1. Meet with our designer to discuss style, square footage, budgets and personal preferences. From that, we will produce a first draft version of your basic foundation and floor plans and front elevation for your review.
    
2.  At the second meeting, we will discuss any revisions made since the first meeting and produce a second draft that would include stair and wall sections and additional elevations.
    
3. The third meeting would review any revisions made at the last meeting as well as any new revisions. Window and door schedules will be produced and construction and structural notes would be added. Essentially, a final draft of your plans would be completed at this time.

In an earlier blog we mentioned that we would provide more information on Gossen PVC decking and also Westbury Aluminum railing.  We have been selling a lot of PVC decking lately and Gossen offers one of the more complete lines on the market.

Their newest addition, the Trailways line offers the advantages of PVC decking at a cost more comparable to other composite deckings made from wood fiber, and really appeals to those interested in "green" as its core is formulated with recycled PVC.  

There's lots of good information available at GossenCorp.com.

As for the Westbury Aluminum Railing, it is by far the most popular railing today that complements the composite or PVC decking, or even wood decking.  The popular Tuscany series is the most preferred and offers the best price point.  It's available in several colors and finishes and its ease of installation also adds to its popularity.  

More information can be found at westburyrailing.com.

Leachman Lumber is one of 4,100 independent home improvement and hardware retailers that are part of the Do It Best cooperative.

While we carry much of what you need, sometimes it’s easier to shop online when it is convenient for you.  Through our partnership with Do It Best, you can go to the website, shop, pay and have it shipped to our store free of charge.  Very easy!

Here’s how it goes: 

1. Visit www.doitbest.com.
2. Shop and select your merchandise.
3. Choose the ship-to-store option.  You can enter your zip code and choose us from the list, or you may type in Leachman Lumber.
4. When your order arrives, we contact you by email to the email address you supplied when placing the order.  Typically, most orders are received within 7-10 days.

 We’ve worked with Do It Best for many years now.  Their products and customer service are outstanding, so we’re pleased to bring you this added access.

If you visited us during the annual Home Builders Association Home and Remodeling Show, you know we’re carrying a number of new products that are big on consumer appeal.  We’ll talk about Gossen PVC decking and Westbury aluminum railing in future blogs, but we wanted to talk about a rubber brick paver that is making waves for its “green” qualities and realistic attributes.

Azek Vast Pavers are made from recycled tires.  They come in different thickness so they can be used for patios, sidewalks, and even driveways.  The thinner resurfacing paver can be used to go over existing patios and wood decks.

They are also easy to install.  They use a patented grid system that dramatically reduces installation time by taking the difficulty out of manually setting and aligning  heavy concrete pavers.

The best part for green-conscious consumers and contractors, this is a totally green product that can help projects earn LEED certifcation.

The pavers come in five standard colors that can be mixed and blended to give your project a realistic look.

For more information about the Azek Vast Pavers, contact your sales rep at 515.265.1621 or www.vastpavers.com.

Looking for an evironmentally friendly, treated wood option?

We are now stocking MicroPro LifeWood for use in decks, fences, landscaping and general contracting uses.  Specifically, we have it available in 5/4 decking, 4x4s, 2x4s and 2x6s for use with handrails.

What makes this lumber different is the pressure treatment process.  This treated lumber solution goes through a micronized copper wood preservative treatment process.  That’s a fancy way of saying this is a revolutionary process that creates a product that offers better painting and staining capabilities, less corrosion and increased protection against fungal decay and termite attack.

This is truly an attractive product.  It is produced from Ponderosa and Red Pine rather than Southern Yellow Pine, which after the treatment process means there is less moisture saturation.  Plus, there is more natural coloring, and the knots are smaller and tighter.

For consumers who are looking for a green solution, this is certified under the SCS’s Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) program.

For more information about this product, contact Leachman Lumber at 515.265.1621 or visit www.osmosewood.com/lifewood.

I have worked with Leachman Lumber over the years providing marketing assistance.  The one thing I have come to understand is there really is “a material difference.”

Case in point, my husband and I recently embarked on a complex remodeling project.  Why it was complex is a story for another day, but what is important is that we were remodeling a 90-year-old house that needed windows replaced, plus the project included new construction, so we were looking for a window that honored the heritage of the house but brought along today’s efficiencies.

Jack and John Leachman were emphatic that Hurd windows were the answer.  For years, they had talked about why they chose to carry Hurd windows – quality, great customer service and selection that rivaled any line.  So we looked.  We purchased.  And, I wept.

It will be a moment before we get to the tears.  We live in a Craftsman bungalow in a historical part of the community.  The right windows were important, so we chose all wood, double hung windows with divided lite grilles. Why all wood?  Mostly because I hadn’t decided what color to paint the house, but we also weren’t planning on replacing all the windows at once, or in some cases even ever, I wanted to make sure the new windows blended in.  And, the Hurd divided lite grilles?  It’s simple, I understood that there are removable wood grilles and grilles in between the glass panes, but I simply didn’t like the look for my house. 

And, because I had pre-existing openings, Hurd was able to take the measurements and make a window that fit the opening – just like it had been there all along.

To this point, I have paid more attention to the windows than I ever could imagine, but I thought I was done because there couldn’t be anything more to consider.  Then, they were installed.  The results were spectacular and architecturally consistent.  Even unfinished, the windows were a vital part of the character of the home.  That’s when the tears came. 

What’s the point of this love letter to Hurd windows?  Quality matters.  And, that’s what you get when you work with Leachman Lumber and their vendors.  There is care given to choosing the vendors they work with, and homeowners and contractors alike benefit.

And, by the way, one last point.  These are great, energy efficient windows.  Even though we added on extra space, and we have a considerable number windows left to replace, we saw a reduction in our heating bill.   It was a completely great experience.