Deck Specialist - Fall 2021

Digital Edition PLAY UP “ADVENTURE DECKS” Sponsored by

• CONTRACTOR Q&A WITH THE WOOD BULLY • DECKEXPO PREVIEW

DECK SPECIALIST Ideas & Strategies for Outdoor Living Professionals

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Fall 2021

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DECK SPECIALIST Ideas & Strategies for Outdoor Living Professionals

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Fall 2021

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DECK

SPECIALIST

Ideas & Strategies for Outdoor Living Professionals FEATURED STORIES

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Adventure Decks Play structures are a hot commodity

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Pro Q&A: The Wood Bully

WHAT’S HOT

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Deck Restoration Dealing with uneven wear and tear

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Local Bias Decking preferences vary by region

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

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Accessible Oasis Homeowner leaves builder inspired

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INDUSTRY EVENTS

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DeckExpo Returns In-person event is coming to Dallas

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ON THE COVER: TC Decks’ Levi Tippetts has discovered that building and designing play structures into his projects creates a lot of opportunity.

(Photo by TC Decks)

ALSO INSIDE 10 Editor’s Note 12 52 54 56 58 62 80 81 82

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Industry News Parks & Deck Creation with Bobby Parks On the House with the Carey Bros.

Product Reviews with Marv Johnson Set the Standard with Brendan Casey New Products Date Planner Ad Index Idea Book

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Fall 2021 • Volume 5 • Number 23

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EDITOR’S NOTE

What Happens in Dallas One topic of conversation that continues to come up in our office is what the future looks like when it comes to in-person shows and events. It’s a little insane to think that our industry’s first live trade show—Deck Expo 2021—is just a month away. As I began to think of all the regular necessities I’ll need to “dust off” when the time comes to travel again—my go-to trade show shoes, business cards, a spacious bag for all the swag—one very important word continued to come to mind: relationships. And that has stayed top of mind.

The past year I’ve been lucky to learn the ins and outs of the industry from some very knowledgeable builders, and I am so grateful for that. I’ve shared calls and Zoom meetings with pros who have spent the better part of their careers submerged in this industry, and the one thing they’ve all had in common is how much they value their relationships with customers, team members and suppliers alike.

To be candid, I know the weeks leading up to DeckExpo could be full of excitement and a little bit of uncertainty. What’s the show going to be like? How are people going to respond? How will attendance numbers be? I’m sure I won’t be the only one with these burning questions. But as we get closer, I know the feeling of uncertainty will fade.

Why? Because this issue is full of articles that reflect optimism and hope. It truly reflects a thriving industry. And it’s our biggest issue in Deck Specialist history. Details on what to expect in terms of education at DeckExpo—

happening this November in the great city of Dallas—can be found on page 45.

But no matter what happens at this year’s event, no matter the turnout, I’m confident that relationships will be made and reignited— because that’s just how our industry is designed.

We thrive on live events and it’s been way too long.

My plan this year is to take away as much as I can from the events I attend. I want to build relationships that will continue to shape this publication into the industry resource you’ve looked up to for the past four years and will continue to look up to for years to come.

So, whatever happens in Dallas, may it do nothing but fuel us to make the next industry event even better.

I hope to see many of you soon as the industry starts looking forward to in-person events again.

Safe travels to all of you!

Stephanie Ornelas is managing editor of Deck Specialist. Reach her at sornelas@526mediagroup.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS Wolf is a designer and supplier of branded decking, railing, cabinetry, vanities, countertops and other residential building products.

“We are thrilled to welcome Wolf into the PrimeSource Brands family,” said Tom Koos, CEO of PrimeSource. “CEO Craig Danielson and his team have created a terrific service model that differentiates Wolf from anyone in their space, and the national footprint and overall scale PrimeSource brings will enable them to expand rapidly. Their leadership in Wolf-branded products, combined with a focus on the high growth markets in and around residential repair and remodel and outdoor living, fits very well with our strategy.”

NFL MASCOT Pat Patriot, the New England Patriot cheerleaders, and Walpole Outdoors executives Laurie Gleason, Jack Irwin, and Jay Rowe (l-r) cut the ribbon to officially open Walpole’s new national headquarters and retail showroom at Patriot Place.

Walpole Touches Down at New Patriot Place Headquarters

Walpole Outdoors unveiled its new national headquarters and retail showroom at Patriot Place in Foxborough, MA. The completely renovated 9,300-sq. ft. space will house Walpole’s corporate offices, as well as a state-of-the-art retail showroom—allowing for an environment of shared thinking and integration across all company departments.

“The design brief was to create office space to improve collaboration and inspire creativity for the next decade,” said CEO Peter O’Connell.

“The result was to combine corporate offices, training facility, and retail showroom here at Patriot Place to accomplish original goals and more by adding a highly-desirable, amenitypacked venue into the mix. Employees love it.”

This new home will not only provide Walpole Outdoors with greater visibility in the New England market, but it will also provide customers with a unique opportunity to interact with Walpole’s extensive range of high-quality outdoor structures as they walk through the showroom’s three-dimensional “neighborhood.”

PrimeSource to Acquire Wolf

Distributor PrimeSource Brands, Irving, TX., signed a definitive agreement to acquire Wolf Home Products, York, PA., from affiliates of Tenex Capital Management.

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Barrette Bulks Up Capacity

RDI parent company Barrette Outdoor Living will invest $33 million to expand its manufacturing plant in Bulls Gap, TN. The company will add 40,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space, including four new extruders, co-extruders and cooling tanks as well as additional fabrication and packaging equipment.

Deck Retailer Quickly Expanding

Fast-growing outdoor living retailer Lumber Plus early this fall is opening its third North America location—in Houston, TX. In addition to hearty sales online, Lumber Plus currently has physical facilities in Miami, FL., and Mississauga, Ontario. The dealer specializes in hardwood, composite and PVC decking; hardwood deck tiles; railing; lighting; cladding; and NORX artificial turf.

Aluminum Drink Rail ICC Listed

Kadenz Aluminum Railing, a division of Fireball Fab & Metal Sales LLC, has completed testing and manufacturing quality control review to gain ICC ESR-4813 Listing from ICC-ES. “We are proud to achieve this milestone in our business and demonstrate our confidence to the industry not only from code compliance testing but also our manufacturing process to serve our customers,” said general manager Brandon Kerschner.

The listing report specifically applies to the newest product, Kadenz Drink Rail (KDR), which is currently available in the upper Midwest with a growing reseller strategy in place.

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YellaWood® brand pressure treated products are treated with preservatives (the “Preservatives”) and preservative methods, and technologies of unrelated third parties. For details regarding the Preservatives, methods, and technologies used by Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated, see www.yellawood.com/preservative or write us at P.O. Box 610, Abbeville, AL 36310. Ask dealer for warranty details. For warranty or for important handling and other information concerning our products including the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS), please visit us at www.yellawood.com/ Fall 2021of their|respective Deck | warranties or write us at P.O. Box 610, Abbeville, AL 36310. YellaWood and the yellow tag are federally registered trademarks of Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated. All other marks are trademarks ownersSpecialist and are used with their permission.

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INDUSTRY NEWS Envision Unifies Its Brands

Envision Outdoor Living Products is the new brand name that encompasses both the Envision Building Products composite decking collections and recently acquired Fairway railing systems.

This union of brands makes it simple for pros to have a choice in premium materials to showcase their craftsmanship. Unlike the traditional industry model in which decking companies offer a railing option but the two categories essentially function separately and among different companies, Envision Outdoor Living is unique in that it now delivers a complete and full decking line and a complete and full railing line, increasing opportunities for pros while streamlining design, specification, and installation processes.

“More robust in products and in expertise, Envision Outdoor Living Products offers a ‘Total Outdoor Living Solution,’ making it easier than ever for building pros to not just build a deck, but to put outdoor living at the center of home life,” said Shara Gamble, VP-dales & marketing. “Our robust selection of unmatched composite decking,

premium deck and porch railings, outdoor lighting and accessories, and more come together to create the total outdoor living solution.”

In addition, customers will benefit from the collective expertise of the Envision Decking and Fairway Railing staffs. “We’ve joined forces to become a more powerful team overall,” said Bob McNally, CEO of Envision Building Products.

“It’s more than just acquiring product lines; we’re retaining the expertise that lies in the two brands’ team members, and we’re focused on building a single healthy team together.”

Envision now has about 100 employees and three manufacturing facilities in Lamar, MO.; Mount Joy, PA.; and York, NE. Corporate operational headquarters has relocated from Lamar to Mount Joy, while manufacturing operations for decking remain in Lamar with plans for future growth in the community.

With completion of the acquisition, Envision Outdoor Living Products has launched a new website, www.envisionoutdoorliving.com, covering all of the decking and railing lines, and introducing an enhanced Deck Visualizer tool.

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INDUSTRY NEWS Railing, Decking Manufacturers Expand Distribution

New distributors have been signed on by railing manufacturers Regal ideas and Vista Railing Systems, and decking producers NewTech Wood America and DuxxBak Composite Decking.

BlueLinx is now distributing Regal ideas’ premium aluminum railings in Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska from its distribution centers in Omaha, NE.; Kansas City, MO.; and Minneapolis, MN. Capital Lumber, Salt Lake City, UT., is now offering Vista Railing Systems’ cable railing products in its region. Charles Grey, WinstonSalem, N.C., is now distributing Vista Railing Systems railings to dealers in the Carolinas and southern Virginia.

The Kelleher Corp., San Rafael CA., has partnered with NewTech Wood America to become the exclusive distributor of NewTechWood products in California/Nevada markets. Kelleher’s Ontario, CA., location will be the distribution hub.

Overseas Hardwoods Co., Mobile, AL., will distribute DuxxBak Composite Decking’s complete product line to dealers throughout the Southern U.S., from Arizona to Florida, with plans to expand to additional areas.

New Marketing Aid for Trex Builders

Trex has selected BrandMuscle to provide fund management and print solutions for their vast network of TrexPro deck builders.

BrandMuscle’s Intelligent Local Marketing Platform will enable Trex’s partners to easily customize designs, review orders, and track production of brand-compliant print and digital assets, while reducing the costs and time involved in local marketing efforts. Since it was launched to 2,214 TrexPro builders in April, site usage has doubled month over month, and adoption continues to increase as the company works to expand digital marketing and paid media efforts.

The platform lets Trex contractors do preapprovals, check funds availability, and process claims simply.

Protection to Safeguard your Customer’s Wooden Deck Structure

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STRUCTURAL

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IT’S NOT PVC. IT’S BETTER. 18

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Learn more at

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STAIN & FADE

Photo Credit: TC Decks

Builders play around with “adventure decks”

By Stephanie Ornelas

Decks that incorporate sporty features like playground structures and areas for outdoor activities, especially for kids, are becoming increasingly popular. And as homeowners start to spend more time in their own backyards with their families, this trend will only continue to grow.

Levi Tippetts, owner of TC Decks, Saratoga Springs, UT., just finished his second project that had a tube slide built into the deck. And according to Tippetts, he would have had a lot more jobs like this under his belt if it weren’t for the pandemic and issues with product availability.

“I should have had another 9-ft.-high deck with a tube slide this summer, but the pandemic has made everything harder to find, including slides,” he said. “We waited about 10 weeks for it to arrive when we got an email saying the slide could not be provided.”

Still, Tippetts agreed that a project like this opens up a lot of opportunities. “People see the possibilities of ways to incorporate slides into their own deck, or other playground equipment into new deck designs.” Touching on the design aspect, Tippetts explained how a major challenge is incorporating all of the client’s dreams and Fall 2021

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AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR-inspired equipment playroom features heavy-duty hooks in the ceiling to hold play/workout equipment and fun toys that are strong enough for kids and adults—including builder Micah Dennis. A turf floor was added versus concrete so any mishaps or crashes have softer landings.

wishes into the design space while keeping it within their budget. “One homeowner came to me with a list of must-haves that were first priority.

We scaled back on the size a little bit, but it was worth it to get all the extras they wanted.

“The existing deck originally built with their house was too small and was a strange shape for fully utilizing the space. The main concern they had was that the stairs going down to the backyard off the deck faced the north. If you live in a snowy winter climate, you’ll understand the problem. The snow and freezing rain gather and

freeze on the steps, making them dangerous to walk down. The first thing in the design was to change the direction of their stairs to face south to utilize the sun during winter months.”

The clients chose to use Trex products, specifically Rocky Harbor, and the Fortess Rail System. “I love the Enhance line. It offers a ton of great colors and is still very affordable and durable.”

It’s natural that a project as unique as this one requires special techniques and materials.

Tippetts was more than ready to take on that challenge.

