August, 2003

How to Sell the Deck Project

Today's love of outdoor living spaces takes the family room into the open.

By Mary Shafer

Dealers with a finger on the strengthening pulse to provide open-air spaces for eating and entertaining will pump new life into sales if they respond to the evolution of the deck into an extension of the home's usable living space. It's today's rec room, den, family room, dining room, and more.

After the September 11 trauma, and with increasingly hectic lifestyles, more people are considering the quality of the time they spend at home as a core value. That extends to the backyard deck, which is now perceived as less of a "flat, bowling alley spot for a couple of lawn chairs, and more of an extension to the home," according to building designer Gary Marsh, owner of All Decked Out in Marin County, California.

Gary Weinstein, marketing manager for CorrectDek Building Products, agrees. "Hurried lifestyles, busy schedules and long commutes make a personal outdoor oasis highly attractive. Decks serve as a transition between not just interior and exterior spaces, but also as a psychological buffer zone" between what we perceive as workspace and relaxation space. "Indoor activities are moving outdoors, and outdoor activities are moving onto the deck."

Sarah Susanka, architect and principal of Home by Design, concurs on this evolution of perception. "A deck is a transitional space, but a private one, as opposed to porches, which are a public space, where people can have conversational access. You have more of a sense of being separated from those interruptions on a deck." She believes this is all a trend "away from the 'McMansion', making it more homey" and comfortable.

Bigger Is Better
But homey for a deck doesn't translate to smaller--in fact, just the opposite. It means more personal and individualized, as opposed to generic and cookie-cutter in design. "Most composite decks are remodeling or replacement projects, and it seems a lot of homeowners prefer to expand the size of their deck when it's replaced," notes John Pruett, marketing manager for the CertainTeed Corporation's Boardwalk® Composite Decking & Railing. "They're enlarging their outdoor living space and making room for larger families, and more grilling, dining and entertaining."

Marsh says there also are lifestyle concerns driving this more-is-more idea. "It's not as easy to raise children without a stable space, and moving is too expensive throughout a lot of the nation due to tax concerns." So, many homeowners are opting to expand their existing space with an outside living area. Susanka adds that technological innovations such as the use of carbon dioxide-burning mosquito repellents and built-in space lighting and heaters have allowed increased the use of decks as a living space.

"It's a big business, and the stakes are getting higher," continues Weinstein. "The general consensus among homeowners is that a deck is a vital living space. The market is saying it's a growth area, something people want." Indeed, he cites one of the larger building trade publications. report of an average ROI at home-sale time of $1.04 on every dollar spent on quality decks. Marsh quotes California Redwood Association figures showing that homeowners recoup from 60 to125 percent of their investment in a deck at closing, depending on the type of project.

Getting Serious About Design
Susanka adds, "With decks getting bigger and more elaborate, a lot more time and money is going into deck design. They're not just a 16 x 24 platform stuck on the back of a house anymore. One of the trends we're seeing is designing in a 'zoned' manner; maybe there's one area designed for cooking, another for eating or conversation. Space is segmented for specific functions. This can be done using color or feature strips that indicate a change in segments."

This increased use means homeowners are getting more savvy and selective about the types of decks they want. Mick Whelan of Epoch Composites says, "Since decks are an extension of the home, people are investing in higher quality composite materials that will not only provide style and beauty, but will also stand the test of time." Marsh has seen evidence of this trend, as well. "Building costs are so high that design is done with more respect to the materials and the feel of the finished product. People are really thinking more about keeping their decks 30 to 40 years."

He cautions dealers not to assume that customers aren't informed. They've done their homework, probably on the Internet. "I'm getting very intelligent questions," he notes. "My clientele has been well-educated. So give people more information and make them aware of their options." He urges a consultative selling approach, with dealers asking lots of questions so they can provide the best product for each particular situation. "Let the location drive material selection, for instance. Is it in sun or shade, and for how long each day? How will any given material react in those conditions? Actual configurations should be designed with the 'what if?' scenario: What if the substrate or a middle board fails? How will you get to it to repair it?"

Marsh says design and material selection should also be done with sensitivity toward such things as historical appropriateness in older homes and eco-sustainability. "I've absolutely noticed a trend toward 'green' building practices. In California, we've made the step forward to not using [environmentally unfriendly materials]." His clients are even asking questions about the certifiability of the lumber without prompting.

Low Maintenance/Good Looks: The Perfect 10
Low maintenance and good looks rank high on almost every deck buyer's list. "It's important to make a deck look like an extension and not an addition," Marsh asserts. Dealers who offer such sensitive, architecturally-respectful design service will come out ahead in the battle for deck market share. Beauchemier Lumber in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, sells lots of deck jobs because the operation offer free estimates for custom decks, including free drawings done via their Sierra CAD software. They do the materials list takeoff on the basis of the approved drawing, and will recommend trusted pro customers to the homeowners who don't already have a contractor.

Aesthetics Drive Demand and Display Selling
"This desire for aesthetics has created strong demand for our product," says Epoch's Whelan. "EverGrain Composite has a deep, lasting grain that is made possible by our unique compression molding process. Another selling point for EverGrain is its density, which allows for good color weathering--something we ask our dealers to show--and limited moisture absorption." Epoch is a strong advocate of merchandising decks through actual walk-around displays. "The advice we give dealers is to show a comparison of composite decking options. Lay the boards on the floor next to each other and view them from a standing position, as you would when enjoying your deck."

