4 Quarters was approached by Dakota Chalich of KMSP to help out with the project.  Dakota is coordinating the project in cooperation with the Home & Garden Show.  Lowe’s has committed to donating all of the materials necessary to build the playhouse; we have committed to donating all of the labor to complete the construction.

I’m very excited that we are able to work with a charitable organization that has such widespread, local impact.  Giving back to the community, in a meaningful way, is important to 4 Quarters Design & Build.  One thing that I want to emphasize is that this donation represents our clients.  I’ve said on many occasions that 4 Quarters clients are the best in the world, and I mean it.  My clients are charitable donors; I respect, appreciate, and admire each and every one of them for this.  I’ve also said on many occasions that 4 Quarters clients make everything we do possible.  This, too, is fact.  Ultimately, our clients enable us to give back to our community.

I want to thank each and every 4 Quarters client; it is they who are making this possible, and once again, giving back to the community.

First off, TimberTech dedicated a fair percentage of their display to their new ReliaBoard plank.  I’ve already blogged about this product, but it’s worth noting again.  Now that the building world has seen the product in a more proper context (i.e. a deck display rather than a sample piece) I can say, with much more confidence, that we have a very promising product here.  While it lacks the flare and sex appeal traditional to many previous product launches from its maker, it should be a very solid performer at a very attractive price.  More and more, I think this plank is the industry dark horse, and I won’t be surprised if it is wildly successful this year.  This is primarily due to the fact that it bridges an enormous price gap between cedar and the XLM plank (or any of the XLM’s competitors).  It even bridges the gap between cedar and the TwinFinish plank (and, of course, the TwinFinish plank’s competitors).  Time will tell. . .

From a company standpoint, I predict that 4 Quarters will design and build fewer cedar decks this year because of the ReliaBoard, as a portion of our client demographic would like to go low-maintenance but opt for cedar due to budget constraints.  Those in the aforementioned demographic won’t have to stretch as far with the ReliaBoard on the kitchen table.

In another corner of the decking world lives a company called Azek.  Let me describe their 2010 product debuts in one word:  Big.  About a month ago in my blog, I asked TimberTech for an XLM plank in the dark brown Earthwoods Walnut color.  While we don’t know when we’ll see such an animal from TimberTech, Azek has already produced, and a gorgeous animal it is.  No, I’m not jumping ship; 4 Quarters is a TimberTech Premier Contractor for a reason.  But on aesthetics alone, this is going to be a tough plank to sell against, especially for a deck builder that is very color and style conscientious.  (Yes, I’m referring to myself, in particular.)  To be honest, if a prospective client has their heart set on Azek Kona, I won’t even try to sell them out of it, even though I could probably do so.

Along with three very rich new plank colors, Azek diplayed some very nice composite railing profiles and large, bold newel posts to match.  To all the consumers out there, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at many of these new offerings.

Shifting gears to talk about natural wood products, there seems to be some turbulence in the hardwoods market, particularly with Ipe.  Talking with suppliers, there are some potential sourcing issues on the horizon.  Some on the inside of the market apparently saw this coming which may explain why there were a few companies displaying alternatives to the traditional hardwoods that have historically dominated the market.  Whatever is going on, the new players have some very attractive species they are trying to introduce.  Once distribution has been figured out and testing and code compliancy has been addressed, we’ll know more.  Fodder for a later post. . .

And the list goes on and on.  I could write for hours and still not cover everything.  We’ve got some great railing options looming on the horizon, but until the information becomes more clear and timely, I’ll save it.  Suffice it to say that there are a lot of exciting things happening for us now, and it appears that it’s not going to slow down anytime soon.  It’s interesting (and curious) to see all of this upward movement in a down market.

Until next time. . .

Now for the “Wish List” part of this post, because I am a demanding builder. . .

For 2010, 4 Quarters Design & Build wants a TimberTech XLM plank in the EarthWoods color Tropical Walnut.  I’ve heard rumors about this plank being in development right now; if true, I have one other request:  hurry!  This is a plea to the individuals involved in product development and marketing over at TimberTech corporate.  This product offering is an absolute necessity!  (At least, in the eyes of 4 Quarters Design & Build, it is.)  I may sound a bit selfish, but this is, afterall, my wish list.  I literally daydream about the style and design possibilities with such a product.  Yes, you’re right, we already have the color in grooved and non-grooved EarthWoods planks, fascia, riser boards, and Floorizon planks.  I’m sorry, but it’s just not the same.  I need, I mean the industry needs, a plank that is deep and rich in color while offering the technical advantages of the XLM plank.

I’ve even started branding this product for TimberTech.  TimbeTech XLM English Walnut.  The Perfect Union of Utility and Luxury. . .or. . .Technically Superior, Classically Styled. . .or. . .Unparalleled Beauty, Unmatched Performance.

Whatever it may be, however it comes about, I beg of you TimberTech, bring this plank to market.  Pretty please with sugar on top.

