I was surprised and I didn’t know exactly what to say, I think that was one of the nicest things someone has ever done for me. I know it took a good bit of time on his part to fill out and submit the entry. I’m attaching a link to his entry if you wish to read it.

Long Sullivan Award Nomination for Tailor Decks

I also had this in my e-mails, what a day!!!

Congratulations!

Tailor Decks is the winner of the 2011 Long-Sullivan Award. SFPA presents this award to recognize building professionals that excel in using and promoting the use of Southern Pine lumber products.

Huck DeVenzio submitted your nomination a few weeks ago. Yours was one of five very strong nominations to be reviewed by our selection committee of 6 members. Your impressive deck and porch designs, attention to detail and commitment to product innovation were cited by the committee as extraordinary contributions to the advancement of Southern Pine materials. Attached is a copy of the nomination materials reviewed by the committee, using items provided by Huck.

We hope you are available to personally receive the award during our 2011 Annual Meeting to be held August 9-10 at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta. Presentation of this award will occur during the 1-3PM Southern Pine Council session on Tuesday, August 9.

Huck can fill you in on the details….he is registered to attend our meeting.

Please contact me with any questions, and to confirm you will be able to attend our meeting August 9 and receive your award.

Again, congratulations.

I met several of them through a national deck organization called NADRA which many of us belong to. We usually meet about every two months and discuss new products, or issues in the industry which will affect all of us. It was different at first; what do we say to each other. It’s really nice to speak with other people that not only share the same passion, but understand the industry and some of the same frustrations we go through. One thing for sure, we all may be building decks and screened porches, but we all are different in our own ways.

Being in the industry for 20 plus years, I also know some deck companies by either working with them previously, or them working at Tailor Decks. To me there is nothing more gratifying then to see someone which worked for you, start their own business. I know most people would think that is crazy, and see them as completion, but I don’t.

This past year I even started working with a couple of new deck contractors to the industry. One of them has been in the industry for 20 plus years and started their own business in Sept. of 2010; the other was in new construction. Talking with them sure brings back memories of when I first started. I thought I had a good idea how to do everything; I don’t think I would or could go through it again. I really had no idea what it was like running my own business and how much time it actually took.

The one thing I wish I would have had when I started my business was guidance from somebody who knew the industry along with the business portion aspects. Building quality decks is one thing, but running a business is totally another.

I have really enjoyed talking with both of them; hopefully I am giving them some advice that will help them succeed in their business and not go through all the trail and errors which I did. I know sometimes there is no better way to learn then experience, but hopefully I spare them of some costly ones.

Last Friday evening a friend of mine called me about 6 o’clock and told me he was seriously hurt in an accident, he was going to live, but his life was going to change. He called in for a carryout order to at a Hooters restaurant and was planning on going back to his office to do some work.

When he was leaving, as he was walking out, he didn’t see a small flight of stairs and fell. He ended up breaking three bones in his left ankle and messed up his right knee. I went and saw him in the hospital Saturday afternoon before his surgery, and he was in very good spirits, but felt totally helpless. He knew he would not be able to help his employees and would have to count on others for help to get through this.

I could not imagine being in the spot, but it could happen to any of us at any given time. Do we ever really appreciate what we have; our health, our friends, our family, and things we usually take for granted? The older I get, the more I see the things that are really important to us are free.

On Sunday he had surgery on both his ankle and knee and came through the surgery fine, but he was told that he would not be able to stand on either leg for about six weeks. Once he gets out of the hospital he may have to stay at an assisted living facility until he is up and walking.

Could you imagine one moment you are thinking of work, a potential job, or whatever, and the next second your world just changed? I did talk with him today (Wednesday afternoon) and believe it or not he was still positive. Of course the conversation was very interesting since he was on some pretty heavy pain killers.

I plan on going to see him on Friday or Saturday morning to see how he is really doing. What does a person say to a friend when something like this happens? Yes, we can talk about God and tell him bigger thing are in his path, but does he really want to hear this? I think the best thing is to just be there for him.