“I started replacing the old, cumbersome concrete footings with helical screw piles. I just started partnering with American Ground Screw to start using their screw piles for footings on all my deck projects. It is a much smoother and quicker option than concrete. That laid the ground work for the rest of the build. Partnering with products like Simpson Strong-Tie to help ensure structural integrity definitely helps.

“But I’d say most of the technique comes from experience and knowledge of what goes into a build like this. Being a full-time deck builder, you definitely learn the tricks of the trade to help things go smoothly.”

The deck itself was pretty standard, Tippetts said, emphasizing that he has his trusted and preferred products and methods. “For this slide, I had experience installing one before using manufacturer recommendations, so I knew going into this project what would be necessary to hold it.

The Fortress Fe26 posts along with some heavy duty blocking and Simpson SDWS screws were plenty to hold the top. A custom-built metal post supported the middle. And some simple paving

BUILT-IN HOOKS provides the flexibility of being able to add, subtract and adjust the components.

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blocks for the bottom to sit on worked great.”

Despite the challenge faced, Tippetts considers these projects well worth it, as they truly set him apart from his competitors. “I would love to incorporate more playground equipment in the future, maybe swings or rock climbing walls.

We have big families here in Utah, so the focus leans more on entertaining kids rather than the adults,” Tippetts explained.

But not all builders think exactly alike. That’s the beauty of being a custom deck builder. Micah

Dennis, also known as “The Outdoor Guy,” agrees that projects like these are crucial and encourage today’s children to get outside. But they aren’t just for the little ones. “It’s not only fun for the kids, but the adults too,” said Dennis, who is founder of landscape design company Paradise Restored, Portland, OR. “The big thing about having playground structures built into your backyard design is finding the right spot. That is step one.”

“Kids need a place to hang out on their own.

OFTENTIMES homeowners will request a separate area for the kids to enjoy as a retreat that’s still part of the backyard. Possibilities include an in-ground trampoline.

TIPPETTS had to come up with a few different ideas and options on where to put the slide. At first he wasn’t too keen on reusing an existing one, but it was still in great shape.

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TOP: For a strong hold, Tippetts chose Fortress Fe26 posts with heavy duty blocking and Simpson SDWS screws to hold the top.

MIDDLE ABOVE: A solid design plan will help find the right spot and make sure everything else with the landscape flows.

BOTTOM LEFT: Since this yard had a very severe slope right towards the corner, a tunnel was created before installing a custom play structure.

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They need retreats—often away from parents and yet in their backyard. And playhouses can finish off a landscape design. Ground trampolines are also becoming very popular. Spaces that accommodate such activities are what families really want.”

Dennis recalled a project that was a particularly challenging one where the owners wanted a separate play area along with an in-ground trampoline.

But one major obstacle was that the location had a severe elevation change.

“The yard had a very severe slope right towards the corner. So, we built that up, created a tunnel, and then installed a custom play structure with a slide and climbing wall just to give the kids a nice little destination area to play around,” he explained.

“What matters most is that you create a landscape designed with the lifestyle of both the homeowners and the kids in mind. Good design will help find the right spot and make sure everything else with the landscape flows for not only the children but for the adults as well.”

For example, one project Dennis completed featured a slide from the deck down to the synthetic lawn and had a bar on the top level. The same project featured a American Ninja Warrior-inspired playroom with turf flooring on the other side of the property. Heavy-duty hooks in the ceiling hold numerous pieces of workout equipment for both kids and adults.

“It’s perfect. If they are not having fun in the playroom, they scurry down the hillside to the trampoline at the bottom of the yard and spend hours there. Years down the line if it’s not used by the kids as much when they grow into teens, this room can be turned into an outdoor living space.”

This is a good solution for those who are wondering what to do with the play area when the kids move out.

“These are some great ideas to get the kids—and the entire family— outside. But these projects should not be taken lightly,” stressed Dennis.

“Think about it. Plan it out. Design it.

And you will have an amazing place for your kids to play and years of memories to come.”

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PRO Q&A

The Right Kind of Bully When Gordon South, 17-year industry veteran, launched Wood Bully Design & Build, the company was a small Canadian deck building company. Today, with its own landscape design division and a full calendar booked through the end of next year, the operation is no small fry.

It pays to stand out. That’s one thing Gordon South, owner of Canadian deck building and landscape design company Wood Bully Design & Build, has learned. Going from an average median budget of $30,000 per project to $100,000 in just two years, it’s safe to say South is doing something right.

Q. How did you come up with the name Wood

Bully?

A. The history behind the name goes back years ago when I was a foreman. I was talking to

Wood Bully Design & Build Specialty: Custom deck building, landscape design Founder/President: Gordon South Year Founded: 2016 Website: woodbully.ca Instagram: @woodbully Facebook: Facebook.com/woodbully

my apprentice at the time. I came in and he had placed the rim joist on the deck and one of the joists that are attached to it is up a half an inch and the other was low an inch and another up an inch, and I just thought, ‘What’s going on here?!’

And he replied, “Well the rim joist was waning and curved, and I didn’t know what to do.”

I told him: “You are the wood bully. You need to bully the wood. The wood doesn’t bully you.

You steer the thing into place.” And that’s where I taught him how to steer the wood and make it straight with different techniques that we use because no piece of wood is perfect, but we want it to look that way.

So, when I was coming up with a name for my business and brainstorming ideas, I remembered that story and I kept thinking that it would make such a cool name and how it would be really awesome to make a brand with that. I wanted something that would look timeless. I wanted a brand that would look good on clothing, on cars, on anything. Then I added Design and Build because, truthfully, what am I designing and building? That’s up to what I’m capable of doing and what I’m hired to do.

Q. What got you started in deck building?

A. I didn’t always want to be a builder. I was an artist when I was younger. I was into animation and music, but I used to build fences in the summer to make money, starting with chainlink fences and then moving on to wood fences and decks. I started getting into some commercial

Gordon South

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MANY YEARS AGO, South told an apprentice to “bully the wood, don’t let the wood bully you when you’re building a deck.” Years later, the name Wood Bully would be more than just a lesson learned.

construction—framing and flooring—before I decided to do strictly deck building for a few years and eventually opened my own business.

Q. How does being an artist fuel your passion

for deck building?

A. I’ve noticed that some of the best guys in construction were artists, who knew they also had to make a living, and I feel that really adds a lot to what I’m looking for in somebody—somebody with a keen eye, somebody who has an eye for aesthetics and understands the creative process so they can put the steps together in their head before they start. That’s a huge thing that I noticed in a lot of these guys who were musicians or animators, and even actors—they seem to be rather good at using their brain that way.

What I do with the whole design and build process is that I show up and I see the blank canvas that is their current yard. Whether it’s a disaster or it’s just boring, I have to use my imagination and figure out what we’re going to do with this to maximize space and to create something I’ve never done before. I try to make every single job completely different than anything I’ve done. Maybe I put a little too much on myself in the beginning, but it’s always worth it in the end to give the client that experience.

Q. Are there any specific strategies you

apply to your business that have made you successful?

A. It’s important for me to be an ambassador for my company. That instills trust in my clients and it helps me stand out because I’m competing with some of the biggest landscaping companies in my city. When I first started, my biggest project was $30,000. Now our median budget is $100,000. I only want to take on 10 clients a year and I’m comfortable running the business that way right now. I feel like nothing is rushed, and I have good control of the quality, the outcome of the design, and the satisfaction of the customer.

Q. Tell us about the team that makes up Wood Bully.

A. I have my right-hand man who is also a carpenter and a former musician as well. He’s one of the rare cases where a guy comes out of carpentry school and actually is a natural. He could have skipped the whole thing and went right into the industry, so I got really lucky with him. Then I have a mason that I use and of course we use our subcontractors for anything that requires a specific skillset.

Other than that, it’s kind of all me in terms of running the business and even building a lot Fall 2021

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LEFT: South strives to make every project look different than the next, from the ground up.

of the times. This past year I haven’t necessarily been onsite with a hammer like I used to be but I still play a huge role in making sure everything comes together based on my vision and getting things done the way I would do it.

But at the end of the day, we are a team. The guys who work for me should know that I trust and support them. I’m not here to yell, make demands and just leave.

Q. What is your strategy when it comes to

product partnerships and choosing your suppliers?

A. I’m very selective with the products I use.

I try to use the ones that I’ve already tried and tested. I have to make sure it’s good, the best of the best. That’s why for handrails I like to use Regal ideas, for lighting I use In-lite Outdoor Lighting. Truthfully, In-lite is the best lighting company, so it’s easy to say I’d be an ambassador for them because who wouldn’t want to be an ambassador for the best?

And there’s always innovations happening.

Things are changing. For example, last year the price of pressure treated wood skyrocketed and I had 10 months of work lined up designed for some pressure treated fences. So, I go to the client and obviously we have a contingency built into the contract just in case something like that would happen, which it did. But regardless of contingencies it was still a conversation we had to have about going over budget and we don’t take it lightly. We have that conversation, and we go over some options.

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This year I discovered an option where we used steel and PVC to build the fences and it was cheaper than using pressure treated because of the price hike. We were right in that sweet spot.

Q. How has your social media growth played a part in marketing your brand?

A. It’s playing a huge part in the networking behind the scenes with other brands that I’m working with. If I’m partnering with a brand that manufacturers a product I use on a daily basis and when they see that I have a platform on social media, they are more willing to work together to bring exposure to each other. When I said earlier that I treat myself as the ambassador for the company, I mean that I put my face, my voice and everything behind it because I have a lot of confidence in what I’m doing.

I find that that really works because when I go to meet a client for the first time, they already know what I sound like, what I look like, how I talk. They feel like they already know me and that makes a huge difference. I want to instill trust with my future clients.

And when it comes to TikTok, that’s a new platform but we have a such a huge following and we really weren’t expecting that. When the platform came out I just started sharing the stuff I already had on Instagram and my videos began to blow up. So, I continued to post and the next thing I knew, we’re at 75,000 followers and millions of plays. TikTok eventually became a more serious platform and it’s been great.

STRONG!

START

“PAY ATTENTION, BRIAN” has become South’s famous opening line for every video he creates—and is something his viewers have come to know him by.

Q. How is video impacting the way you market

your business?

A. I started with just sharing photos, but as I began creating videos, I saw that photos were less engaging, and it seems like people don’t really care about them the way they used to. Now I have situations where I’m partnering with other brands and they’ll send their video teams to our site. They’ll record a quality video shoot where we edit and publish to YouTube. With social media, there’s so much potential to reach everyone and to be reachable by everyone. If you ask me, it’s sort of the same as seeing a contractor on TV, just through a much broader scope.

Q. How have you been able to keep up with

demand and material shortages?

A. One of the great parts about having a longer waiting list is that we’ve got lots of time before we break ground to get the details ironed out.

The one thing I’ve discovered that is helpful is using a purchase order with a guarantee, signed, and a deposit, and they hold those materials for me. Then in seven months or whenever I start, they’re sitting there waiting. I learned that from watching bigger companies, thinking, “Hey, I may be small, but I sure can do that too.”

The challenge is that you have to be thinking about what you’re going to be doing eight months from now. And that can be a problem because you never know what’s going to happen and what changes will be made between now and then. But you have to keep pushing forward. You can’t do everything, but you can do everything in your power.

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Taking another look at tropical hardwoods

Yellow balau emerges as trendy option Already expected to begin with a downturn,

2020 accompanied an unprecedented set of challenges that impacted nearly every building phase. The pandemic not only shuttered or delayed thousands of projects, but resulted in the layoff of approximately 26% of the country’s construction workers, according to an Associated General Contractors of America survey.

This is on top of the shortage of the very supplies needed to complete projects. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index, over 70% of contractors experienced a shortage of at least one material and over 30% reported a shortage of lumber during the fourth quarter of 2020. These problems were further compounded by lumber prices that soared more than 170% between last April and mid-September per the National Association of Home Builders—and are now even higher.

As for the causes? The stay-at-home mandates ordered by many states created a buying-frenzy among homeowners who decided to put their hard-earned vacation and

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By Steve Getsiv Photos courtesy of Nova USA Wood Products

ABOVE: Red balau a vibrant choice for both outdoor and indoor structures built to last.

travel money into the upgrades of homes that in many cases they couldn’t leave anyway.

At the same time, the wildfires that riddled much of the Northwest also greatly reduced the high-grade lumber supplies produced in Oregon and Washington. Other supply chain challenges included the fires that ravaged South America’s tropical forests as well as the decades-long beetle infestation that’s plagued the Canadian lumber industry for the past decade. Even the German mills cut back on the production of their beech wood supplies given the country’s ongoing problems with drought and pests. This is on top of the near crisis of transportation costs caused by increased demand, lack of equipment, surcharges for international and domestic shipments and high fuel prices.

