 800 degrees F. However, claiming that DeckProtect is fire proof would not be a completely true claim. If it were, for example, caught in an intense house fire, the aluminum frame could deform, if not melt, and the basalt tiles would be degraded.

DeckProtect is built to support the weight of a heavy fire pit up to 200 lbs. If you have a particularly heavy fire pit, it is advisable to send us a photo or link to the website where you are purchasing the fire pit so that we can place the hard rubber feet under the DeckProtect strategically.

One of the advantages of DeckProtect is that it is relatively easy to pick up and move or store. For example, the standard 24” square weighs 8 lbs. The 36” octagon weighs 19 lbs.

Adding the height of the aluminum frame and the height of the hard rubber feet, DeckProtect stands about 2 inches high.

We offer flat rate shipping to locations in Canada. Our flat rate shipping in the U.S. includes Alaska. We can ship DeckProtect overseas. It will had more than $100 to the cost.

This is a good question because propane fire tables do not generate the same kind of heat as a wood-burning fire. The issue with fire tables and outdoor fireplaces is that most have a base that is enclosed rather than open to the air. This means that the heat under the flame is trapped and can build up to a harmful level (170 degrees F.)

No. DeckProtect is made to be used on a hard surface such as a deck or patio. The hard rubber feet raise the frame 1/2” or 3/4” above the deck for air flow. These feet have no effect on a lawn. Also, any flat surface, such as plywood or pavers that press into a lawn will eventually kill the grass, with or without heat.

The best thing to do in that situation is to complain. My greatest fear is that a customer will be disappointed and not let us know. We really, really want to know. Please be as angry and as vocal as you want to be. We won’t be offended; we will be better informed.

Yes because it protects the deck. However, DeckProtect is only the second best option. The best solution is to build the deck around the fire pit, not under it. A good deck builder can do that. The disadvantages of a specially constructed area of your deck that accommodates a fire pit are 1.) it is a much more expensive way to go and 2.) you can’t move it to a different location. Deckprotect weighs only a few pounds can easily be picked up and moved if you want the fire pit in a different location or if you want to put something else in that spot on your deck.

The short answer is I don’t know, and I wish they would. To be fair, it is very risky for any company to recommend another company. By making a specific recommendation, they would be putting their own reputation on the line. I am very grateful that Trex took that step a few years ago, and I believe we have not let them down.

Heat does not have an immediate and visible effect on a patio, such as embossed concrete. However, over time there will be spalling and cracking in the concrete surface. Many of our customers have purchased DeckProtect for their patios

Yes. We have made many custom sizes for fire tables and fireplaces. Just send us an email describing your fire table or include a link to web site where you purchased it.

Yes. If you don’t see the size you need in our shopping cart, let us know by email, and we can make a custom size.

DeckProtect ships from our shop in the southern part of South Carolina. Shipping to northwest state can take 5 or 6 days. Shipping to mid atlantic and southern states is typically 2 days.

We can usually ship a Standard DeckProtect within a couple of days (business days) of when you place your order. Premium versions can take up to 2-3 weeks depending upon how many orders are in the shop.

Our policy is a one-year warranty. However, if the DeckProtect arrives undamaged, and you are not happy with it for any reason, we will issue a full refund up to one month after you receive it. The reason could be that you don’t like the look of it, or you decided you would rather not cover the cost. You must have kept the packaging it came in and cover the cost of return shipping. We have better rates for shipping so we can send you a return label, and when it comes back in good condition, we will issue a refund for the full amount you paid less the cost of the return. If there is something in particular you don’t like about your DeckProtect, please let us know because we may be able to make improvements based on your feedback.

If you change your mind and let us know before your order has shipped, that is an easy situation. We simply cancel the order and issue a refund. You don’t need a good reason for changing your mind, though we would love to know what it is because knowing might help us provide a better product or service in the future.

No problem if we haven’t shipped it yet. We simply change the order and send a new confirmation. If the new size is bigger, we will ask you to pay the difference. If the new size is less expensive, you get a refund for the difference. And if we have already shipped your order before we learn that you would prefer a different size, we will still try to make it right. We would ask you to pay for shipping the order back and shipping the replacement, but we don’t want you to be stuck with a product that is not quite right. The exception is a custom size. If we have completed the custom size before you change your mind, we would be stuck with a product for which we might not be able to find another customer.

If your DeckProtect appears to have been damaged in shipping, we will send you a replacement. We will ask you to return the damaged one in the package it came in. We will send you a return shipping label. If it is usable, despite the damage, we encourage you to go ahead and use it while waiting for the replacement. You should not have to lose the opportunity to enjoy your fire pit because UPS was rough with the package. Your replacement will take some time, but it will get priority in the queue.