Please put him in your prayers.
Thank you,
John

The reason I started building decks was simple, I loved building decks! Owning and running a business is a whole lot more than just doing something you love and are good at. Building the deck is the easiest part of the business and the part I enjoy the most.

Knowing what I know today would I start my own business, that’s a good question? Right now it is 11 o’clock on a Tuesday night and I find myself writing a blog. Is this something I love or am I just bored? I think if you are going to be a successful in a small business you better love what you are doing because it is not a 40 hour week.

Today I worked on several documents such as new contracts, a check list for when I meet with potential customers, and a service agreement. I did not get them done, but made good progress. I have been working on them for several months but have yet to finish them. I know it sounds crazy but you have to be patient, it takes time to get them right.

Doing the little things is want makes you stand out, saves money, eliminates headaches, and helps you grow. Somehow find the time to do those little things and enjoy what you are doing. After many years of building decks and screen porches in Atlanta, I continue to refine my systems and business.

Blogging about deck construction… what’s the point, and does anybody really read this stuff, and if so, who?

I think two of the main reasons why most people blog are they either have a lot of information about a certain topic which they feel may help educate the consumer, or they just enjoy talking with people who share the same interest. I personally enjoy educating consumers and contractors of my experiences building decks and screened porches. I have not yet gotten to a point where I have other people commenting on my blogs and sharing their experiences, but I hope to one day soon.

When I first started blogging it was neither of the two, it was actually blogging because my marketing firm told me it would help my Atlanta deck construction website with rankings and therefore I should be doing it. I didn’t understand how this worked since I didn’t know anything about computers, websites and for sure blogging. What would I write about and who the heck wants to hear what I have to say anyway?

Blogging to me sure seemed to be a lot of work and trying to come up with a topic was head scratching. I did however come up with stuff to write about, and my website was showing up higher in the rankings. I can’t say blogging was one of those things I woke up in the morning just dying to do. After about a year I stopped blogging for several different reasons. I had other things I needed to be doing such as; writing other documents related to Tailor Decks, sales training, taking incoming phone calls, working with the crews, and giving out estimates. The real truth is blogging is hard to keep doing unless you really enjoy doing it just like playing golf, cooking, and of course building decks, I think you get my point.

Looking back I see the real reason I stopped blogging was my whole heart was not into it, and I was doing it for the wrong reason for me. I however, think you should link your blogs back to your site which may help you generate leads, but that should not be the main reason you are blogging. Before I forget I better write in a link back to my site. How about Atlanta Georgia custom deck and screened porch builder.

Today I find myself with so much I want to say to consumers and other tradesmen and making the time to do what I enjoying doing (blogging). I am actually thinking of having another website because I have so much stuff I want to do with blogging and videos. The new site would be more actual teaching of how to build a deck, sales techniques, marketing, and a chat room for contractors and consumers with questions.

I would like this site be a place where everyone would get involved. If somebody has something they would like to say or add this would be the site or place to do it. It would be a site for everyone thoughts, ideals and opinions, not just my mine. Email me to let me know your thoughts.

What is going on in the deck industry today is due to the halt to new residential home building. There are an overwhelming number of people from new construction doing remodeling today who may have never built a deck before. I know and understand if my job had ended in new construction I would be doing the same thing so I can’t blame them. I also think that most people have a perception that a carpenter can build anything which is the furthest from the truth.

Carpenters are specialized in the trade just like lawyers, doctors, and all other occupations are in their field. Building a deck is totally different than installing interior trim, hanging drywall, painting and so on. The biggest issue however is remodeling is totally different than new construction in every aspect. With so many (a carpenter of a friend I know) building decks; you can have a deck built really cheap. My question is; are you really getting a good deal for you money or good value.

Money is an important factor in purchasing a product, but it should not the deciding factor. When purchasing a product we all should feel comfortable and trust the person/company we will be dealing with. The last thing we want is to purchase something only to be unhappy with it and have headaches later. The reason we purchased the item in the first place was to enjoy it, and better our lifestyles.