As a result, many American builders and suppliers have expanded their search to Europe and Asia to meet their growing lumber demands. This includes turning to durable, tropical hardwoods like yellow balau as a high-grade alternative to exotic products like ipé, teak, cumaru, walnut and mahogany.

Yellow Balau

Produced primarily in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, yellow balau has been used throughout Europe, Australia and New Zealand for the past 30 years for outdoor projects ranging from the building of decks and fencing to the construction of pergolas and other outdoor structures. That’s primarily because European builders in many cases have been far more practical about the specification of lesser-known woods, which actually rival the durability, aesthetics, physical properties and pricing of the hardwoods traditionally used in the U.S. Normally free of blemishes and knots, yellow balau is highlighted by its stunning blend of golden-brown, purplish-brown and red undertones and hues. Over time and if left unfinished, the hardwood will also age beautifully with either a deep brown finish when kept oiled or a gray patina that’s similar to ipé.

Yellow balau will initially appear lighter in color but will darken to a medium honey brown once exposed to UV. Applying a high-quality, oil-based stain will help retain the natural color but many users prefer to let it age naturally to a silver patina. Yellow balau takes dark brown and medium brown stains very well. Red or mahogany stains tend to give off an orange cast.

Furthermore, yellow balau is an incredibly sturdy, strong and durable hardwood that is naturally resistant to decay, insects and fungus.

For this reason, it is ideal for both residential and commercial applications performed in demand-

ing oceanfront and marine environments. As an example, it’s even been used in Europe to build ships, boats, bridges and boardwalks.

Assessing the Alternative

Given the current state of the lumber industry, North American builders will increasingly need to assess the high-grade, exotic products available to them on a consistent and timely basis. Unfortunately, American builders do not typically use anywhere near the number of tropical hardwoods that are employed throughout the European building marketplace.

However, this will have to change if the industry is to stay competitive, productive and busy.

The abundant supply of high-quality tropical wood that was once accessible across North America a few years ago will not likely return anytime soon. As a result, yellow balau is just one prime example of the exotic alternatives that not only provide long-lasting, beautiful results, but are also readily-available from leading U.S.based distributors and suppliers.

– Steve Getsiv is president and CEO of Nova USA Wood Products, Portland, OR., a leading supplier of high-quality hardwood products and accessories (www.novausawood.com).

NORTH AMERICA is a prime candidate to sample yellow balau from Southeast Asia, which has broken into Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

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A CEILING is like a floor. You want to coordinate with everything around it.

(Pictured: Versatex Canvas Series)

Exploring wood-toned PVC ceilings

By Rick Kapres Photos courtesy of JF’s Construction

As builders and remodelers

scramble to stay on top of the “quarantine bounce” in outdoor-living projects, tried-andtrue solutions may look like the safest bets. But, as you top off your next deck, lanai, veranda or outdoor kitchen, don’t miss one of the easiest ways to add value for yourself and your customer: outdoor ceilings.

First, a little background: Although hardship and even tragedy were widespread last year, three upsetting conditions (to be honest, mild inconveniences) were brewing fresh opportunities

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in residential construction: • More or less quarantined week after week, whole families found themselves cooped up at home. Comfort and personal space were priorities, with office work, online learning, exercise and entertainment competing for space under one roof. Even minor shortcomings inside those four walls started to look massive.

• Televised and online home-improvement content from sources such as HGTV and Houzz dramatically raised expectations—and sophistication—among shut-in homeowners.

• With expenditures like restaurant meals, shopping trips and vacations on hold, disposable incomes ballooned. At the same time, interest rates took a dive. Suddenly, home improvement projects started to look more affordable.

Those three factors fed one massive trend: an explosion of impatience among homeowners and buyers to merge and enrich their indoor/outdoor home environments. Many couldn’t wait to cushion the lockdown’s impact with new pools, decks, patios and pergolas—projects that, for consumers who were strict about social distancing, had the advantage of keeping contractors outdoors. In a survey of 5,000 U.S. homeowners last fall by Modernize Home Services, a striking 28% said they planned to pursue exterior home improvement projects, and 17% anticipated both interior and exterior renovations. Also in 2020, CNBC reported a jump in demand for home extensions and additions of 52%.

Now, with normal life creeping back, your customers are eager to upgrade exterior spaces on all sides. They have the drive, the critical eye, the wherewithal, and now the freedom of movement to make it happen.

“With the vaccination rollout proceeding at a rapid pace and household finances in strong shape, we expect overall consumption

A DARK T&G ceiling porch can soften the contrast between a house’s bright white exterior and black window accents.

growth to continue rebounding rapidly in the second quarter,” wrote Michael Pearce, senior U.S. economist at the research firm Capital Economics, according to a recent CNBC report.

What does this mean for builders who want to leverage the surge right now? We asked our network of successful contractors about timely, value-added new exterior ideas they’re bringing to their customers. One idea that kept coming up was “nicer ceilings.”

For sophisticated homeowners, that may

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ONLINE RESOURCES and publications have helped revive a romantic ceiling color called piazza blue.

translate to some species of warm, natural wood—perhaps T&G milled from a tropical hardwood, or from a less luxurious variety stained to look more interesting.

According to Florida contractor Ken Keirns, “The more time they spend lounging on the lanai, the more it gets to be just another room of the house. So they add a 50-inch monitor. Hang up wall art. Upgrade the deck or floor. What’s the next step?”

It’s right overhead, he says. A quick glance upward can demonstrate that ceilings matter.

Always on display, a ceiling should reflect the quality of the space below. If your customers haven’t already envisioned it, a lot of them will welcome your suggestion of a warm, naturallooking surface.

But there’s a catch: You, and your betterinformed clients, will be wary of the havoc that moisture and pests can inflict on natural wood, even under a roof. What those customers may not yet have discovered is the latest advance in premium ceiling materials: an innovative product that combines the tones and textures of various natural woods with the maintenance-free long life of PVC T&G. Ken Keirns, of JF’s Construction, Lake Oswego, OR., is a veteran of numerous high-end Florida residential projects, and he’s found an effective way to tell the story: ”A ceiling is like a floor,” he says. “It’s a big surface that you want to coordinate with everything around it. That is, coordinate, not match—there may be a tile floor, but you can’t put tile on the ceiling. You could suggest making the space richer by installing natural wood T&G. But the downside, sooner or later, is damage from humidity and insects.

“Here’s a better idea: My customers have been giving me great feedback when I suggest and install new PVC materials that look and feel just like real wood. They combine a solid PVC profile

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with a tough, permanently bonded laminate that creates a realistic hardwood look.” He says his favorite PVC manufacturer has replicated the character of hardwoods like black cherry, walnut, macore and Turner oak, plus a rustic, weathered gray, and a dark, exotic Japanese wood treatment called shou sugi ban.

On Maryland’s Eastern Shore, a similar flood of educated, impatient, post-lockdown customers with healthy budgets have swamped Jason Stimis, of Stimis Enterprises, Eden, MD., with outdoor-living projects. More often than not, ceilings play a part. “In the spring, homeowners always start thinking of improvements. But, this year, as they get their tax returns and look at the low interest rates, it’s been a tidal wave. A 100% increase over last year, if not higher.”

“If they’re going to be stuck at home, most people want a comfort zone they can enjoy, and that adds value to the home,” Stimis says. “With a veranda, for instance, more and more of them want a little warmth up top. They might say, right away, that they like wood, but admit they hate the maintenance. So it’s no stretch when I suggest a high-quality, woodgrain PVC. They end up with a hassle-free solution, and I end up with happier customers.

“One owner and I put our heads together recently and agreed that a dark T&G ceiling for his new porch would soften the contrast between the house’s bright white exterior and black window accents. Stretching a total of 80 feet, it would be highly visible from the road. We found a special charcoal-toned matte shade of wood-look planking that gave him an eye-catching signature touch.”

Woodgrains, however, aren’t the only maintenance-free PVC color options you can suggest. Online resources like Houzz and publications like Southern Living have helped revive a romantic ceiling color called piazza blue.

It has a long history in the Carolinas—especially for historic or country-style projects. Now there’s a color-through, solid-PVC blue beadboard that replaces painted wood, and that our contractor community tells us homeowners love.

“It’s okay to think outside the everyday box of products,” Stimis concludes. “Go ahead and bring something bold into the conversation—something you’d install in your own home. Right now, people want to be surrounded by cozy, distinctive, functional materials. And they’re ready to listen to new ideas, especially if you show them that you care about practical, long-lasting comfort as much as they do.”

– Rick Kapres is president of cellular PVC trim provider Versatex (www.versatex.com).

Partner with the #1 name in outdoor living.

Not only is Trex® the #1 name in outdoor living, it’s also a brand you can trust to offer elevated aesthetics as well as unmatched performance. And since Trex is made with 95% recycled materials, we offer your customers a truly environmentally friendly decking choice. When it comes to creating the perfect outdoor space, we’ve been laying the groundwork for nearly 30 years – yet we’re constantly looking ahead to innovate and engineer what’s next.

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Scan to learn more about TrexPros

© 2021 Trex Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Trex® is a federally registered trademark of Trex Company, Virginia Fall 2021 Inc.,|Winchester, Deck Specialist

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Best practices for deck restoration

Dealing with uneven wear and tear

By Sjoerd Bos

Regardless of wood type, all decks

require a maintenance coat of finish to retain their beauty and ensure the highest level of protection from the elements. Putting your customers’ decks on a routine maintenance schedule is key to keeping uneven wear at bay. In many cases— where the deck has worn evenly—a simple wash followed by a maintenance coat application are all that is needed. However, not all deck surfaces wear evenly. If that’s the case, it takes more careful inspection and remediation.

Here are the best practices for deck restoration, as well as tips for dealing with uneven wear and tear you may encounter.

Identify issues that impact the maintenance cycle.

It’s important to carefully inspect your decks and look for even the smallest signs that maintenance is needed. There are many factors that play into the wear and tear on a deck, including

Select the right finish.

Where many deck coatings easily peel and scratch, waterborne finishes dive deep into the wood. Protecting the wood from deep within, waterborne products repel water while allowing the wood to “breathe” naturally and not trap moisture.

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APPLY a maintenance coat before more serious corrective action is needed.

the geographic location of the property. Is the deck located in a wet climate or one that experiences severe temperature shifts? Furthermore, a deck may have a high-traffic area that leads from the back door to a pool or a much-used lawn area. Or maybe there are a couple of areas that regularly get saturated with water from the lawn sprinklers. Other design issues that could raise problems are poorly-located downspouts or a clogged gutter that can cause water to pour constantly onto a portion of the deck during periods of precipitation. Other areas may get more wear from higher-than-normal exposure to rain, snow, sun or foot traffic.

It is important to remember that excessive moisture is much more problematic than UV exposure because wetting causes the wood to swell and then shrink while drying. This natural expansion and retraction causes little cracks to form as the wood cycles through these extreme conditions, leading to discoloration and premature wear of the coatings.

This is why you should always encourage your clients to design their landscape and roof drainage to avoid excessive wetting. Simple design tweaks can help reduce these extreme moisture exposures and ultimately extend maintenance cycles.

Check the quality of the coating.

In most cases, a simple water bead test will indicate if it is time to conduct maintenance on a deck surface, and it is a good visual to conduct with your customers. Simply drop a bead of water onto the deck. If the water soaks into the surface of the wood, it is time to apply a maintenance coat. If the water sits on top of the surface, the coating is sufficient.

Look for areas of uneven wear.

During a thorough examination, you may encounter a deck where the majority of the surface still looks great, but a small portion of it requires attention. You could see discoloration, cracking, and there might even be moisture intrusion, swelling and contraction at the end grain. In this case, you will need to take a twopronged approach: (1) correct the high-wear areas, and (2), maintain the other portions of the deck with the normal maintenance coat.

Clean the deck & prepare the surfaces.

For maintenance coat preparation, a cleaner like Sansin Multi-Wash can be applied with a scrub brush. Once the cleaner is applied for the

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NOW THAT this deck is fully restored, it’s important to inspect regularly and apply a maintenance coat before more serious corrective action is needed, saving time and money in the long run.

recommended period of time, rinse it off with a garden hose using plenty of water. Then, allow the deck to dry thoroughly.

Address worn spots.

Before putting a maintenance coat over the surface, redo entire boards that are showing signs of wear that cannot be addressed with a spot treatment. Using 60-80 grit paper, sand down the problematic boards to the bare wood and then refinish them with the original waterborne coating. Once the entire deck is topcoated, these boards will blend in and there will be no noticeable difference in the color or clarity.

On other areas where a spot treatment is sufficient, carefully sand the spots with 60-80 grit sandpaper then use a china bristle brush to apply the stain directly to those bare areas.

