Duradek is a sheet of vinyl with seams that are heat-welded every 6 feet. Over time, particularly with the weight and constant vibration of a hot tub, those seams can become stress points.
Flexstone Advantage: It is a liquid-applied urethane that cures into a single, continuous rubberized membrane. There are no seams to peel, crack, or leak, which is a massive benefit when you have a 5,000-lb tub full of water sitting on top of it.

In Whistler, you will likely be shovelling or scraping snow off your deck.

Flexstone Advantage: Because it is "industrial strength" (often used on vehicle parkades and ship decks), it is much harder to damage with a snow shovel. Duradek is a relatively thin vinyl sheet (usually 60 mil) that can be punctured or torn if a metal shovel catches a seam or an edge.

If your deck surface gets damaged, the repair processes are vastly different.

Flexstone Advantage: If you drop something heavy or scratch the surface, you can simply "paint" over the area with a small amount of new coating. It bonds to itself and becomes seamless again.

Duradek Disadvantage: To repair a hole in Duradek, an installer has to heat-weld a "patch" on top. This patch is visible, creates a new seam, and can be felt underfoot.

Whistler’s climate involves constant freezing and thawing, which causes your deck’s wood frame to expand and contract significantly.

Flexstone Advantage: Urethane is naturally more elastic than PVC (vinyl). Flexstone is designed to stretch and move with the wood without becoming brittle in the cold. It has a 20- to 30-year expected lifespan, whereas Duradek typically needs replacing or significant attention after 15 years.

This is an increasingly important factor in the Sea-to-Sky corridor.

Flexstone Advantage: It carries a Class A fire rating (the highest possible). Vinyl (Duradek) is a plastic that will melt and can contribute to fire spread, whereas Flexstone acts as a fire-resistant barrier for the wood underneath.