I know everyone is different when it comes to purchasing. Myself personally, I’m not a shopper, I’m a buyer. Before I purchase anything I do a good bit of research first to educate myself on the item and the company I am interested in. I search the internet, look for articles in magazines, talk to friends & family, then I contact the vendor I’m interested in to ask more questions about their product and their process. I know this takes time, effort and work on my end, but overall doing the process this way saves a good bit of time, makes the process go smoothly, and the end result is; I have the product I wanted, not something somebody sold me.

The process for choosing a contractor to build your deck should be no differently for you. Once you have done your research, get to know the contractor or company before signing the contract. Don’t be one of those homeowners talking about what a poor job and bad experience you had with your contractor.

When you search the internet for deck contractors in the Atlanta Georgia area, the most searched keywords are Atlanta Decks and Decks Atlanta. If you are in another city, type in the word decks along with the city you live in.

Recently I have been back to the decks I built in the late 80’s in Southern Indiana, amazing how strong the railings are.

These railing were actually built with the 2” x 2” pickets nailed to the outer deck bands sandwiched with a 2” x 4” on each side of the 2” x 2” up top with a 5/4 board for the railcap, No bolts.   The deck railings I have been building since the early 90’s in Atlanta have notched 4” x 4” post bolted to the outer deck bands; once again, they are solid.

As an Atlanta deck contractor I have seen so many changes in the deck industry some good, and some bad. Things were so simple, when did it all change?   I can tell you in one word when it all changed, money.  When I first started building decks it was so much fun, I couldn’t wait to wake up in the morning to get started, the fresh morning air, working side by side with your best friend and cutting up with each other all day long.

Some things stay the same; working with your buddies, digging footers, building your structure, installing your decking, and then putting  up your railing.  What has changed in the deck industry is the greed of big corporations in the country.  I understand that the industry needs high standards.  However, what I don’t understand is how a corporation can manipulate words to try and justify why a certain connector is needed and of course they have the solution.

The deck industry is no different than any other thing in this country, when a large corporation sees an opportunity for money to be made; it becomes something other than want its original purpose was for.  They  start off with buddying up with people, acting like they are honestly concerned and interested,  then it turns into how can they get involved, then after you know it, they are the ones calling the shots.

I know I am not the only contractor that sees and feels this way.  There is going to be a major code change in the upcoming year which is going to affect all of us and we all are not going to like it.  I am talking about the connectors that are going to be required for our railing post attachment to the deck.  It is going to be very expensive, time consuming, and look awful.   What can we do about this?

One thing we can do is nothing and let them keep running our show and keep getting richer, or we can all take a stand together and fight this.  One thing is to stop buying their products.   I know I personally use a good bit of their products, mostly because they are convenient at all Home depots and Lowes.   Wonder how it would affect them if not only I stopped buying their products but all of us as a whole would stop?

I remember several years ago seeing another connector company at a deck expo show in Vegas and actually liked it much better, but was not as convenient to get.  The connectors were a tan color which would match our lumber much better which would not stand out so much.   I am going to do some research to see who they are and hopefully they are still around.  If anyone has any thoughts, suggestions, solutions, please forward them to john@tailordecks.com.

I am asked this question on almost every sales appointment I go on by the homeowner. Over the years I have tried several different methods and products on new decks and found out there is no perfect product, but know the most important time to seal and protect your deck is upon completion of your deck.

Should I apply a clear or color stain, water base or oil, this product or that one? On new decks I have always used an oil based product due to better penetration of the product. I first started out using the color stains instead of the clear products due to better protection.

I don’t think anyone would disagree a color stain protects a deck better then a clear product. The problem with a color stain it does not adhere to new decks as well as older decks, therefore the stain will wear off sooner than the homeowner expects.

When I apply a color stain to a new deck I tell the homeowner the first application will not adhere to a new deck as long as you would like. It will last up to two years or more on an older deck, but more likely it will only last a year or less on a new deck. I tell the homeowner I do not mind applying a color stain; however I cannot warrant the product or labor.

I recommend using a clear product first which penetrates deeper into the wood pores then a pigmented stain and sealing up the deck fine. The reasons I like a clear product better than a color stain for the first application is that it’s a much easier application and when the product wears off you do not notice it like you do a color. This means no call backs from unhappy customers asking you to redo their deck for free.