Let the product stand wet and soak into the bare wood. Applying to the point of refusal will provide a better color match to the previously

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applied areas.

Brush away the excess product, leaving about 4-5 wet mil, being careful to wipe the product away from the intact coating around the bare spot. Now, scuff sand the newly stained area with 220 grit paper. Apply the topcoat in the same fashion as the first coat, but allow it to blend into the surrounding, intact coating area.

Apply the maintenance coat.

Now that the corrective staining is complete, a maintenance application can be applied to the entire deck using a 6” Corona brush. The main takeaway for your customers is to apply a maintenance coat before more serious corrective action is needed. Waiting just one season too long can make all the difference between a simple task and a more challenging job.

– Sjoerd Bos is marketing director for Sansin Corp. For more info, visit www.sansin.com.

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DESIGN TRENDS

GRAYS such as Wolf Serenity Decking’s Harbor Grey are the most popular option in multiple regions of the country. (Photo by Wolf)

Decking preferences vary by region

By Mark Simmers

As families continue to invest in

their outdoor living spaces, we see several trends emerging from different regions throughout North America. Across our network of dealers and Wolf PRO contractors, we looked at what’s trending this season.

What’s Your Region’s Color?

The Northeast region of the U.S. gravitates toward Harbor Grey, a solid gray, with light color tone. For example, in New Jersey many of the docks by the shore are being constructed with complementary grays which drives this color popularity.

The southern regions like North Carolina and Georgia favor warmer colors such as Sand Castle or Amberwood. And when we look at the coastal regions of Florida, a staggering 52% of decking was a shade of gray. Some of the colors are driv-

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en by style, while others may be more related to the overall home’s style or reflective of HOAs. Interestingly, Canadian provinces, territories and the Northwest U.S. are on the deep, dark and natural color spectrum. They are all-in on Black Walnut and Onyx and often paired with Silver Teak. These darker colors are typically used to picture frame the deck and contrast the home’s colors.

It’s not just about choosing a singular color but selecting two contrasting or complementing colors—one for the majority of the deck and one for the accent color—to set your deck apart with visual points of interest.

Unique Board Placements

When it comes to customization, color is only one piece of the deck design puzzle. Board layout and orientation can create strong visual points to

Multi-level decks are a growing trend seen mostly on the West Coast and Northern regions, typically driven by the surrounding terrain to take advantage of skylines and views.

The skirting used around decks also varies regionally. For example, homes in the Northwest often choose lattice skirting because these homes feature a basement or have a walkout, so the space under the deck is open. Homes in the Northeast, which may be built on a slab, results in a deck that is low to the ground. This has contractors opting for decking as the skirting to create a clean look.

Regional trends in outdoor sanctuaries vary from railing and lighting, to pergolas to outdoor cabinetry and fire features, and the choices are seemingly endless for homeowners.

Homeowners in different regions gravitate toward vastly different trends, so it is important to be aware of what may be better received by customers. One thing is for certain, be it flat gray or variegated gray, this color is here to stay and a clear winner across all regions.

create a distinct feature element, which is often influenced by the builder, their experience, and preference. Some builders have created their own custom elements to brand their services.

Always keep in mind, that boards must be laid in a way that breaks up the expansion and contraction. This can be done a couple of ways.

Staggered butt joints and the use of breaker board are the most popular. An emerging trend we’re seeing in the upper Midwest is decking laid at a 45-degree angle, corner to corner, instead of the traditional perpendicular or parallel to the home boards.

On the East Coast, we see a lot of curving deck boards driven by the landscaping trends. In Ontario, builders have used unexpected patterns creating a “wow” factor and personality to the outdoor space.

Like architectural differences by territories, we also see a difference in the rim boards, or fascia, used on decks. The East Coast typically integrates white trim for the stair riser, while the Western and Northern regions use matching deck board end to end. This is typically driven by the desire to achieve balance with the home’s trim and its design.

– Mark Simmers is senior VP of sales for Wolf Home Products, York, Pa. (wolfhomeproducts.com).

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Helps prevent PVC decking from squeaking on deck joists Slip resistant surface film and UV stable Compatible with PT lumber and all known types of decking and deck boards Provides a non-corrosive barrier between treated lumber and metal hangers Black color blends between deck boards Simple peel and stick application can be installed down to -20°F (-28°C) No primer needed

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(800) 759-9727 • www.ProtectoWrap.com Fall 2021

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Accessible Oasis How one homeowner’s special needs inspired a Washington deck builder When builder Stefan Bull, owner and project

manager for High-Tech Building & Design in Lacey, WA., received a call for a job in nearby Olympia, he was excited and ready for a challenge. This job had two. Bull needed to build a deck that was completely wheelchair accessible, and he did it with a new product line he had never used before—Ceramic Composite MonaDeck from Monarch Technologies, a patent-pending new line of ultra-durable composite decking.

“That was definitely the biggest challenge,” said Bull. “Getting to know this new product, there was some trial and error. It’s always good to understand the materials you are using, like how it reacts to different

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By Stephanie Ornelas

ABOVE: Bull needed to design a deck that was fully wheelchair accessible, so he teamed with a landscape architect, and designer/co-owner Chad Schroeder.

OPPOSITE RIGHT: According to Bull, one thing that really sets this deck apart from the rest is its extreme durability.

temperatures and considering the size and thickness of it. But I quickly understood the do’s and don’ts throughout the build.”

One takeaway had to do with the framing, Bull explained. “Something that I did take note of is that the product is very precise— so precise that it’s important to pay special attention to the framing materials used. I would say probably one thing that I would do differently is pay more attention to that. You just have to be extra accurate.”

The homeowners also had a very important request and right away this became Bull’s favorite part of the project. The deck needed to be accessible by wheelchair for a special needs family member. “This really inspired me to create something perfect this family.”

With this special request in mind, Bull got started on 5,000-sq. ft. project. What makes the deck stand out right off the bat is the overall design and format of the deck, which features an abstract walkway over a small pond leading into a larger, open space, and wraps around the side of the house.

“The deck was originally built as a raised deck.

So we reduced it to ground level. Any part of the deck that could not be reduced had a built-in ramp. With the way it was designed before, if you wanted to be in the sun you had to go to a specific area that required lifting the wheelchair every time. Now with the accessible walkways we’ve built, he can move around so much easier,” said Bull. “We created more access to the bamboo gardens for an even more enjoyable experience.”

Bull and the homeowner worked on the deck design concept with a landscape architect and then turned his concept into 3D renderings, framing plans and modified the design to fit the conditions and homeowner’s wishes.

Bull also worked with designer and co-owner Chad Schroeder, the 13-year industry veteran who handles all the design, drafting. The duo co-founded the company in 2016 and the men have been working as partners ever since. This teamwork dynamic is what helped Bull and Schroeder create a project of this size and meet every need of the customer. “Team work makes the dream work,” he laughed.

Brand new composite product, MonaDeck, features 12” wide boards, creating fewer gaps for the resident’s wheelchair.

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THE DECK spans a massive 5,000 square feet and rests over a pond, wrapping around the side of the property.

If you ask Bull, he’ll tell you that the deck’s larger format and the durability of the overall project is another feat that really makes it stand out. “After speaking with the homeowners and learning that they move furniture around Because the product is so precise, Bull emphasized the importance of paying special attention to the framing materials used.

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frequently, I knew they needed something really durable that wasn’t going to scratch easily.

“The 12” planks also make it much easier for a wheelchair to move around compared to the typical 3” planks. I’ve known Joel from Monarch for a while and he offered to show me a sample.

I immediately liked the look and feel of it and I scheduled some time for him to meet with the homeowner. They loved it.

“Working with a new product can be challenging, but I knew it was going to be worth it in the end.”

And building with the new MonaDeck, Bull had the challenge of being one of the first, which meant troubleshooting could have been another major challenge. “So far the product seems vary durable and it was easy to install,” he said.

“It’s so important to do research and know the ins and outs of a product line before diving into it for the first time—for the good of the customer.”

In this case, this customer’s needs were nonnegotiable.

“I was really happy to be able to build the right deck for a special needs person,” Bull smiled.

Seeing the expression on their face when the deck was used for the first time was by far my favorite part of the entire build.”

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The Return of DeckExpo

After a year of show cancellations, outdoor living tradeshows are back and this time the event for all deck builders is landing in Dallas, TX., at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center November 15-18.

Held once again in conjunction with the International Pool | Patio | Spa Expo, the event will be packed with sessions and keynotes on hot topics buzzing around the industry. Builders are planning their schedules and suppliers and manufacturers are ready to share exciting news about their organizations.

Monarch Technologies will be using the event to announce the launch of its new MonaDeck ceramic composite decking line, a patent-pending new line of ultra-durable composite decking.

Deckorators will host a happy hour at its booth and a live recording of the Ultimate Deck Podcast while sharing new products and outdoor living trends for 2022. Builders can listen live from the booth, enjoy a free beer, grab some Deckorators swag, and register for a chance to win a driving experience at the Texas Motor Speedway.

“We’re pleased to host The Ultimate Deck Shop in our booth again this year to discuss the industry and offer listeners information they need to stay ahead of the game,” said Jase DeBoer, senior marketing manager, outdoor liv-

Happening November 15-18 Dallas, TX. ing for Deckorators. “The composite decking and railing industry has exploded since early 2020 with unseen demand and record sales.”

In addition to a robust tradeshow, Grill + Chill is new at the expo this year and will feature outdoor exhibits and vendors specific to deck building, outdoor kitchens and grills, and patio furniture. Open during normal expo hours, vendors are invited to grill and network for lunch.

There will also be a number of educational sessions designed specifically for deck builders. On Tuesday, attendees can learn about deck design for hot tubs and the codes related to the hot tub placement and the deck around it.

During a session on leak-proof deck ledger flashing, builders can see approaches to minimize trapping debris between decking and flashing and encourage water to drain away from the house. And for a bonus, they will learn how to flash cantilevered wood joists at the face of the wall to protect this vulnerable location.

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DECKEXPO joins forces this year with the International Pool Spa Patio Expo.

How to Get More and Better Leads Online is a session for builders who are not getting the quantity or quality of leads desired from their online efforts. The class will show you how to turn your website into a lead generator, create landing pages that convert, nurture the leads through the entire buy cycle, and bring social traffic to your website.

Other sessions will highlight sizing and designing wood deck beams, the art of landscape, identifying new business and design trends, and small space design.

It’s been a busy year for builders and outdoor living pros who are more than ready to network and spend some in-person time with their friends and colleagues.

“The past year and half has been really tough for a lot of builders and contractors. This is going to be a great event for us to recharge,” said Peter Hobbs, founder of The Deck Expert.

For more show details, visit poolspapatio.com and access a digital show guide. The online flipbook features the entire schedule, health and safety guide, and information about hotels and lodging.

Due to ongoing COVID regulations, a detailed set of measures has been developed collaboratively with DeckExpo/PSP organizers to deliver the highest levels of hygiene and safety at the event.

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EXHIBITORS at the last in-person DeckExpo included the team from Wild Hog Products.

Schedule at a Glance Monday, Nov. 15 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: NADRA Pre-Conference Education— Deck Evaluation/Inspection Certification

Tuesday, Nov. 16 7:30-8:45 a.m.: Deck Design for Hot Tubs 10:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.: Show Floor Is Open 10:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.: Grill + Chill: Visit with Vendors 1:45-2:30 p.m.: Challenging Deck Ledger Installations— and Solutions

Wednesday, Nov. 17 7:30-9:00 a.m.: 10 Steps to Be an Outstanding Pool and Outdoor Living Designer 9:15-10:30 a.m.: Identifying New Business & Design Trends 10:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.: Show Floor Is Open 11:30-12:30 a.m.: Deck Guardrail Post to Frame Connections

Thursday, Nov. 18 7:30-9:00 a.m.: Deck Education 9:15-10:30 a.m.: How to Find, Recruit, Attract, Hire, Motivate and Retain Great Talent 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.: Show Floor Is Open 10:45 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Deck Lateral Load Reinforcement

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THE ULTIMATE DECK PODCAST took over the Symposium for a free-wheeling simulcast of their ultra popular talk show.

THE BROLAWS were last-minute dropouts as hosts of Deck Jeopardy due to a poor WiFi connection, but did send in a humorous apology video from the lake.

Builders gather virtually for first Deck Symposium The first annual Deck Specialist Symposium was a runaway success as deck builders and outdoor living professionals around the country met together in a virtual setting to hear from industry leaders and product experts.

“Deck Specialist stepped up and delivered a home run on a multi-day event,” said Michael Scott, owner of Simcoe Decks. “They were able to generate a great amount of buzz in the industry before, during and after. The wealth of knowledge that was shared throughout the Symposium was next level and helped bring an industry even closer together.”