Steven Back, owner of Styx Valley Vinyl Deck, Fence & Railing, handles only maintenance-free products in his Sharon Center, Ohio, showroom. He sells such brands as Plastic Lumber's Leisure Deck, Poly Deck from Digger Specialties and Aurora Products. Still, the majority of his displays are full-size units that sit out in front of the building. "Our customers appreciate looking at the product as it will weather in real life. The majority of our displays are going on five or six years old, so we can use them to demonstrate the truth of our lifetime no-fade warranty. If you're making that claim, you'd better show it outside. It's the only way to put your money where your mouth is."

Wendy Patterson, purchasing manager of Bull Run Building Supply, features four larger displays in front of her store and three smaller ones on the floor in the Manassas, Virginia location. These are accompanied by product literature, installation guides and accessories such as post caps, skirts and a lighting end cap nearby.

For those dealers with a smaller show floor or yard, Manager Bill Crum of Chattanooga, Tennessee's East Chattanooga Window & Door, has good news. Smaller, partial displays can work well. He has a 4-ft.-sq. Trex setup in his showroom corner, with another, smaller one on top of it to show balusters and railings. Rick Lindner of P.S. Lindner & Co. in Sandwich, Illinois uses the same size partial to display his Rhino Deck product, with railings, solar lights and some banner signage. "We're a small yard and don't have a lot of room to do the displays, but it does help to have it, and the banners are a good thing. We've added the RhinoDeck logo to our Yellow Pages ad, and between a quarter and a third of last year's deck sales were composites."

Colors, Textures and Fasteners Are Key Details
"Another key trend is new colors and textures entering the marketplace," says CertainTeed's Pruett. "Homeowners are considering more realistic woodgrain patterns," such as the new reversible embossed Woodgrain 5/4 x 6 plank from the Boardwalk Composite Decking & Railing line. ChoiceDek, too, is offering four colors in its composite line, and a new 3/8-in. fascia board to cover structural members for a finished look. This is mirrored in CertainTeed.s addition of a fascia product to its Boardwalk offerings. The nominal ½ in. x 10 in. fascia, available in 8- and 12-ft. lengths, is ideal for covering rim joist joints and fastener heads. Boardwalk fascia is available in gray and tan and can be installed on solid backing using finishing nails or small screws.

Which brings up the subject of fasteners, the last trend mentioned by manufacturers and dealers interviewed for this article. "We're seeing the emergence of new and better deck fasteners for two main reasons," explains Pruett. "First, the switch-over from CCA to ACQ, and the concerns over corrosion of galvanized metal nails and screws; second, the upgrading to hidden or 'concealed' fasteners under the deck or between deck planks for a more barefoot-friendly surface and uniform look."

CorrectDek has been making a hidden fastener system for three years. "We expect that to really take off this season," says Weinstein. "It goes down 45 percent faster, so the contractor appreciates it, and the customer gets a much more visually-attractive deck. No one wants to see screws." Or any problems they might cause. Lindner says, "The new Trap-Eze screws have eliminated mushrooming with composite materials," so they're glad to be able to offer these to their customers.

A Growing Number of Small but Important Features
That uniform look also makes such features as the hidden wiring grooves and railing channels in ChoiceDek products quite popular. The patent-pending Deck Lok. connection system offered with Royal Crown's vinyl products offers secure, self-spaced planks with perfect alignment and no exposed fasteners. It also comes with a full trim package for that finished look.

All the wood alternatives continue to make significant advances in fade resistance, structural stability, color selection, texture, and less tendency toward slippery surfaces. Such longstanding favorites as redwood and cedar remain strong sellers. However, while wood deck sales are projected to rise less than one percent per year, alternative materials represent up to 17 percent growth potential by 2007, according to December's Freedonia Group report. With numbers like that, dealers who plan now to increase the resources they commit to their understanding, embracement and promotion of the new outdoor living spaces stand to extend their own comfort zones in terms of bottom dollars.

SIDEBAR Individual Integration: Build the Added Value The successful dealer will remember the importance of consultative selling techniques, becoming partner/advisor to new or remodel deck customers. A few ideas to help:

• Be actively curious about your customer's lifestyle, and match your offerings to integrate those interests.
• Are they gardeners? Suggest planters, tool storage solutions and other built-ins to make their work easier and more convenient. Arbors, trellises, extended fences and winding brick or stone walkways will all add to enjoyment of their hobby.
• Are they cooks? Recommend full outdoor stove/grill combinations, refrigerators and container herb gardens.
• Active types will appreciate considerations for hot tubs/spas and even saunas, along with proper lighting for after-sundown enjoyment.
• Frequent entertainers will be interested in plentiful seating solutions with hidden waterproof storage, quality outdoor furniture, umbrellas and maybe retractable awnings.
• Homeowners with children and pets will have safety concerns about deck edges, railings, pool decks and containment gates. Unobtrusive storage for toys and sports equipment can double as seating. Anticipate these needs and you're likely to enhance your sales s well as their deck.
• Artists and craftspeople will be surprised and pleased if you ask whether they are thinking about incorporating a show space for their work into their deck area. They may never have considered it, and you may give yourself a challenging and rewarding (and profitable!) design experience.
• Animal and nature lovers can be eager to incorporate bird and squirrel feeding stations, ponds, fountains and birdbaths, as well as a comfortable pet perch, into their designs.
• Reading devotees may appreciate your attention to comfortable lounge seating, side tables, even after-dark lighting that allows them to enjoy a page-turner long into the evening.
• Nostalgic homeowners may want porch swings, gliders, gazebos and other accessories that encourage conversation and group activities.
• Accessibility issues cry out for creative ramp and lift solutions, gate and door options.

Offer options to historic-home owners that respect these architectural styles. It could be that they really need a covered porch or a stone patio rather than a deck. Form alliances with stoneworkers and landscape designers that will be mutually profitable for this kind of work if you need to do referrals.