On Deck

Decking Trend - A Time that Tries Men's Souls

Someone once said that “these are the times that try men’s souls”.  I think we’re living in such a time again.  Economic events are such that contractors are switching industries in order to make a living.  We’ve felt this shift in the decking/remodeling industry as many contractors in the “new construction” area have migrated over in search of work.  But the inherent problem is that new construction contractors aren’t remodelers!  So what we’re already seeing are prices being driven down (good for the consumer).  But something that is all too predictable is that somewhere down the road, the dirt-cheap work will start to bend, brake, crack and fade…leading the consumers to have to spend even more on replacement (bad for the consumer in the long run).

This is really the driving reason why we’ve done less work than last year.  Our marketing has actually improved, but the available work has largely been eaten up by a tsunami of new “remodelers”.  And while I can’t blame them for trying to feed their families, I must attempt to educate consumers on what’s going on.  Fortunately, due to the good relationship we’ve built with our past customers, we still have some work.  I credit the close relationship with them to a couple of things.  First, we’ve made a big effort to maintain all originally-built Tailor Decks since the company’s inception back in 1994.  And second, we’re prompt with maintenance and/or warranty issues.  Our commitment to stay close has meant (in addition to a phone call from time to time), mailers that are sent two to three times a year telling our past customers (or new “inherited” deck owners) what’s going on.

As far as new business, lowering prices to compete with the new contractors is a no-win situation.  The truth is that someone else is always willing to go out of business faster than you.  So, we at Tailor Decks will not compete when it comes to losing money or building an inferior product.  We have the most competitive pricing we’ve ever offered but still have a minimum cost line that we must adhere to (including cost of materials, workers comp, insurance, taxes, etc.).  Unfortunately, we’ve have to watch the spectacle of competitors pricing themselves out of the market and consumers “getting what they pay for” from the sidelines.  It’s a time of real evaluation for all.

Atlanta Decks and Screened Porches

The very first deck I ever built was in 1987 in a suburb outside of Louisville, Kentucky. I was attending a building construction school nearby and working with a classmate who needed some help on a remodeling project he was working on.  The project consisted of the removal of an exterior wall and an addition to the house which had French doors leading out to large deck.

The deck on this house was pretty awesome. It was approximately 12’ x 20’ and had the outside bayed which gave it a great look. The flooring was 5/4” board pressure treat pine with rounded edges. The railing consisted of 2” x 2” wood pickets that were nailed into the side deck bands… and sandwiched in by 2x4’s on each side at the top and a 5/4 board piece of decking for the railcap.

Twenty two years later, when I look back at this first project, I find it amazing the difference in the work we did on that deck and the work we do today. The Atlanta decks and screened porches that are put up today are simply incredible.  The materials, the technology, the processes, everything…seems to have progressed in leaps and bounds over the years.

And Atlanta, being in my opinion the “hotbed” of decking, is such a great place to create them.  The weather is nice 9 months out of the year.  And people just want to live outside and enjoy their yards which are so beautifully landscaped.  While economic times may be challenging, it’s hard to deny that we’re practically living in a decking fantasyland.

Back in Time

Last week while driving to an appointment, I noticed a deck that I had built while working for a previous Atlanta decking company. I built custom decks and screened porches for that company from 1990-1994. It was a great experience from which I learned a lot, and met several good people. In a sense, they helped build the foundation that made Tailor Decks the deck company it is today. 

At one point in time, they were the largest Atlanta deck builder in the metro area. In fact, many of the Atlanta deck builders today worked for them at one time or another.  But they are no longer around…the company split and merged long ago.  It was an interesting moment looking at that deck, knowing that the company in question was no longer around. It brought back a lot good of memories. I recently spoke to one of my fellow salespersons from that company/era who I had worked with…and we spoke and laughed for hours about those times.  It was fun reminiscing.

Like all growing and evolving businesses, there are some things I’ve continued from my experience there…and other things I’ve changed and improved.  I think it’s pretty evident that those companies that didn’t learn over time have fallen by the wayside.  I like to think that each deck we build is better than the one before…and I think it is.

Atlanta Deck Contractor

In the last post, I mentioned our intention to help our fellow deck builders through consulting and an instructional website.  But that was obviously meant for contractors. 

What about for you homeowners? While I believe the quality of workmanship will continue to improve, it's still critical to be vigilant in your selection of the right builder.  The following are some basic steps you should consider.

After checking your budget, I think the first step is doing some research on the internet as it's a great tool to gather information.  I personally think Home Reports (www.homereports.com) is a great service as they're an independent resource that evaluates the quality of area building contractors.  Yes, we're ranking highly in that and I might be biased, but I still think it's a great service.  For a Google of Yahoo search, you might want to type in "atlanta decks" or something like that.  You'll get back many deck builder listings, and from there you can visit their sites and accomplishments.

I'd probably narrow down to three or so from these, then set up appointments to discuss what you'd like.  I've found over the years that most homeowners know they want a deck, but don't have a specific vision.  Some deck builders are better than others in helping you with a plan/vision.

When setting the appointments, ask about their certification and experience.  I hate to exclude newer contractors here, but it's best to go with someone with practical experience.  When meeting with them, ask about references, then check them.  And when calling references, ask them to step through their experience rather than just taking their "they were great" testimonial.  When digging a little further, I tend to pick up more insight.  One of the intangibles too when weeding down is how well you interact with the builder.  In a lot of cases, you'll be talking to them quite a bit over the period, so you really need to feel comfortable with them.

I think those are some basics and if you follow, you'll generally avoid problems.  Have any other suggestions that I might have missed?

Deck Atlanta, Part 1

The market sure has changed for decking in Atlanta over the years. In the 80's and 90's, decks were going up all over as almost an assumed extension of living in Atlanta.  I mean, who wanted to be without the backyard parties with the grill and the Jimmy Buffet music and the citronella burning?  It was almost a "right" of Atlanta homeowners.

That's not to say that it isn't today.  Living in Atlanta means generally good weather and the big social aspect I think will always be here.  But the decking landscape has changed.  Fortunately a lot for the better.  First, technology has helped atlanta deck contractors both in terms of the supplies and equipment.  For the most part, this has lowered pricing and improved the overall quality of the decks.  We continue to rebuild and repair decks from this period (and I doubt that will change), but the newer decks are typically more sound (of course there are exceptions).

The second is the certification of deck builders in Georgia. We haven't really seen the effects yet of this rather recent phenomenon, but I suspect that it will limit poorly built decks and screen porches going up through builder education.  Finally, the tightening of the overall market has and will continue to weed out poorly managed builders over time.  While I don't like anyone to struggle, I think over the long-haul that the field will be stronger.

All About Atlanta Decking and Screened Porches

While prices have dropped for a lot of the materials, we find that homeowners are still looking to add value to their homes...and what better way than with a luxury deck?  We can't think of a better time to make an addition to your home while prices are low and labor costs favorable.

We will be using this blog to post pictures of our jobs/projects as well as a dialogue with you, our customer base.  Feel free to make comments or ask questions to any of these posts...we'll respond in a timely fashion.

Thanks!
John Paulin

While prices have dropped for a lot of the materials, we find that homeowners are still looking to add value to their homes...and what better way than with a luxury deck?  We can't think of a better time to make an addition to your home while prices are low and labor costs favorable.

We will be using this blog to post pictures of our jobs/projects as well as a dialogue with you, our customer base.  Feel free to make comments or ask questions to any of these posts...we'll respond in a timely fashion.

Thanks!
John Paulin