How to get high turns, profit with cedai proiects

llt HEN new home construction

UU slowdowns affect building products sales volumes, two other areas offer growing sales to help pick up the slack. And, fortunately, western red cedar products fit handsomely into promotion packages for both areas - remodeling and outdoor projects.

Promoting western red cedar products for backyard projects such as decks, gazebos, arbors, fences, lattice and planter boxes also provides a high-profile opportunity to package-in associated materials, such as nails. paints and stains, concrete mixes, outdoor furniture and many others.

Story at a Glance

Ways remodeling and outdoor sales can pick up slack in cedar market ideas for related sales free educational materials to help salesrnen satisfy custonrers.

High turnover and good profit margins are just two of the incentives for promoting the cedar dimension lumber, siding, paneling and other specialty products that are used in these home entertaining and family recreation add-on projects.

Home remodeling, such as kitchen and bathroom renovations and added family or recreation rooms, are naturals for the wide range ol patterns and grades of cedar siding and paneling. There arestyles that can be recommended from formal to rustic, to suit any customer.

These projects also offer related sales of tools and products, such as windows, paint brushes, hammers. saws, and the list goeson.

Cedar products have added advantages over other products that might be used outdoors or indoors.

They are attractive enough to be used with a minimum of finishing, and they are naturally durable for long-life and easy maintenance.

In addition to being naturally durable, for long-life in use, western red cedar also is biodegradable. Some early American homes have been clad with the same cedar siding for hundreds of years. But when the wood will no longer serve its purpose, it can be readily absorbed back into the earth.

Cedar and other wood products also are energy conservative in manufacture, compared with other building materials such as steel, aluminum, masonry andconcrete. Besides environmental benefits, cedar and other wood products are renewable resources, which can beperpetuated to provide products as well as forests for recreation and environmental considerations.

Selling western red cedar as a durable, easy-to-work and naturally resistant building material is even easier when the salesperson canhelp the customer choose the correct grade, pattern, size and coverage amount for the job. Satisfied customers come back for more.

To assist dealers, specifiers and users in their selections, the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association offers a product use guide that is a mini-course on everything one needs to know about the products and their applications.

Easy-to-use charts categorize standard sizes, giving nominal, dressed dry and dressed green dimension. Products include paneling and siding, bevel siding, finish, fascia and trim, and dimension cedar.

Two charts give descriptions and rule book references for standard clear grades and standard knotty grades of the various products. Design values for the appropriate grade of dimension cedar products are listed in another chart.

A coverage estimator provides

Whning Cedtr Prqieet ld6ag

Pleased with the response to their 1990 Architectural Design Awards program, the Western' Red Cedar Lumber ^Association plans to make the cotnrpetition a biennial evenl with the next contest scheduled flor 1992.

Two grand awards and six merit awards were presented lor projectsusing western red cedar lumber products such as siding, decking,and interior,paneling in residential, non-residential and remodeling/renovalion categories. Winning cedar entries included a winery, a youth camp, a boathouse, a studio and several residences.

A lree brochure leaturing the winning projects is available for retailers and wholesalet$ lo use with customers as an idea piece. Copies may be requested from the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association, Dept. 673, 522 S. W. Fifth Ave., Portland, Or. 972042122.

factors for determining the exact amount of five basic types of siding and paneling that will be needed, in sizes ranging from lx4 to lxl2.

Other subjects highlighted in the four-page brochure include technical data on western red cedar's natural properties, and recommendations on finishes, siding application and exterior or interior installations.

The guide is available in quantities ./br sales sta// and customer use. For this and otlter marketing and technical literature, write to Western Red Cedar Lumber Association, Dept. 6ll, Yeon Building, 522 S. W. Filih Ave., Portland, Or. 972042122 -editor.