The day kicked off with renowned builder and contractor Bobby Parks, who gave an industry forecast and talked about business progression. Drawing on some experiences of his own, Parks encouraged builders to be the best they can be, despite a tumultuous year.

The event then went into an exclusive live Q&A episode of The Ultimate Deck Podcast, where hosts Wade and Shane, founders of the Ultimate Deck Shop, fielded questions from the audience while sharing some colorful information about their own hometown.

Day one ended with The Decking Game Show. Due to WiFi limitations, The BroLaws were unable to appear as hosts, but they did send in a special video to attendees. Three lucky winners took home huge prizes—a CAMO Pro Kit, the Ultimate Deck Package from FastenMaster, and a Telesteps Telescopic

It’s not too late!

Access the virtual marketplace and a full recording of the event at symposium.526event.com

DECK RAILING TRENDS with Deck Specialist’s Nick Kosan and AGS Stainless Steel’s Kevin Harris.

BOBBY PARKS on business progression and being the best you can be.

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Tactical ladder courtesy of Regal ideas.

The second day of the event saw just as much excitement when the Carey Brothers took center stage to talk about branding. The duo spent their time encouraging builders to hold themselves to a high standard and to understand their worth. “Be selective about your projects. Know your value and go after those big jobs,” said James Carey.

The Symposium then moved into a segment on social media. Dr. Decks (aka Jason Russell) and Mark King, founder of Infinite Decks, sat down with Deck Specialist editor Stephanie Ornelas and talked about how social media has impacted their businesses. “I’ve connected with so many builders on Instagram, many who have become some of my best friends,” said King. “It’s really helped change the way I share my projects and get inspiration.”

Emphasizing that it’s never too late to get into the social media game, Russell, who’s been diving into video creation as well, explained, “You just need to set deadlines for yourself and stay consistent. Take pictures, post the best photos you’ve got and a sentence or two that’s compelling. Social media is so important in so many ways.”

The event ended with the Elite Builder Panel moderated by Brendan Casey, Casey Fence and Deck. Casey sat down with Deck Specialist of the Year Award winners Scott Kelly, Precision Construction; Leif Wirtanen, Cascade Fence & Deck; and Michael Scott, Simcoe Decks. The builders talked about leveraging elite product brands, what’s in store for their businesses and the evolving world of digital marketing.

The first annual Symposium was designed to bring the industry together in a virtual setting for two days of education and fun. Builders logged off at the end of the night fueled with insight and encouragement. Mission accomplished.

Couldn’t make the show? You can access the virtual marketplace and a full recording of the event at sympoium.526event.com!

“I want to compliment 526 Media Group for doing such a fantastic job of putting on this Symposium over the past two days.”

– Charlie Jourdain, The Mendocino Companies

“The team at 526 really has created a super high quality publication and platform for outdoor living. The industry will be the better for it.”

– Bobby Parks, BP Consulting & Design

“So many great takeaways, but one that really stuck with me was Bobby Parks’ input on improving and maintaining my deck business.

Thanks, guys!”

– TC Decks

“The Symposium was well structured and offered us the opportunity to connect with builders and contractors from across the country that we would normally not have connected with. The speakers were excellent.

We were able to sign up new DeckStars who opened the door to new regional areas for our brands. Loved the video chat room feature!”

– Andrew Pantelides, Regal ideas

“What a great event.

Here’s to the next one!”

– Peter Hobbs, The Deck Expert

“A great industry resource!”

– Michael Scott, Simcoe Decks

RECORDINGS of sessions can be found at symposium.526event.com.

Thank you to our sponsors!!

THE CAREY BROTHERS gave deck builders insights into better branding.

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Mission Collection®

Avant Collection™

An outdoor style for every customer

No matter what type of outdoor structure you’re building, Simpson Strong-Tie® Outdoor Accents decorative hardware provides both design elegance and structural strength. Our Mission and Avant collections offer a choice of styles, from ornate and traditional to clean and simple.

Both feature an innovative hex-head washer and fastener combo with the look of a bolted connection that installs as easily as driving a screw. And whichever collection you choose, all Outdoor Accents connectors and fasteners are rigorously tested for performance — so your structure will be strong, safe and beautiful.

To see all of our Outdoor Accents decorative hardware and choose the style that’s right for your client, visit go.strongtie.com/outdooraccents or call (800) 999-5099.

Fall 2021 | Deck Specialist | 51 © 2021 Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. OAMISAV21-C

PARKS AND DECK CREATION BOBBY PARKS

The single most important key element of a business What is the single most important key element required to be successful in business? If you asked this question to a group of contractors, I suspect you would get a long list of answers. My answer would be that there isn’t a “single” most important key element. Sure, there are plenty of key aspects that if missing could send you spiraling and hinder your chances of success. For example: What’s the single most important component in your truck? Wheels, engine, transmission, steering wheel, or fuel?

It’s hard to say because it takes all these elements and more to move it down the road.

Without all of them, you’re going nowhere. Longterm business success is similar in that without a focus on a variety of aspects, your business isn’t going far either. So, understand it’s a totality of combined aspects that require varying levels of focus. Looking at your business through a wide-angle lens instead of tunnel vision is required.

All businesses need a solid foundation of basic operational principles. But it’s how you handle the extended list of functional elements that provide for a healthy business that determines the success you have. Your operations are similar to your truck in that it requires fine tuning and adjustments to continue to run efficiently. Neglect will eventually strand you on the side of the road or put you in the junkyard.

Some aspects play higher percentage roles in this combination, but again without all of them no single one is going to take you to the finish line.

It’s how you blend and mesh all aspects together that provides business balance. For example: 52

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Quality craftsmanship alone won’t create success, nor will great sales, marketing, or business skills.

It takes focus in multiple areas to provide business stability, rhythm, and success. So even though we can’t plug our business into a computer port like we can our truck to do a diagnostics check, we can self-check ourselves and make sure we are giving the necessary attention to our day-to-day operations. We can be disciplined and strive to learn what we don’t know or not neglect aspects that we just don’t like to do.

If there is a single key element, in my mind it would be developing a “complete game plan” as part of the “business plan” that covers all the aspects involved in a business to the extent they are required. To elaborate: Beyond the projected financials, it’s a checklist that requires discipline and commitment of the owner to implement, monitor, and adjust as they move forward. It involves routine procedures that includes a foundation of quality and customer service. It also includes simple marketing, organization, job costing, lead tracking, field leadership, and reputation management. It’s a simple focus on “Business 101.”

Bobby Parks is a nationally known contractor who has delivered over $40 million of outdoor living projects. He is founder and former owner of Peachtree Decks & Porches LLC and current president of BP Consulting & Design LLC.

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ON THE HOUSE THE CAREY BROS.

Managing expectations We attribute a good measure of the success that we have enjoyed in our 40+ years as home improvement contractors to managing client expectations. We believe that doing so can make you and your team look like heroes.

Conversely, poor expectation management can derail your project, put you at odds with the customer, and lead to a struggle over money or worse a legal dispute. You don’t want this and neither do your clients. Everyone loses and no one wins—except maybe attorneys.

What is expectation management? Well, there’s an adage that expresses it quite nicely: under-commit and over-produce! The biggest mistake that most talented craftspeople and small businesspeople make is to do just the opposite: over-commit and fall short. Why? Simple. Tell the customer what they want to hear; so you will get the job. Some examples: • “Yes, I can meet you at night or on weekends.”

• “Our design is free and will only take a week to produce.”

• “Yes, I can meet your (totally unrealistic) budget.”

• “We will be using the best materials for your project.”

• “We can begin your project immediately.”

• “Your project will only take two weeks from start to finish.”

• “We can work out the details—materials, 54

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size, shape, colors, finish, etc., after we begin your project.”

If any of this sounds familiar, you need to set some healthy limits for yourself, your team, and your business.

Expectation management begins with your very first conversation with your client. You must be crystal clear about your process, what you are willing to do, and what you’re not willing to do. This initial dialogue and healthy exchange will determine if this prospect is a tire-kicker or a good potential client.

Let’s unpack the seven examples we offered earlier: • Many consumers have the idea that because you’re not a CPA, physician, or attorney that you will meet them anytime. Wrong! Be clear coming out the gate that you have set business hours and stick to them. Make an exception up front and it will only get worse.

• “Free” sends the wrong message. What reputable business or professional that you know works for free? Instead, consider promoting your expertise and value. We will not move forward with a client unless they complete a Project Planning & Design Agreement. Good planning is essential to project success and ALWAYS takes more than a week. Be clear so that your client will know what to expect.

• You know generally what your costs are for installed product. Level with your clients.

They don’t expect for you to zero in on the price, but a broad range will manage their budget expectations. Keep in mind that whenever you offer a range, they will ALWAYS focus on the lower number.

The last thing you want to do is lead them to believe that you will work to fit into their unrealistic budget. That will only cause you lots of unnecessary work, prevent you from focusing on good prospects, and make the client angry.

• “Best” materials is vague. Manage expectations by providing details on grade, size, color, texture, finish, etc. There simply can never be too much detail.

• Most clients want to begin their project yesterday. That is not possible for most professional builders—especially in this economy and with material delivery challenges. Be clear that you will begin the job when all materials are available, and you will be able to work on the project without interruption.

• Not only do clients want their project to begin yesterday, but they also want it finished tomorrow! Manage expectations by giving them a construction schedule that is realistic and consider the inevitable hiccups that accompany

every job. Give yourself some wiggle room and finish up early. That’s a great example of under committing and over producing. You’ll be a hero!

• Beginning a project prematurely and making decisions along the way is a recipe for disaster. It invariably leads to change order disputes and almost always derails a construction schedule. Insist that every detail be buttoned up BEFORE you begin a project.

It doesn’t guarantee that there will be changes, however, it does demonstrate that you have done your best to minimize any loose ends to prevent chaos.

Managing client expectations will help you qualify on the front end, prevent project pandemonium, and deliver yet another satisfied customer and reference.

The Carey Bros.—James and Morris—are nationally known experts on home renovation and hosts of a weekly radio program and syndicated newspaper column, both titled On the House (onthehouse.com).

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PRODUCT REVIEWS MARV JOHNSON

DeWALT ToughSystem 27-qt. Cooler www.dewalt.com Retail Price: $129.99

DeWalt ToughSystem Cooler One thing is for sure... no matter where you live in the United States, it has been an extreme summer for weather. Unprecedented record heat in the West, torrential rains and flash floods to the East, and devastating thunderstorms throughout the Midwest. Records broken everywhere.

Some say that this is a preview to the future, that this is what our new normal weather patterns will look like going forward.

Personally, I’m fine with the changes to our weather here in western Washington. Growing up, I was raised in the dry summer heat of Northern California in a house without air conditioning. So here, when some folks were complaining and agonizing over the temps, I was so thankful to finally have a real summer, even as triple digits registered on the dashboard thermometer of my truck. Then again, at this point in my life I also enjoy the comfort of conditioned air in my truck and home.

Working during the summer heat has always been preferable to working in the cold soaking rain of winter or the oppressive humidity of spring and fall that are hallmarks of the climate in the Pacific Northwest. That being the case, 56

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after working in the heat all day, there is nothing that cools you off better at the end of a summer day than an ice-cold beverage. So, I consider my cooler just one more tool that I always include in my work kit.

The humble Styrofoam box has really changed over the course of my career, and to see those advances I looked to the recently released DeWalt ToughSystem 27-qt. Cooler—a very cool product.

The cooler measures 14-3/8” x 21-5/8”x 16”, making it just the right size for easy loading of a typical framing crew’s worth of beverages, while still leaving plenty of room for ice. In my capacity tests, I managed to fit 32 12-oz. cans double stacked, or 30 12-oz. bottles (15 up and 15 down) and still had space for a full bag of ice. That is an impressive capacity. The cooler is load rated for a maximum of 88 lbs. and weighs just 19 lbs. empty. The lid has two drink holders molded into the top as well as one other feature—a stainless-steel bottle opener molded into the edge of the cooler lid. From this it was easy to confirm my theory that the product engineers at DeWalt, like most of us, would rather drink their beverage from a bottle.

The cooler is considered IP65 rated (IP =

Ingress Protection), which translates to dust proof, and is resistant to a low-pressure stream of water sprayed at it from any direction. Which means if you forget it’s in the bed of your truck and you hit the car wash, you won’t have to worry about any soap suds contaminating the “suds” inside. They are protected by a thick Santoprene gasket and strong metal snap close latch that ensure a positive and secure seal for the contents.

Though I will say the car wash did a bang-up job cleaning the cooler’s bright yellow exterior.

The build quality and function of the cooler are typical DeWalt. It racks and stacks effortlessly as a member of the ToughSystem family. Heck, even the ToughSystem music player incorporates into the system.

