Decked Out

On my last blog I wrote about the various costs of the products that we sell,  and one species ( in my humble opinion) deserves a lot of consideration.  Western Red Cedar.  This is a renewable softwood resource and relatively plentiful compared to some of the exotics and specialty woods.  The decking grades BuildDirect sells are  “knotty” grades  that the mills select for the sound tight knots for a solid surface.  We have  two grades, the sound tight knot,  “select”,  and the “#2 and better no hole” grade, a slightly less grade and still good for one side for decking.  See

 As a wood, Western Red Cedar is  classified as durable species,  and decks can last twenty plus years with some maintenance.  It has been used for roofing shingles and shakes,  sidewall shingles for the cottage craftsman look, interior panelling, exterior siding in bevel, channel and board and batten,  and of course Decking.  The color is similar to Redwood, but not quite as red, more of a brown color and very pleasing to the eye.  Interior paneling of  the tongue and groove product in clear or knotty grades  definitely adds character to rooms.  On a historical note, Cedar has been used for centuries in the Pacific North West.  See www.wrcla.org for what I think is the definitive source on this species,  the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association is an extremely valuable resource for knowledge and handling of Cedar.

With Decking,  the most used sizes are the 5/4 x 6  (net size is 1″ x 5 1/2″)  and 2×6  (net size is 1 1/2″  x 5 1/2″) as the width is good for walking on and the wider width gives the board added strength.  The 5/4 x 6 can be used to span 16″ on center,  and 2×6  for a 24″ span on center.   The 5/4 x 4 and the 2×4 should be limited to 12″ span.

Pricing is attractive in Cedar,  it has the image of a specialty species and expensive, however I don’t think so as there are many  more expensive exotics in the market.  Pressure treated wood is less money, however the Pines and Hemlocks have their own characteristics and in a direct comparison, I prefer Cedar.  When some of the exotic clear grades are $2.50 - 3.50 a lineal foot, the Cedar  5/4 x 6 at 1.07 and the 2×6 at 1.44  are very good value.  The #2and better grade is even more of a bargain,  0.54 a lineal foot.  I cannot comment on what other companies do on price,     the prices on our website are our FOB mill prices and the only variable is the freight cost for home or commercial delivery. 

Cedar is value.

Regards Glen

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Just a little bit about the finishing process for fiber cement boards. The factory finish applied by the manufacturer offers two major advantages. First, your purchasing a product that is ready to install. The boards come painted, the caulking is color coded to the paint and even the nails match. This relieves homeowners of the headache that is known as “We’re painting the house”. I’m sure the painters out there won’t be happy to hear it but for the most part, planning a painting project around the weather, having to spread drop sheets over the greenhouse and watching 3-4 people milling around the home isn’t always a sought after experience. It really is nice to be able to finish the job with a few less steps. Granted there will be some touch up necessary after the product is installed but a factory finish is a world away from bringing in the paint squad.

Secondly, the finish that the factory applies is better quality. Applied in a controlled environment, the two coats are evenly distributed over the boards. The first coat is applied and then baked on. The second coat is applied and also baked on. No bugs, streaks or moisture problems. After paint, the boards are coated with a plastic to protect them through transportation. At the end of the day your siding is installed, painted. Some two coat applications can even give you a25 yr. warranty against peeling, blistering etc.

So having said all this, and by way I have friends who paint homes for a living, I would invite a painters perspective on the factory finish versus the field application. I mean what is the argument against this process, it seems too good? Did I mention it’s usually cheaper…..

Tyler Fox

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Just another note on relative costs of products,  we have many products and nowhere is there a quick summary of various products’ pricing,  so here goes. This is only a guide,  as of April ‘08 but gives you a comparison to work with.   One item to check is the Cedar  5/4 x 6  #2and better grade,  this is an outstanding value for a natural wood, no preservatives and the grade still gives  a very good deck.  Expect a little more trimming so adjust the wastage factor.

At the top end of the scale for performance the composites, PVC, and hardwoods are excellent as well,  I cannot recommend one over the other,  the customers’ preferences rule.

Price Ladder-   fob warehouse or mill- all prices  $us/lineal foot- 

       Regards, Glen 

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Hi all,

Here is something that seems to be so basic that no one ever asks it until they get into the situation.

“Where do I start my stone? Top down or bottom up?

Well what I can say is there really isn’t a right or wrong way to do it as long as they stick. The trouble with installing in a fashion that is unconventional is that you will have too many variables to look after. If you are doing the entire wall it may be a little easier, reason being is that you can hide some mistakes either near the ground or near the eves. If you are installing stone veneer as a wainscoting then it would make sense to start top down.

Let me explain, most times if you are only doing the first 3 to 4 feet up the wall you are going to use a ledge to separate the 2 types of siding. Well you want to make sure that your stones are parallel with the ledge. If you install your ledge and then start on the bottom and work your way up, you will likely have a disaster if you don’t snap a chalk line to keep you straight. If you use the foundation as your check to keep the stones straight the results will be disappointing. Take a read on this site it has some opinions on where to start.

The only one that made sense to me and I think everyone was missing it. Start with the corners first. Then decide where you want to go from there. Bottom line there is no wrong way as long as the walls don’t leak and the stone look good.

Dave T.

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You are building or renovating “the deck”  and what materials do you decide to use.  I have seen the industry change from the simple choice of Cedar or Pressure treated woods to a myriad of products.  A quick recap  of products would be:

• Western Red Cedar - the traditional natural choice
• Pressure treated woods
• Composite decking
• Hardwood Species- Ipe, Cumaru,  Tigerwood, 

I want to talk a little more about what do you do after you have made the choice of the deck surface.  Some buyers now want the “matching material”  however there are a lot of choices out there and we have two, hopefully more to come later. Our Lang railings are aluminum, six  powder coated colors, with rails or glass panels, an easy to install system, pick your posts, rails and pickets and any accessories you need and it is finished.  Our other system is Ridge,  Western Red Cedar clear kiln-dried posts and rails, with either glass or black pickets.  Both are excellent systems. You can find them under decking.