Since then, there has been an overwhelming amount of new products introduced to the industry. I am going to write briefly on my experiences with of some of those products and hopefully give you some things to think about before choosing your decking material.

Each and every decking product has its own advantages, disadvantages and varies in cost. When choosing your decking product, remember that no single product is right for everyone, so know what is important to you and fits within your budget. Initially, it’s very important to obtain as much information as possible before making a final decision on which product to use for your deck.

This may be through searching the internet, talking to friends, family and neighbors that have a deck with a product you are considering. The very best advice I can give you is, go out and look at older decks built with the products you are interested in. Most importantly, whichever product you choose, it should make you want to be outside spending quality time with friends and family on your new deck. What I say to my customers is: I want to build you a deck that will change your lifestyle, not just build you a pretty picture.

Redwood Decking: It was the most popular, high-end decking material in Atlanta in the early to mid-70s. There are two basic grades of redwood, sap and heartwood. Sap was the more popular of the two for decks, mainly due to the cost of heartwood. I used redwood for some of my deck railings but only built one complete deck with redwood, and the end result was fantastic.

Redwood is a soft-wood which makes it very easy to work with but you need to be more careful not to dent or scratch it during the installation process. Due to acids in the wood that react to certain metals, this type of wood requires stainless steel fasteners. Redwood is a very good product, but it became very scarce and costly in the mid-90s. You can still purchase redwood but you have to order it directly from suppliers in California. That said, I do occasionally see an old redwood deck while out on appointments, usually in and around Dunwoody Ga.

Cedar Decking: Western Red Cedar is grown in the upper western states of the US and Canada and is shipped to other parts of the country typically by train. Cedar became very popular in the south for decking in the early to mid 80s and is still being used today but not to the same degree. Cedar, like redwood, is also available in both a sap (knotty) and heartwood grade (clear kiln dried).

Cedar also contains acids which react to certain metals and requires a higher grade fastener; double hot-dipped galvanized, aluminum, or stainless steel. Cedar is similar to redwood in workability and durability, but should be thoroughly sealed to protect it from the elements. Cedar seems to have between a 10 to 15 year life span in the south but performs much better in other parts of the country. Personally, I have only built a few decks with cedar but enjoyed working with it and loved the finished look. I currently use cedar a good bit for our screened-in porches.

Pressure-Treated, Southern Yellow Pine Decking: The first decks I built using pressure-treated southern yellow pine were in 1987 in Southern Indiana and to this day I still remember the smell of the pressure treated wood and seeing the Wolmanized tag at the end of the board. The deck consisted of 5/4” decking, 2” x 2” wood pickets nailed to the side of the deck band, 2 x 4’s were the railing runners, and a 5/4” deck board was the rail-cap. Wow, how things have changed!

When pressure-treated wood was first produced for decks, no one had any idea of the influence it would have on the decking industry. At first, it was pretty simple. “Let’s prevent wood from rotting, so people will have a product they can use outside for decks that will last longer than other products.” Over a short period of time, industry leaders found out people were living on their decks and wanted more out of their outside living spaces.

There were, however, some issues with the pressure treated wood; it faded, checked, cracked, splintered, warped, twisted and cupped over an extended period of time. Some of these issues were due to improper installation of the material, lack of maintenance and some were the manufacturing process itself.

Improvements had to be made to the product for it to be competitive in today’s market. The improvements were; better grades, milling patterns, preservatives, stains/sealers, manufacturing techniques and kiln dried material being offered.

Composite Decking: In the early-90s, I was first introduced to composite decking material. I was completing a deck for a family, when a gentleman approached me with a plastic/PVC decking product. At the time, I found it to be unique and very interesting. It wasn’t until the mid to late-90s that contractors actually started using composites in the Atlanta area.

When composites were first introduced into the marketed, they were marketed as a maintenance-free product. Homeowners loved hearing this, imagine no more maintenance! After millions of dollars paid out in lawsuits by the composite companies, they now market their product as low-maintenance not maintenance free.