Should you find yourself sans cart, there is always the single briefcase-style top handle.

While strong enough to take the load, it makes for a very awkward carry. A far better solution would be to grab a helper and lift and carry it by each end handle… far easier. There is no drain plug, which at first seemed odd, until my wife pointed out to me how infrequently I use the drain plug in our other coolers. Makes logical sense to me, besides, it is just one more thing to lose.

So, while the features are nice, and the functionality vastly improved, a cooler is truly defined by how cold it is and how long before I need more ice. DeWalt claims the cooler provides five days of ice retention. Skeptical of most manufacturer’s claims regarding their products, we set out to do our own rigorous testing under actual real-world conditions.

Initially I purchased three 10-lb. bags of ice and placed all three in the ambient temperature cooler, latched it shut, and proceeded to bet my wife that the ice would remain for at least three days. Her guess was 24 hours max. The cooler sat on my porch where it received approximately six hours of direct sun each day.

The high temperature each day was in the upper 80’s and we opened it only once each day— in the evening when I got home. Twenty-four hours in and the ice showed little sign of melting.

Day 2 check: it was about as melted as one might expect after a trip home from the grocery store negligible.

Day 3 check: although there was some water present, more than 80% of the ice remained.

Day 4 check: about 50% ice.

On the Day 5 check, incredibly, there remained about 20% of the original volume of ice. After being buoyed by the cooler’s performance, we

decided to let it ride for one more day.

The Day 6 check revealed zero ice remaining.

What did remain was a volume of 34-degree water that would have kept any beverage submerged in it at the same temperature as a beverage pulled from the fridge. When I contrast its cooling performance with that of my 12-year-old Yeti cooler, the DeWalt slightly outperforms it.

When it comes to general durability and longevity, the Yeti is the winner—the difference between a bear proof and a bear “resistant” cooler. Additionally, consider that the cost difference between the two would allow for the purchase of almost three DeWalt coolers for the price of the Yeti.

The DeWalt cooler also has a remarkable lifetime warranty… unless a bear eats it.

Marv Johnson is the principal of Deck Envy LLC, Gig Harbor, WA. Send comments and suggestions for product reviews to emjaybuilding@mac. ai158344394969_SplitStop_3.25x4.875_Comp.pdf

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SET THE STANDARD BRENDAN CASEY

What does your website say about your company?

If you were fortunate enough to

attend the first-ever Deck Specialist Symposium earlier this summer, there was a great deal of discussion about social media and the advantages it brings to the table when utilized correctly. Some companies use social media as their primary source of marketing and advertising. Presenters Mark King and Jason Russell were prime examples. It’s safe to say that pretty much everyone reading this probably has a website.

Whether it was built in-house or professionally designed, we all should have one. As our businesses grow, so do our presentations, sites, our repertoire, and gallery of photos. If you have been in business for any amount of time, the evolution can be rather astounding. A good number of contractors spend a king’s ransom on attracting visitors to their websites to gain the clients confidence, show some great projects, create points of contact, generate an opportunity to meet and set an appointment.

For the most part, everyone has a link back to their website from their social media accounts.

But what does that client find when they get there? What does your website say about your company? Are you giving the correct impression?

This article is not about all the design technology that attracts prospective clients to your site.

That’s an entirely different aspect and subject for a web pro. This is about the “eye candy” they find when they get there and that’s their reason for

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staying on your site instead of clicking out and heading to the competitors. That first impression, the “vibe” they get from the initial landing. Let’s get one thing straight here, I am neither a web guru nor am I here to teach anyone how to build a website. I’m simply asking the question: What does your website say about your company?

Stand back, take a moment to breathe, and do a little self-diagnostic on your own sites keeping this in mind: most serious prospects have already been there before they initiated contact (and some that may never make contact). Hopefully, you or your sales staff make it a routine to regularly inquire what a client may or may not have liked about your site. If we don’t ask, how will we know what to improve on? Is your site giving the same impression you are trying to portray? Does it say exactly what you do, or is it leaving people to figure it out for themselves?

None of these questions or statements are any type of a judgment; one of the beauties of this industry is how different we all are, how so many of us have a different approach to get to the same goal. This is just to remind us to stay vigilant and be on top of the message we are sending. Does your website portray the position you are trying to establish in your local marketplace? If you are a high-speed production company willing to beat anybody’s price or a high-end custom builder, are you sending that message or giving mixed signals? Don’t send a message that has your sales

team spinning their wheels. Are you making it known if you specialize in something or have a niche? Some places specialize in wood, whether it’s treated, cedar or exotic and prefer not to work with composites.

Some only work with composites. Others specialize in steel framing and others use specialty treated material for their projects. Or maybe you work with all the above. Do you have photo proof of your own projects showing your company’s prowess with the products you are using?

Speaking of photos, do you have only a few pictures or 25, 50, 100, maybe more? My own personal polling has found that clients want to see lots of pictures. They want to see examples of similar homes and what you did with the space and color.

As a builder, you should want them to find everything they need and not “click out” and go searching a competitor’s site.

Does your site have plenty of subcategories for people to view?

You may have 500 pictures, but the client may only be looking for one specific type. If you break out different categories, you keep clients from losing interest.

They can get right to the style they are seeking. The categories can be things like curves, octagons, borders, inlays, brands, colors or elevations. You can have railings with its own set of categories like vinyl, composite, aluminum, curved, glass, cable or something custom that you have created. If you have done it in the past and you are proud of your efforts, put it on display.

You can’t go on a photo sharing site today and not see fantastic examples of picture frame borders. Single, double, triple, multi-color, multi-width, or decorative inlays branching off the borders, if this is in your catalog should absolutely be displayed on your site. Clients may not

want them but seeing that you offer it just raises the level of confidence in your skill level.

Board patterns with multi-directions, angles, herringbones, basketweaves, inlays, transitions or anything else to eliminate unsightly butt joints shows that you have a high level of integrity or care about the longterm value of the project. The designs where companies are changing colors, adding accents and other custom decorative features show a level of artistry and imagination that not only jump off the computer screen but also set you apart from the herd. Don’t be afraid to highlight that on your site, and who cares if Bob in his Beater tries to emulate your work? If you are the best, they will never do it like you.

Every company at some point finds themselves doing a support post and beam wrap. Some developments require it. These range from the extremely ornate (check out the work of Bobby Parks) to the very basic—and a world of options in between.

If you have examples of your custom detail work, show it. Not only does it display your unique-

ness, it also gives clients some expectations. This style is “X” amount of money. This is “Y.” You create parameters without even having a conversation.

This was slightly covered before, but do you have a design specialty? For some companies it’s curves or circles, for others it may be their decorative inlays or lighting features. If you are extremely creative with heat forming and creating unique features in your projects, make that front and center, opening page material.

If it’s multi-levels, working on hills and higher elevations, let your community see examples of those projects. If your specialty is an ornate barrel ceiling or built-in bars, fireplaces, or custom walls, show as many examples as possible. It sets you apart from the rest and changes the conversation from “I can do that” to “I have done that.” Just don’t show someone else’s work. It’s unethical and unprofessional.

A very important and sometimes overlooked part of a website is the “contact” button.

That should be on EVERY page, even if subtle and off to the side.

There’s nothing worse than a cli-

Careybrospros.com Podcast

A podcast for pros with advice from professionals on marketing, business and products to improve the bottom line. Spotlighting interesting guests that will help you bring it all together.

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A CLEAN SITE that has your contact info displayed clearly is vital.

ent having to scroll around looking for a contact option. After all, that’s why you brought them to the site in the first place.

How long have you been in business? If it’s less than five years, maybe you don’t want to show “proudly started last week.” But if you have been established for a long period of time, let your clients know. When someone is about to invest their hard-earned money with you, they want to know you have been and will be around for a while. Are you a multi-generational company? Let them know. It validates solvency.

Some folks love that personal service from a mom-and-pop company with 20+ years in business. Others are happy if you are a mega-corporation with lots going on. They feel like those guys know what they’re doing and have deep pockets.

Whatever you are, be proud and let clients know.

AWARDS: Here is a time when you need to be like Michael Scott from Simcoe Decks who won the Regal ideas Specialist of the Year Award.

Scott says he fully intends to make the very best of it and promote that in every way possible. If you win awards, they should be front and center of your website.

People want to be associated with winners, they want to buy from winners, and they want their deck built by a winner. Winning is a cure for a lot of things. You should be entering your best projects in as many contests as possible. You never know when one will win, and when it does, it will change the way clients view your company.

So, get those awards on your website.

Along with awards, clients like to see business affiliations, especially local entities. So, if you are a member of a local business association, the Chamber of Commerce, national builder group, or others, listed them on your site. It is another layer in building a comfort level with prospects.

Local Sponsorships: If you are sponsoring local community activity groups, sports teams, charitable institutions, clubs, etc., that should

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absolutely be displayed on your site. People enjoy giving back to their own community. It makes them feel good, and when they see it on your site, they feel good about you. Suddenly, they don’t mind those few extra dollars they are spending on your expertise when they recognize some of it is being donated back into their community.

What does your website say about your company? Is it a valuable asset? Is it another employee, a productive member of your sales and marketing? Or is it forgotten about for most of the year?

We must maximize the profitability of every minute of every workday. Our websites must be viewed as a paid employee whether we acknowledge it or not, and that employee must be earning their keep and turning us a profit. Any employee who is not would be terminated. Don’t take the power of your website for granted. Just as easily as it can attract clients and generate sales, a poorly developed one can be costing you clients and losing you jobs.

Part of the site’s responsibility is to set the level of expectations so when your sales force arrives to make their presentation, most of the groundwork has already been completed. They know who you are, what you are about and what type of work you deliver.

Remember, clients don’t mind wasting your time, but we are trading hours for dollars every day and we must leverage the value of both. Your website can do a great job of vetting incompatible leads if it is set up properly and gives the correct impression of your target market.

With 35+ years experience in construction, Brendan Casey, with his wife Dianna, launched Casey Fence & Deck, Frederick, MD., fulfilling a growing need in the outdoor living market for an innovative and creative custom builder.

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NEW NEW PRODUCTS PRODUCTS

Fortress Building Products’ Al¹³ PLUS aluminum railing system features code-driven enhancements and an innovative bracket system that addresses common challenges on large commercial projects.

Featuring an additional IBC code-compliant railing post, Al¹³ PLUS accommodates 8-ft. spans and fascia mount installations.

The system’s pre-welded assembly reduces installation time and provides superior performance in strength and safety, while its premium powder coating supports corrosion resistance to ensure lasting style and minimal maintenance. [fortressbp.com]

Deckorators has added two new vertical-grain color options to its line of Vista WPC composite decking, which offers the appearance of exotic hardwoods without the maintenance.

Silverwood (light gray) and Dunewood (medium brown) join Driftwood (gray) and Ironwood (brown) to give builders and their clients more color pairing possibilities.

All Vista colors are available 3-1/2” wide in 20-ft. solid-edge and grooved-edge profiles, and 5-1/2” wide in 12-, 16-, and 20-ft. solid- and grooved-edge options. [deckorators.com]

Sentinel Building Products is now offering it’s newly patented Boxed Railing Kits for residential use nationally.

The SureFit aluminum railing, long proven in the commercial industry on high rise buildings, has been tested (IRC and IBC 2018) and approved for 12 ft. spans with no center posts, resulting in huge savings in time and money. [sentinelmfg.com]

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YellaWood Protector semi-transparent stain and clear water repellent sealer provide longlasting, rich color and superior protection.

The first to ever bear the YellaWood name, the professional-grade, acrylic-oil hybrid wood stains and sealer are water repellent and provide excellent protection for all outdoor projects like decks, fences or outdoor furniture.

In accelerated weather test exposure to UV light, condensation and high temperatures, they demonstrated color fastness and coating durability equal or superior to the leading competitor’s tested products.

The stains contain iron oxide pigments for rich, long-lasting color. The premium alkyd oil finish in the deck stains penetrates wood, providing superior moisture damage protection, while the acrylic finish repels water, resists wear, and fends off mold and mildew. For homeowners who prefer a natural look, the clear, water repellent deck sealer is loaded with UV stabilizers to maintain that stunning appearance provided by Mother Nature herself. [yellawood.com/protector]

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Fortress Building Products’ new steel pergolas combine steel’s unmatched weatherability and low maintenance qualities with its modern aesthetic to bring lasting style to the backyard equation.

Highly versatile, they can be configured in infinite ways to meet a customer’s creative vision and can be employed across any type of outdoor surface to define usable space.

The sleek structural steel is dual layer protected against fire, corrosion, twisting, insects and rot, and resistant to moisture and the effects of weathering.

