Clinics encourage western red cedat fencing sales

I\ EALERS can encourag,e westU ern red cedar sales plus add-on purchases with fencing clinics this spring. Many homeowners who need to repair or replace fences are overwhelmed by the idea of doing it themselves yet unable to afford to hire a [ence specialist,

Before getting into the nitty gritty of actual fence construction, a clinic should cover several important points, including a discussion of the reasons for fences.

The overall purpose of a fence is to improve the property it surrounds. A fence is a frame for a house and should complement the architecture and landscaping. Fences do more than keep children and pets in or out. They also provide security and privacy.

Tall, solid fences can give complete privacy and a feeling o[ security, but they also may block air circulation and sunshine in the garden. They also may create a cramped, closed-in feeling. Fences that have boards nailed to alternating sides of stringers or boards attached in a bevel fashion provide privacy with a more attractive appearance.

Care must be taken that a fence looks good on the neighbor's side as well. It's a good idea for neighbors to plan and build fences together so they will suit both sides.

Local building codes and any deed restrictions should be checked before beginning any fence. The location in relation to the property line also should be considered.

In addition to discussing appearance, performance and legal requirements, a fence clinic should cover the types of finishes suitable for fencing. While western red cedar can be left unfinished to weather to a silver gray, it also can be stained. Penetrating stains are the best recommendation. They can be transparent, semi-transparent or opaque. Many have water repellent additives and mildew inhibitors. lf a painted finish is desired, an all-acrylic latex paint applied over a water repellent preservative and prime coat is best.

Additional uses for fencing and fence construction techniques should be pointed out. Fencing can be used to screen unsightly items such as pool equipment, air conditioning units or house and garden trash cans, Fencing screens also can be used to separate sandboxes or play equipment from the main yard or establish private areas for sun bathing or relaxing.

Story at a Glance

How to bulld cedar sales with a iencing clinic. basics to dis. cuss and demonstrate. cross merchandising of fasteners, finishes and tools.

Accessories such as benches and planters, which often can be built with material leftover from building a fence, also should be covered briefly. Lattice also can be part of a fence clinic.

Proper tools can be discussed in depth since many homeowners will need to purchase tools to do the job. A discussion of fasteners and the criteria for selecting the best ones is another must.

Instructions on measuring and determining the amount of lumber needed to fence the area and an actual demonstration of construction methods for several styles of lences should conclude the clinic.

Handouts with diagrams of various fence styles, instructions for measuring for material, and construction techniques are helpful to reinlorce the lessons presented at the clinic.

It ALUE added products usually U support higher margins because customers will pay for superior appearance and performance. Western red cedar, properly prepared and presented, is at the top of the list.

Kiln dried, appearance quality western red cedar knotty siding products, because they look more expensive than commodity items, can have higher margins at retail. Many cedar siding manufacturers have grasped this concept and are turning out these products with eye satisfying, high quality appearances and performance.

Retailers who inventory speciality appearance products are finding it possible to put higher margins on them. Margins are often double or more than those of CDX, studs and 2xl0 commodities where appearance is not important. And, say those practicing this visual marketing, the margin applied is retained because of high quality and no returns.

"Retailers must get rid of the commodity mind set," advises a cedar manufacturer who is enthusiastic about quality and the potential of appearance cedar products. "They can count on solid margins with these products. Their customers love the way they look and work and willingly pay a premium price. And because they perform, those customers repeat their purchases."

Appearance products are usually manufactured one step higher than the grade book requires. Instead of being dried to 190/o for S-DRY designation or 15% for an MCl5 stamp, they are dried to l2o/o MC. Because of the extremely high standards, these products are often considered to be l00o/o consumer usable.

Builders can have the superior appearance, workability and performance of knotty appearance cedar siding for only slightly more than the cost of siding panels or man-made sidings. The product offers many of the benefits of clear vertical grain siding for much less.

The appearance grade cedar market niche has been encouraged by the shift from old growth cedar to young growth timber. Young growth timber has tighter knots, a solid heart and a more uniform color, all of which are well suited to knotty cedar appearance products. Manfacturers ofwestern red cedar products in the northwest area of the United