What fence contractors want from dealers

I\I'ATURALLY, the retailer's price

Il is a big concern among fence contractors because they must be able to submit competitive bids to earn projects and still make a profit. But, just like the lumber yard, the contractor has to offer more than just the lowest price to stay in business.

And contracton who specialize in wood fences were not shy in revealing what lumber yards and home centers could do to eam their business.

A major complaint is the quality of wood offered. "During the winter months, you get some wood that looks like it's been sining on a rail car for a while," said redwood and cedar Contractor A.

"Overall, my suppliers are consistent " he added. "They offer a construction heart that's pretty decent, but you have to pick through the wood to find it. I'd like to just ake a load and forklift it right on tle truck, but I did that once and had to take three-quarters of it back."

"I only buy prime wood, A-l prime tight knot. I don't want any knots coming out of it or anything," said Contractor B. 'And with Home Depot, Home Base, you can forget about that. They've got good stuff, but you have to dig through giant piles to get to it. I'd pay a liule more if they could sepra.e ir"

Bad quality combined with worse service lost one retailer this contractor's busines fmever. He explaine( "I got a lift from one company and half of it was rotten and they wouldn't take it back I won't buy posts from them anymore."

For Contractor C, excellent service isn't necessry but dependability is an absolute musL 'They all deliver, but if they qm't ftmage it in the time we need it, why bother?'she said.

"We used to go to places like Builders Square, but we just didn't get the service," Contractor D recalled. "Plus, it's another middle man and they've got to make their profit, too."

Like many of the other larger fence contractors, he's now buying his wood products mill direct. 'nVe buy

Story at a Glance Quality and convenience top priorities in serving fence contractors ... working with

contractors ... many now buying direct from mills.

right " he said. "lVe're basically just paying the local lunber and plywood cmpany for housing it. We tell tb€m what grade we want, forecast the quantity for the next number of mon0s, and buy by the truck and trailer lmds, mill dir€cL"

"We buy retail only if we bave to, only if somebody wants some real oddball surff," added Contracta C. Contracta D likes his lumber sup plier because he can do for him wbat o$ers can't. 'We buy construction common #l redwood and two faced #l cedar boag specially made for us. We're the only ones I lnow that are able to Fovide it- It costs us a littb more but it's worth it to be able to install a fence that looks good from both sides."

Plus, said D, the yrd 'is a familyowned operation, and they senrice us real well."

Still, business from many other fence contradon is there for tbe taking. Contractor A explained: 'I'd like a new place to buy, someplace where I can buy wholesale in greater quantity. But I haven't found that place yet. I wonder if such a place exists."

Added C: *We're lopl !o whoeier has the best price and the best product."

A RCHITECTURAL styles may 4lhave changed over the years, but the perception of cypress as a beautiful" durable, versatile wood mequaled for i0s aesthetic appeal and practicality continues.

Retailers who sell cyprcss classify the market as small - strictly a specialty market. Although the cypress manufacturers are working hard to make their Products more readilY accessible, lumber buyers all agree they have problems with availability.

Story at a Glance

Gypress has timeless aPPeal ... small, specialized market not easy to get siding most popular product price in $5(X) to $1500 range.

"It's not easy to get," said Matt Hodges, one of thfee owners at Hodges Brothers Lumber, Fort Walton Beach, Fl. A commodities buyer at a South Carolina building center blames the limited supply on environmental pressures, pointing out that cypress grows only in areas classified as wet lands.

Kiln dried cyprcss is reportedly the hardest to find, possibly because the wood is difficult to dry. Hodges compues the drying process for cypress to that of drying oak or PoPlar. If clpress is improperly dried, problems develop. Cypress that is overdried tends to crack while that which is only partially dried will have problems when a finish is aPPlied. Propoly dried cypress has little tendency to warp, twist or cup and takes a finish beautifully.

Because cypress has a natural preservative oil known as "cypressene," its heartwood has a natural resistance to insects and decaY. Cypress has few knots. Because it has high tolerance of the elements, it has developed the reputation of being the ideal product to use in coastal areas.

Cypress buyers are usuallY homeowners or builders familiar with the wood's attributes or architects who piefer it over cedar for its aesthetic qgalities, Hodges Points out. His company sells mostly siding with some fencing and fim, Plus timbers and dimension for ornarnental structures such as gazebos. Liule cypress