After a few years, the industry was flooded with all different types of composites made from all different materials, each having their own pros and cons. Some composites faded, some did not. Some got hot, some did not. Some scratched, and others did not. Get my point? It was very confusing and frustrating for both the contractors and the homeowners.

As a contractor myself, it was not only difficult knowing all of the products and their differences, but with each new composite material, came new installation and maintenance issues. The problems I had ranged from the initial installation of the product to problems that would occur months and/or years after being installed. I believe the worst experience is replacing a defective composite material, only to find out the line has been discontinued or the company is no longer in business.

Due to so many product failures, there are far less composite companies today than when composites were first introduced. Now that composites have been available for some time, we know a lot of their issues and the product is much better. The newer composites are made from mostly PVC and offer a hidden fastener system.

This system looks very good when first installed, but my concern is how it will perform in the future. The older decks I see with these systems do not look nearly as beautiful as they did upon first completion. If there is one truth to decking it is that deck boards fastened through the top surface makes for the strongest possible deck.

Exotic Hardwoods Decking: The exotic hardwoods were actually available before composite materials but very few people knew of them due to the lack of marketing. IPE was the first exotic hardwood I remember being introduced into the industry; I saw it at a home show in Atlanta in 1989. When I first saw it I thought it looked awesome and it would make for a great deck, it wasn’t until several years later that I got an opportunity to build decks with IPE. I found IPE to be a little more time consuming installing the decking, but a whole lot more time installing the railings and amenities.

The cost of the IPE and the exotics are a good bit more expensive, but seem to be durable and look very nice. If you wish to keep the rich beauty of your exotic hardwood deck, you will have a good bit of routine maintenance, either yearly or sometimes twice a year. Exotic hardwoods do get very hot in the summer due to it being a darker and denser material which holds heat.

If you choose to use a hidden deck fastener with your exotic hardwood deck, I would recommend the deck master system. There are a lot of biscuit and clipping systems out there, but I have yet to see one that performs well long term. Today, there are also several other exotic hardwoods on the market used for decks, each having the pros and cons. Remember, do your research first before purchasing!!!

Thermally Modified Decking: I was first introduced to Thermally Modified Wood at the deck expo show in Las Vegas around the year 2006. The company I met with was from Finland and I thought their product sounded like it could change the industry. It was described as a maintenance-free product, no warping, cracking, splintering or checking, WOW! It was the perfect solution for both people wanting a wooden deck and for all the contractors who loved working with wood. The product was not yet on the market, but I couldn’t wait to use it.

Being extremely interested in the latest industry developments; I stayed in contact with the manufacturer of the product until it was sold to the public. I was the first contractor in the country to use their product and was very excited. I loved the look of the thermally modified decking; it was relatively easy to work with and made a deck that looked second-to-none.

Once the product had been installed and a significant amount of time had passed, I began noticing the product bleaching-out and checking starting to occur. This was certainly a concern for something advertised as maintenance-free product that did not check. I had to apply an oil-based color preservative to the deck to help with checking and bleaching, just like other wood products. This step seemed to alleviate most of the issues I encountered.

Aluminum Decking: During my time as a contractor, I have seen several aluminum railing systems for decks and docks which really doesn’t look all that good up close. Aluminum decking to me seems like it is reserved for decks near the water or docks.

This past winter I met with a manufacturer (Wahoo Decks) of aluminum decking and railing product which stood out as the most visually appealing in this particular category. One product they developed that really stood out from the rest was this water-tight, aluminum decking board that had a baked-on wood grain finish. When I first saw it, I actually thought it was wood.

The product is somewhat costly and still seems to me that it is more suitable for decks near water and docks. Time will tell whether or not homeowners will want and be willing to pay for this product. The advantages are; it stays cool, very durable, water tight (creating a dry underneath area), maintenance-free (except regular cleaning) and actually looks like wood.

http://www.housingwatch.com/2009/12/31/think-twice-before-you-start-that-home-improvement-project

A couple of interesting distinctions I discovered were:

- Wood decks continue to hold a very significant portion towards the value of the home, and,

- Wood decks held 10% more value than composite decks

It's something your friendly decking contractor (me) has been preaching for years!