The 4 Quarters Design & Build booth was quite a departue from previous years.  For this years’ trade shows, I wanted to further exhibit our material and design capabilities.  As a newly christened TimberTech Premier Contractor, 4 Quarters Design & Build represented its design capabilities and the TimberTech product line very well.   The feedback I received was great, again from both exhibitors and attendees; this made all of the work that went into the booth very worthwhile.

We are looking forward to exhibiting at the Home & Patio Show at the St. Paul Rivercentre February 18-21 and the Home & Garden Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center February 24-28, 2010.  Below is a photo of our booth located in feature 3 at the Metrodome.

First is the introduction of the Accent light in Coastal White, which will pair perfectly with the RadianceRail post sleeve of the same color.  This product introduction is very straight-forward.  It needs to be there.  White railing and posts. . .white light housings that blend into the post. . .I need not say more.

The second product being introduced from TimberTech in 2010 is the ReliaBoard plank.  In the TimberTech literature, the ReliaBoard is being billed as “affordable luxury, practical style”.  4 Quarters Design & Build is very excited about this product for a couple of reasons.  First and foremost, it is great for the industry.  Quite simply, there are too many “value” line composite planks on the market, most of which offer no value post-installation.  I will not call them out by name right now, but there are certain retailers out there with a lot of recycled wood and plastic on their shelves that should have been left at their respective recycling facilities.  Writing with the Minnesota climate in mind, these composite planks have no place in the deck building industry.

Enter the ReliaBoard.  This plank should fill a void in the composite market.  I say “should” only because I can’t tell the future.  Based on TimberTech’s history in the deck building industry, the resources behind them, and their dedication to quality products, the ReliaBoard should do very well.  As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, there are many composite deck planks out there that are terrible, regardless of how inexpensive they may be.  The ReliaBoard will enter the low-cost composite market with the technology, experience, and expertise of TimberTech giving it a decisive advantage.  Well-informed consumers, cautious consumers who have done their homework, will choose the ReliaBoard every time.  The other products out there in the market simply cannot compete with the technology of TimberTech (and the technology of Crane Plastics, parent of TimberTech). 

There is one down-side for TimberTech.  Consumers who are not personally invested in the idea of the hidden fastener (those who don’t care about seeing surface screws) will likely choose ReliaBoard over TwinFinish.  Either way, TimberTech gets the business, but they do so through cannibalization of the non-grooved TwinFinish plank (which also is installed using surface fasteners).

So what makes the ReliaBoard significantly less expensive than the TwinFinish despite the stark similarities?  First, the ReliaBoard is offered in only two colors; TwinFinish is offered in three.  The ReliaBoard is only available as a non-grooved plank; no ConceaLoc hidden fastening option is available.  These two factors reduce the number of products in the family making manufacturing and inventory control far easier and efficient.  The last item that makes the ReliaBoard less costly is that there is less material in the plank.  By my calculations, there is approximately 20% less material in this plank, which has been achieved via two design elements.  First, the plank is smaller than it’s siblings; it is 1/4″ less wide and 1/16″ less tall.  The height will never be noticed by the installer or consumer, and the width means that on a deck that extends 14′ off the house wall you will purchase and install two additional deck planks.  (The additional deck boards equate to approximately 5% leaving a net material savings of 15%).  The other design element that saves raw materials (and could be used to argue that the ReliaBoard is more “green”) is the inclusion of three channels or recesses created during the extrusion process. 

Overall, the ReliaBoard should be well-received and is a welcome addition to the composite deck market.  Hopefully, for the sake of the industry and its consumers, the ReliaBoard will achieve quick success and take market share away from inferior products that hinder the market segment.

One exciting note for 2010 is that 4 Quarters Design & Build has been promoted to Premier Contractor status by TimberTech.  Premier Contractor is the highest level awarded by TimberTech.  This is a very exciting time for us.  4 Quarters Design & Build worked very diligently to expand its TimberTech business in 2009 and our efforts are paying off.  We look forward to further expanding our business with TimberTech in 2010, as there are new product offerings that will help us do that.

Back to the Desert Bronze XLM.  Consumer response has been 100% positive; again, I could have predicted this the moment I got my hands on the sample.  The bottom line is that TimberTech has a clear winner here.  I can also safely predict that we will see additions to the XLM Xotics (my pet name for the product) line in the future.  Bear in mind, however, that TimberTech will take the time to get it right, so don’t expect to see anything until 2010 or, dare I say, later.

There is one down side to the Desert Bronze XLM plank, but that downside rests solely in being one of its competitors.

Happy deck building in 2009  ;-)

-Brian

p.s.

Let me be clear about this:  XLM Desert Bronze is at the top of the market in terms of price for manufactured decking.  That being said, every prospective client I’ve spoken with about this plank has still chosen it as their number one.  It looks as though superior aesthetics and engineering trump the increased market price that results from higher manufacturing costs.