Regards, Glen

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Hi All,

A lot of you are asking if there are any short cuts you can take when installing manufactured stone inside the home. i.e. using construction adhesive instead of a mortar. Inside or out, its best to stick to” Best Practices”, use the products the manufacturers recommend in there warranty guidelines. In short, use a mortar.

If you haven’t used any cement type products before, don’t be scared of them. If you follow the directions, it can be very easy to use and clean up depending on the scale of your project. Anyone’s that’s made a mess up with construction adhesives or had a tube explode in your gun, knows that not the case here.

I recently found a web site called “Contractors Talk“. It’s a forum of Pro installers talking to other Pros’. There’s vast array of construction topics just like this. What I like about it, at least in the topics that I’ve visited, there seem to be more than just two guys discussing one topic so you get more than one opinion.

Check it out.

Build it well

Stevo

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Natural wood decking is still a great product, many home owners now want something that is maintenance free and frankly that kind of decking does not exist. Everything has maintenance and the value equation is one of the time spent, the result and the value added to the home. One growing category in Canada and the US is the hardwood decking of Ipe, Cumaru, and Tigerwood, all of which are long lasting and durable - more so than the softwoods usually used for decking.

Maintenance options are the same as softwoods, you can leave it alone and the deck will turn gray with weathering, however simply putting on a water repellant with a UV protector can add years to the deck and keep the natural colors longer. I believe in doing this. It is money well spent to keep up the appearance of the deck as a lot of labor and money built it in the first place.

Protect the deck from grease and grime, if you have a BBQ on the deck, use some sort of matting under the deck, one customer was quite upset about BBQ grease and childrens’ spills on the deck. I sympathized but no warranty on that sort of mess and prevention is the best cure.

regards, Glen

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On every call for decking,  I get asked about shipping and delivery,  and on every call the response is .. we can deliver just about anywhere.  There are categories of delivery that the truckers use,  these are not our rules but industry standards for the truckers.  All our decking is too long for a lift-gate, with the exception of the Kon-Tiki deck tiles that are palletized.  If you are a homeowner or contractor wanting delivery to the  job site ,  this is  classified as a “residential” delivery with extra time  allotted for you to unload the stock.  It is a manual off load, the strapping is cut and you take the boards off a couple at a time.  One lift would take 2 or 3 men about 15-20 minutes,  not a big job but one you have to be prepared to do.  And yes,  the truckers phone ahead for a delivery appointment about a day or two ahead as they will not send the truck out until that appointment has been made.

A second category is “commercial delivery” that is classified as a warehouse with a loading and unloading dock the truck can back up to.  Unloading is simply pulling the pallets out of the truck with warehouse forklifts.  There is a time and dollar saving here versus the residential delivery but not always enough to compensate.  Usually it is better to go directly to the job site unless the order is a larger volume.  ( a forklift at the job site is still a residential delivery unless you have an unloading ramp.

Our trucking partners use van type trucks for the most part,  by special order for larger volumes we can do the flat beds, usually the long haul trips do not have fork lifts and having a fork lift on site would be the buyers’ responsibilities.

 Before ordering,  please make sure to clarify any questions regarding shipping and delivery,  it can be too late when the truck is coming down the street to your house.

Regards, Glen

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Recently I had mentioned the importance of matching the renovation to the income bracket and interests of your potential market. So continuing with this thread we can talk a little bit about a couple of projects that offer high returns.

In general kitchens, bathrooms and exteriors offer the highest percentage returns, or in other words these projects tend to recoup 80-90% of the money you spend on them. There is a website www.bankrate.com that will provide accurate numbers on which renovations show the best returns in different American markets.

Kitchens, in the modern home tend to be the focal point of the interior. It is an area to which people naturally gravitate and prospective buyers are going to pay close attention to the layout and appliances. The function and aesthetics of a kitchen seem to leave solid impressions on people.

Bathrooms seem to have the ability to recoup a fair amount of their costs as well. I have no idea why bathrooms recoup costs.

Siding however, we can talk about. Would you leave your child out in the rain for ten years with an ugly coat? A coat that comes apart at the seams and funnels water into their socks? Probably not.

Siding is the same. It is a renovation that, coupled with the roof, protects the rest of your investment from the elements. It has the ability to draw some curb appeal or attention to your exterior while protecting your home from leaks and eventually mildew and rot. At the end of the day it is the renovation that will put the most money back in your pocket.

Good Day.

Tyler Fox

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The warm weather is coming, believe it or not,  and the deck projects are on the minds of many folks.  Lead time for delivery is a big factor and too often we have calls from potential customers who want it for “this weekend”.   Please, give yourself the leadtime to plan, order, for us to deliver, and then for you to build the deck without rushing before that major  weekend of the family party. 

Composite decking, PVC (vinyl), wood decking (Cedar, Ipe, Cumaru), or deck tiles to cover the old concrete patio all take time to arrange, shipping and transit time to you, so plan accordingly.  Deck railings also take some time and should be given the same consideration.  Avoid the rush by planning and ordering now, a sequence of events could be

1. plan                                    1-2 weeks
2. order                                  1 hour or 1 week, depending on details
3. lead time to delivery        7-10 working days
4. construction                      as long as it takes, as many hands as it takes

Regards, Glen

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