Customers can select from three freestanding styles available for download, including one Traditional and two Modern options. Each style can be assembled in countless configurations to accommodate ever-expanding backyard functions. To spark design inspiration, customers can preview the Traditional and Modern pergola styles in a variety of formations using the Pergola Visualizer. [fortressbp.com/pergolas]

TO CRUSH THE CLOCK

LEAVE THE COMPETITION IN THE DUST

The speed to tackle more in a day – if you can keep up. For 30-minute posts and same-day slabs, choose Sakrete Fast Setting Concrete Mix. Faster set. Less prep. More jobs. Easy choice.

Get Fast Setting – and get on to what’s next.

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Milwaukee Tool has introduced the next generation of Hole Dozer with Carbide Teeth Hole Saws, featuring a new 3 TPI design to deliver faster cuts with the durability of a bi-metal saw and life of a carbide hole saw.

The carbide teeth provide the ability to cut through stainless steel, cast iron, fastener embedded wood, cement board, fiberglass, plaster, asphalt shingle, and more with ease.

Deep gullets clear material fast and all-access slots provide fastest plug removal, resulting in efficiency and productivity with less downtime between holes.

A new slot design provides increased pilot visibility for accurate placement and faster chip ejection, keeping the cut cool.

With a cutting depth of 1.62”, saw sizes range from 3/4’’ to 6’’ and are sold individually and in nine- and 12-piece kits. [milwaukeetool.com]

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Crescent Tools is launching an upgraded collection of Crescent Lufkin Chrome Power Tape Measures featuring improved designs that make them easier to carry, easier to read, and easier to use.

The chrome-plated case offers a new compact design, up to 20% smaller than the competition and optimized for comfort and utility and are up to 20% smaller than the competition.

A wider blade provides up to 10 ft. of reach, while the nylon coating provides abrasive protection.

A matte finish on the blade coupled with enlarged print make for vastly improved visibility, while the flatter blade design makes marking measurements easier.

The devices also have an upgraded lock button design with a reduced path to lock and unlock. This means that the user can more easily go from locked to unlocked, no matter what size hands they have.

The line includes six different models: 12-ft. SAE, 16-ft. SAE, 25-ft. SAE, 35-ft. SAE, 5-meter/16-ft. Metric/SAE, and 8-meter/26-ft.

Metric/SAE. [crescenttool.com]

Wolf Home Products has launched its new Woodlands Collection as part of the Wolf Trim line.

The edge and center bead boards include four new colors: Ash, Cherry, Mahogany and Silverado.

The panels come tongue-and groove for a hidden fastener installation. Due to its lightweight and high-cell density PVC, the Woodlands Collection is low-maintenance and will not absorb moisture or swell, rot, split or delaminate, making it ideal for a variety of climates. Each board measures 1/2”x6”x 18 ft.

Metabo HPT has expanded its MultiVolt battery system to its lineup of cordless pneumatic tools and nailers.

In addition to the lightweight 18V battery, users can now choose the universally compatible 18V/36V MultiVolt battery, which can run at either voltage. As well, the tools can be attached to a unique AC Adapter for all-day runtime, saving battery life.

The battery is backed by Metabo HPT’s ongoing Lifetime Lithium Ion tool body warranty and two-year Lithium Ion battery warranty. [metabo-hpt.com]

[wolfhomeproducts.com]

www.vistarailings.com

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U-C Coatings has introduced Fence Guard, an innovative wood fence stain from its Eco Chemical division.

Designed specifically for wood fences, the concentrated water-based alkyd stain comes in 1.5- and 5-gallon sizes in four semi-transparent colors (Natural Cedar, Expresso, Cocoa Brown, and Western Redwood) that will satisfy the majority of market color preferences. It is mixed with two parts water to make a ready-touse stain. It can be used on any residential or commercial softwood fence installation, old or new.

DeckPro EFFEX has added Under-Rail LED Lighting to its arsenal of low-voltage products.

Distributed exclusively by ADI (Absolute Distribution Inc.), the sleek, stylish lighting option is designed for use with the RailFX aluminum rail and cable system.

It creates an elegant ambiance of warm white light around the entire perimeter of the deck. A diffuser lens ensures all the light is dispersed evenly along the length of the railing.

The 55” light strips feature high-quality LED lights and quickconnect wiring for easy installation.

HD Protect, an innovative new premium joist tape, is now available from Composite Prime.

It works to prevent rotting and significantly extends the lifespan of wooden decking frames.

Designed for use with composite and timber decking boards with timber subframes, HD Protect reduces moisture build-up in substructure frames and protects timber joists against deterioration. A market-first, the self-adhesive joist tape is easy to install and possesses low tack and high bond properties, with no mess or unnecessary stickiness.

[uccoatings.com]

[absolutedist.com]

[composite-prime.com]

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DeWalt’s new Xtreme 12V MAX* 5-3/8” Circular Saw (DCS512B) delivers powerful and accurate cutting performance across a wide range of materials.

Features include a built-in rafter hook for convenient storage on the jobsite, an electric brake that quickly stops the blade after the trigger is released, an LED light for increased visibility and cut accuracy, and optional dust collection to minimize dust during cutting.

A built-in rafter hook allows for convenient storage on the jobsite. [dewalt.com]

deck sprcialist Digest

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Brass Knuckle SmartShell is the next-generation, cross-functional glove that does it all—providing impact protection, cut protection, excellent grip in wet conditions, and high visibility, without sacrificing comfort.

The gloves feature a machine-knit polyethylene with ANSI cut level A5 protection on the palms. Their strength-to-weight ratio is eight to 15 times higher than steel.

Thermoplastic rubber padding is sonically welded to the back of the glove to protect from contusions, smash injuries, object strikes, pinchpoint injuries to the fingertips, and other impact hazards. A gritty black nitrile palm coating offers excellent wet grip. [brassknuckleprotection.com]

Lift-assist technology provides up to 50% assistance in raising and speed control in lowering Werner’s new easy-operating extension ladder.

The internal spring mechanism operates similar to a garage door system. As the internal lift cable is pulled, a spring releases tension and helps lift the fly section with less effort. When the fly section is lowered, it reloads tension on the spring, providing resistance to keep the fly section from slamming to the ground.

Nova USA Wood Products has expanded its line of rainscreen siding clips with a new ExoClad QuickClip designed with 6/6 ballistic grade nylon.

Lightweight and easy to handle, the new nylon clips are highly resistant to abrasions, dampen noise, and offer enhanced thermal bridging properties, which can reduce energy costs by minimizing the amount of heat transferred through the building envelope.

They join aluminum siding clips as the latest additions to the product line. [novausawood.com]

Feeney has launched ColorEasy, a new powder coating program for its DesignRail Aluminum Railing System and Awning Kits, featuring 18 colors, including 15 on-trend and classic colors along with three realistic woodgrain finishes.

Powder-coated colors include Bright White, Modern White, Coffee Cream, Bronze, OilRubbed Bronze, Silver, Sparkling Champagne, Dove Gray, Iron Gray, Blue Steel, Matte Black, Textured Black, Brickyard Red, Commodore Blue and Hartford Green along with Cherry, Walnut and Weathered Gray woodgrain finishes.

[wernerladder.com]

[feeneyinc.com/coloreasy]

PROTECT AND MAXIMIZE T H E L I F E O F YO U R N E W D E C K AVAILABLE IN TWO SIZES 1 5/8” X 50’ • 3 1/8” X 50’

9 Prevents wood rot and water damage 9 Self-seals around screws and hidden fasteners 9 Low temperature application Come visit us in Dallas at DeckExpo - Booth # 3525

800-333-6700 www.cofair.com

Butyl Deck Flash_Half Page Ad_8_21.indd 1

Cofair Products, Inc. • 6135 Monroe Ct • Morton Grove, IL • 60053

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At the request of contractors and homeowners, Invis-A-Rail has introduced its simple, patented two-part infill system now in a textured black powder coating over a 304 stainless steel baluster.

With the powder coating adding a durable layer, Invis-A-Rail features stainless steel underneath to further strengthen baluster performance, eliminating any chance of corrosion if the powder coating is ever compromised. Its premium-grade aluminum support channel is also powder-coated black to match. [invis-a-rail.com]

Simpson Strong-Tie now offers its versatile, patent-pending LSSR rafter hanger in 2x lumber sizes that can install with both miter-cut and square-cut joists for plated truss.

The new models (LSSR26Z, LSSR28Z and LSSR210Z) feature a ZMAX finish for extra corrosion protection and respectively accommodate 2x6, 2x8 and 2x10 lumber.

They are field-adjustable for skews up to 45° and feature an innovative hinged swivel seat that adjusts up to a 45° slope. [strongtie.com/lssr]

DekPro Prestige has added Horizontal Rod Railing to its lineup of aluminum railing offerings.

Rod railings’ horizontal design is aesthetically pleasing and fits both modern and traditional home themes. It can be used for 36” and 42” rail heights for both interior and exterior applications.

Other new additions are 4” posts with welded base flange, and four-piece aluminum column wraps for 4x4 and 6x6 wood posts. [dekpromfg.com]

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Anchor Iron Co. is now stocking Kadenz Aluminum Railing, as well as Kadenz Drink Rail (KDR) in matte black finish for stairs and flat railing parts.

KDR features an internally mounted drink rail that is also Type II ADA compliant, eliminating the need for a secondary handrail on stairs.

Additional Kadenz Railing colors and styles are also available through special order.

Anchor Iron Co. is based in the Twin Cities, MN., metro area. [anchoriron.com]

Kindred Outdoors & Surrounds’ new line of Signature Kitchens and Outdoor Cabinets features easy-to-install, customizable configurations pre-designed in a variety of sizes.

Manufactured using glass-fiber reinforced concrete for durability, the products are a collection of strong, yet lightweight building blocks that quickly assemble into custom barbecue islands, fireplaces, fire pits and more.

Each Signature Kitchen is pre-designed and arrives ready to install complete with all necessary cabinets, bolts, and endcaps. [mykindredliving.com]

Deck Building Solutions • 866-767-1850 • www.suredrive.com • sales@suredrive.com Fall 2021

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INDUSTRY NEWS Sakrete Produces First-Ever Reality Show

Sakrete has introduced the first ever concrete competition series, with the same reality TV show feel and spirit of competition seen on Iron Chef, Forged in Fire, and Dirty Jobs. Now, the dramatic elements of those classic shows are combined in a knock-down, drag-out concrete battle royale: Sakrete’s Concrete Combat available on YouTube.

Each episode of Concrete Combat pits two teams of professional contractors against each other in a head-to-head concrete construction or repair challenge designed to test concrete knowhow in a wide variety of scenarios.

“Concrete Combat was conceived as a test of skill, first and foremost,” said Dave Jackson, senior brand manager for Sakrete. “Though we certainly want viewers to appreciate what Sakrete products can do, it’s really all about recognizing and paying respect to the skill and expertise that our competitors bring to the table.”

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SAKRETE’S Concrete Combat is the first ever concrete competition reality TV show. Episodes one and two have already amassed almost 15,000 views.

Season 1 features eight teams from across the U.S. competing at the Sakrete Concrete Coliseum in a single-elimination showdown—win and advance, lose and go home.

Challenges include pouring slabs, repairing damaged concrete, setting fence posts, and more.

All of the tools and materials are provided to the contestants, but they have no idea what challenge they’re facing until it’s revealed at the beginning of each episode.

“Some competitors will get lucky with projects that they’re very familiar with and others will find themselves in completely new territory—the ultimate test of concrete mastery,” said Jackson.

Hosted by Brittany Goodwin (If You’re Gone, The Perfect Race), each competition is judged by concrete veterans Mike Day, a widely-viewed concrete expert on YouTube and the owner of Day’s Concrete Floors in Monmouth, ME., and Dirk Tharpe, Sakrete’s resident concrete expert.

A special guest judge joins Mike and Dirk every episode to lend their own project-specific expertise to the panel.

From the looks of it, the videos are already well received. “What a cool concept for a show,” a viewer commented. “Mike makes the best concrete videos so educational,” wrote another.

The grand finale will be filmed live at World of Concrete 2022 in Las Vegas. Who will cement their name in history and who will crack under the pressure?

To view episodes one and two on Sakrete’s YouTube channel, visit youtube.com and search “Concrete Combat.”

THE NEXT GENERATION IN VIRTUAL EVENTS

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INDUSTRY NEWS Trex Launches AEC Site

Trex is expanding its reach with the launch of a new professionally focused website.

Trex.com/Professionals provides new digital content for the AEC (architect, engineer, contractor) community.

“Given the unmatched reputation and performance of Trex products, and our extensive and carefully curated portfolio, interest in Trex from the AEC community has grown tremendously in recent years,” noted Leslie Adkins, Trex VP of marketing. “Our products have proven ideal for both commercial and residential applications, ranging from hospitality and retail to residential and community projects that call for premium performance with low-maintenance ease and a

modern lifestyle aesthetic.”

The new site targets landscape and building architects, designers, engineers and commercial contractors and offers a dedicated digital resource hub for information about Trex’s products. The site also features content that educates, engages and empowers professionals with the product confidence needed to specify Trex products.

CAMO Wins Award

CAMO EdgeXMetal Clips won the 2021 Fastener Innovation Award from Worldwide Fastener Sources. The annual Fastener Innovation Awards highlight the groundbreaking technology influencing the future of the fastener industry.

“We’re honored to be named as a winner of the Fastener

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Innovation Awards,” said W. Scott Baker, CEO, National Nail. “With softwood prices at an all-time high, EdgeXMetal Clips make the transition to building decks with metal framing faster and easier for contractors.”

Engineered to fasten grooved deck boards at any angle, the clips deliver a one-pass fastening solution for metal framing.

“The 2021 Fastener Innovation Awards recognized products that shape the future of the fastener industry,” explained Mike McGuire, Worldwide Fastener Sources. “They show that innovation is an extremely powerful motivator that has continued the industry’s growth despite the pandemic.”

MoistureShield Airs TV Ads

MoistureShield is airing a new TV commercial for the way homeowners live every day, on major network streaming services. Airing this summer through Sept. 30, the commercial directly connects with homeowners and emphasizes the enjoyment a MoistureShield deck can add in all aspects of their lifestyle.

With the tagline “It’s not just any deck, it’s built for your life,” the ad highlights that a MoistureShield deck doesn’t stop at your door, it’s an extension of your everyday lifestyle and a square foot secret that adds to your living space.

It also uses subtle icons to call out performance benefits like CoolDeck Technology and Solid Core manufacturing.

The new streaming TV ad will appear on networks in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Boston, New York City/New Jersey.

Make a

...At the industry’s premier education, networking, and business marketplace.

This event is the largest gathering of pool, spa, patio, decking, and outdoor living leaders in North America and beyond.

We’re reuniting the industry in-person, and rather than close out the year, we’ll be kicking off next year’s buying cycle.

Make a Splash, and take your professional development further by participating with the International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo, co-located with Deck Expo.

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NOVEMBER 13-18, 2021 KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON CONVENTION CENTER

DALLAS, TEXAS

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INDUSTRY NEWS Fiberon Adding Outdoor Furniture

Fiberon has partnered with Breezesta to offer Fiberon Furniture by Breezesta, an assortment of premium, sustainable outdoor furniture hand selected to complement Fiberon decking and railing. The collection is sold directly through Fiberon at fiberonfurniture.com.

Fiberon Furniture by Breezesta is offered in two collections—the Chill Collection and the Coastal Collection—that feature comfortable seating options and coordinating tables.

Made from a unique blend of high-density polyethylene materials, each piece of furniture is weather resistant and easy to care for. A wide range of furniture and cushion colors are available for homeowners to mix and match.

Available furniture colors include White, Black, Slate, Gray, Cedar, Chocolate, Weatherwood, Colonial Blue, Lagoon and Sea Glass. Sunbrella fabric cushions are available in Natural, Cast Silver, Cast Shale, Black, Navy, Gateway Mist, and Milano Char.

“We curated a selection of products and on-

CREATED FROM a unique blend of high-density polyethylene raw materials, new Fiberon Furniture by Breezesta is manufactured with recycled content including post-consumer #2 plastic materials, such as milk jugs and detergent bottles, as well as post-industrial HDPE.

trend color options that complement our decking and railing portfolio and will provide homeowners with a full suite of outdoor living products,” said Chris Hayn, Fiberon VP of sales. “This partnership showcases that Fiberon is not just a decking company, but an outdoor living company.”

FSG Buys Fencing Wholesaler

Fencing Supply Group, Houston, TX., has acquired Sharon Fence Distributors, a full-service fencing supply and manufacturer based in Sharon, PA., with additional locations in Buffalo, N.Y., and Columbus, OH. “Sharon Fence is a fantastic addition whose three locations increase the FSG footprint and extend our service area in Ohio, Pennsylvania and western New York. Customers will have greater choices and expanded product offerings for their fencing and outdoor living projects from a firstclass distributor,” said Jeff Cook, FSG executive vice president.

“Joining FSG is the absolute right next step for our company and our people. We found the perfect partner to increase our capacity to serve our customers, to expand our product lines, and to offer our people more opportunities where they can thrive,” noted David Smith, president of Sharon Fence Distributors.

Founded in 2021, Fencing Supply Group is a portfolio company of The Sterling Group. It reportedly is the largest wholesale distributor of fencing supplies in the U.S., with 53 branches in 29 states under the names Binford Supply, Cedar Supply, Fence Supply, Merchants Metals, and Pro Access Systems.

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Contractors Expect More Growth

While construction companies continue to face supply chain disruption as a result of the pandemic, they are more optimistic (56%) than the national average (52%), expecting overall economic conditions in the U.S. to improve, according to a new study from Umpqua Bank.

The survey shows construction firms tend to see improving finances in the year ahead. About 66% expect revenues to increase, compared with an average of 55% for all sectors, and only behind that of retail (67%). The construction industry expects profits to rise, with 52% saying so, compared with an average of 45%, and trailing only retail (67%) and manufacturing (57%).

Construction firms also said they’ll continue to retool their approaches over the next year.

Remarkably, 73% said they plan to make significant changes to pricing, more than any other sector, with others trailing well behind, such as manufacturing (50%), business services (49%), and wholesale (48%). About 34% said they are likely to take on debt to grow in the coming 12 months, versus 29% of all those polled. About 31% are considering increasing their real estate footprint, similar to other industries (32%).

“Construction firms of all sizes have shown remarkable resilience during the pandemic, and generally appear optimistic about the economy and their prospects for growth,” says Umpqua Bank’s Richard Cabrera. “They have faced volatile commodity prices and labor shortages, but strong demand for real estate, such as housing and warehouses, has allowed operators to pass much of the rising costs on to buyers.”

Like many enterprises, businesses in the construction industry have made changes and adapted in response to the pandemic. However, they are less like than other businesses to keep changes made long term: only about 37% of firms said they will maintain most or all of the changes they put in place since March of last year, the lowest among all sectors in the study. The national average was 54%.

About 95% of the construction industry said they had supply issues over the last 12 months, compared with an average of 88% for all sectors.

Roughly 20% of construction firms said they are more likely to acquire another business in the coming year, versus 26% of all companies.

Only 33% of firms said they would likely automate repetitive tasks over the next year, below the average of 44%, but 58% they would look for ways to digitize the business to improve efficiency, in line with the average of 59%.

“We see very encouraging signs despite some macroeconomic adversity,” Cabrera says.

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DATE PLANNER National Association of Home Builders – Fall Leadership Meeting When: Oct. 11-15 Where: Marriott Marquis, Houston, TX. What: Meetings for NAHB committees and leaders.

Subcommittees will meet virtually.

More info: nahb.org

DeckExpo - International Pool & Spa Expo When: Nov. 13-18 Where: Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, TX. What: DeckExpo is again partnering with the Pool | Spa | Patio Expo to present the premier event for outdoor living pros.

More info: poolpatiospa.com

North American Deck & Railing Association – Deck Evaluation Class When: Nov. 15, 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 pm Where: Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, TX. What: This program will allow the industry professional the opportunity to employ the ability to safely evaluate a deck.

More info: nadra.org

North American Deck & Railing Association – Master Deck Professional Class When: Nov. 15, 1 - 4:00 pm Where: Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, TX. What: Earn your Master Deck Professional – CODE Certification with NADRA. All options include class 3 in person and additional options to include all 4 parts on demand.

More info: nadra.org

Welcome Aboard!

Deck Specialist is thrilled to introduce six first-time advertisers! Consider them when you are looking for such products: • Barrette Outdoor Living’s composite decking and RDI aluminum railings • Lumber Plus decking retailer • Monarch Technologies’ innovative MonaDeck composite decking • Sentinel Fence & Rail’s boxed aluminum railing kits • Versatex Building Products’ cellular PVC trim

• Wahoo Decks’ Fortis aluminum decking and AridDek combo aluminum deck board/deck drainage system

AD INDEX

Page 66

3G Technologies www.invisirail.com

Cover IV

Monarch Technologies www.monadeck.com

75

526 Events www.526.events

55

MOSO North America www.moso-bamboo.com

43

Absolute Distribution Inc. www.absolutedist.com

Cover II-3

National Nail www.camofasteners.com

35

Atlantis Rail Systems www.atlantisrail.com

61

Nichigo G-Tape www.gtape.com

Cover III

Avon Plastics www.armadillodeck.com

59

On the House Media www.onthehousemedia.com

15, 17

Barrette Outdoor Living www.barretteoutdoorliving.com

7

Pacific Woodtech Corp. www.pacificwoodtech.com

Big Foot Systems www.bigfootsystems.com

63

Permapost Products Co. www.klear-gard25.com

Coastal Forest Products www.ironwoods.com

39

Protecto Wrap www.protectowrap.com

Cofair Products www.cofair.com

11

RailFX www.railfx.net

DeckExpo www.poolspapatio.com

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Reclaimed Woods of the World www.lunawood.com

Deckorators www.deckorators.com

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Regal ideas www.regalideas.com

DeckWise www.deckwise.com

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Sakrete www.sakrete.com

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events wood rot and water damage

velopment further by participating with the f-seals around screws and hidden fasteners ed with Deck Expo.

w temperature application

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0-333-6700

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Cofair Products, Inc. • 6135 Monroe Ct • Morton Grove, IL • 60053

lf Page Ad_8_21.indd 1

8/26/2021 3:17:40 PM

18

NOVEMBER 13-18, 2021 KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON CONVENTION CENTER

27

DALLAS, TEXAS

08/26/2021 2:50:05 PM

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Digger Specialties www.diggerspecialties.com

23

Sentinel Fence & Rail www.sentinelmfg.com

9

FastenMaster www.fastenmaster.com

51

Simpson Strong Tie www.strongtie.com

76

FootingPad www.footingpad.com

31

SpecRail www.specrail.com

13

Great Southern Wood www.yellawood.com

73

Sure Drive USA www.suredrive.com

14

Holbrook Lumber www.holbrooklumber.com

57

Titan Metal Werks www.splitstop.com

53

Humboldt Sawmill www.mendoco.com

69

47

InfraTech www.infratech-usa.com

33

Trex www.trex.com

4-5

Lumber Plus www.lumberplus.com

67

Versatex www.versatex.com

16

MFM Building Products Corp. www.mfmbp.com

68

Vista Railings www.vistarailings.com

48

MoistureShield www.moistureshield.com

64

Wahoo Decks www.wahoodecks.com

Deck Building Solutions • 866-767-1850 • www.suredrive.com • sales@suredrive.com

TIVA Building Products www.tivabp.com

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IDEA BOOK

Set the Stage Trex Commercial Products’ involvement in the recent renovation of Hayward Field in Eugene, OR., has made the company part of Olympic history. The renowned University of Oregon facility hosted the Olympic Track and Field Trials in June and featured Trex’s clear anodized aluminum railing.

Doubled in capacity from 10,500 to 25,000 seats, the world-class arena still offers an intimate setting, positioning spectators on top of the action with the first row just mere feet from the outside lane. Fans seated in the upper and lower bowls can cheer on their favorite athletes while enjoying clear views and the breathtaking surrounding scenery, courtesy of Trex Commercial Products’ custom engineered railing.

The project, which took nine months to complete and cost over $6 million, features more than 15,000 linear feet of aisle, glass, cable and drink rail throughout the interior and exterior of the arena and complements the open and airy design of the structure.

The installation process did not encounter too many struggles as a majority of the railing was installed with ample accessibility to the work. It was quite seldom that the company had to install work up in a lift. The biggest challenge was related to COVID. “Our workforce was limited when trained installers had to quarantine if exposed to the virus and that was a huge challenge,” said Laura Rygielski Preston, president of Trex Commercial Products.

In addition to its state-of-the-art amenities, the newly renovated landmark features a baton-inspired tower designed to “tell the story of the first 100 years of Oregon track and field,” along with an iconic wood roof that pays homage to the state’s history and forestlands.

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Deck Specialist

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Fall 2021

UPPER: While the installation process didn’t encounter too many challenges, the biggest struggle was related to COVID. Trained installers were required to quarantine if exposed to the virus, which slowed the process down.

LOWER: The scope of work cost $6.2 million for stadium railing, fencing & stair scope (which was a separate contract).

(Photos courtesy TREX Commercial Products)

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