Introduction
Everybody knows the good old saying ‘Work smarter, not harder’, but what does it truly mean for us deck builders?
Each time we embark on new projects, small hidden surprises on the building site, can become big time-consuming problems. A nice old strong Oak tree spreading its roots below the deck area, your best man starting his own gig or head aching material delays can be quite time consuming and challenging, as we never know what can go wrong during the process. Building decks is the central part of our jobs and we have the promised deadlines to meet – so how to avoid those potential delays?
But what if you could turn things upside down turning some of those challenges into great advantages? From choosing the right time to start deck building to using the best materials possible, these are our tips on how you save time on deck building.
Magic of the Off-Season
Når bladene skifter farve til efterårets kastanjebrune farver, har du sikkert fokus på indendørsprojekter, og kan måske også mærke, at ordrebogen bliver en smule tyndere. Men at starte terrasseprojekter i vintersæsonen bringer en masse fordele, så lad være med at gemme dine udendørsværktøjer væk, ifør dig dine varme støvler og jakke, og gå i gang.
At bygge terrasser uden for sæsonen sparer dig for en masse tid. Det er ingen stor hemmelighed, men… ikke så mange håndværkere begynder at bygge terrasser i løbet af efteråret og vinteren. Terrasseprojekterne er bare mere efterspurgte, når dine kunder begynder at mærke de første solstråler om foråret. Men at starte uden for sæsonen giver dig flere fordele, fra at få fat i alle de materialer du har brug for, uden forsinkelser og mangel, til at modtage de bedste tilbud på disse materialer og sikre en lavere pris. Og når du sparer tid, vil du også kunne spare nogle omkostninger. Du slår simpelthen to fluer med ét smæk.
You have probably been moving to the indoor projects, when the leaves change color to the auburn colors of fall, and you might also be sensing that the order book is getting a bit lighter. But don’t lock away those outdoor tools just yet! Putting on your warm boots and jacket, starting all the deck projects in the winter season brings out a lot of upsides.
Building decks off–season saves you a lot of time. It is no big secret, but… not so many constructors start building during the autumn and wintertime. Decks are just more in demand when your customers start feeling the first rays of sun in spring. But starting off-season gives you the upper hand, from getting a hold of all the materials you need with no delays and no shortages, to receiving the best bargains on those materials, securing it for a lower cost. So, as you will be saving time, you will also be able to save some costs too. You are about to hit two birds with one stone.
Dig Less
If you are asking: “I am building a deck here, of course I need to dig a hole, right?”. Well, you don’t have to. Not necessarily. Imagine this. You are about to start building you deck foundation. What you will not do is: you will not dig a hole, you will not pour in concrete and you will not have to wait a day for the concrete to dry. It almost sounds too good to be true.
Starting a project with choosing the right foundation will significantly reduce the time spent on constructing it. There are different, faster alternatives to concrete footings, one of which is a so-called steel/ screw pile foundation. Screw piles are a ground anchoring system providing the same stability and strength as any other foundation out there. They are produced from high-strength, galvanized steel (naturally) and are developed to withstand the structure of different soil types.
Tænker du måske: “Terrassebyggeri om vinteren er et helvede, for jorden er ikke til at grave i?”. Det behøver du ikke nødvendigvis. Forestil dig dette; Du skal til at fundere dit terrasseprojekt. Det du ikke ønsker er det tunge arbejde ved at: grave huller, slæbe betonsække, slæbe vand, blande beton, hælde beton i og så vente en dag på at betonen tørrer. Det behøver du hellere ikke, for der findes en anden løsning. En løsning der næsten kan lyde for god til at være sand.
Starter du dine terrasseprojekter med at vælge det rigtige fundament, vil du væsentligt kunne reducere din arbejdstid til projektet. Der findes forskellige, hurtigere alternativer til beton, hvoraf det ene er et skruefundament. Skruefundamenter er et jordforankringssystem, der giver samme stabilitet og styrke som ethvert andet fundament på markedet. De er produceret af varmgalvaniseret stål og er udviklet til brug i alle jordtyper.
While problems may occur while constructing a concrete foundation during the winter season, screw piles offer an all-year possibility to install them without any uncomfortable occurrences. But what truly gives these piles its glory is the installation time. To build a deck, depending on the size of your project, you need a certain number of piles, which you can install in no time.
It takes roughly 3-5 minutes to install one screw pile and attach an L-bracket on top, which connects it to the deck structure. So, if you calculate the difference between screwing ten piles into the ground and starting a concrete footing from scratch, you got a pretty sweet deal on your hands.
Prepare in advance, don’t regret later
There are three things we as humans developed from evolution. A more complex brain, two working legs… and procrastination. Projects are piling on top of each other, giving us more workload to handle, more deadlines to meet and more paperwork to deal with. Finding out you are behind schedule can happen in the matter of hours, starting with a missing tool and dealing with smaller problems during the process. To really avoid trouble in the future and save time, we need to get rid of the possible threats coming our way in advance.
So, before you start getting together the people you need and the materials for your upcoming deck job, be sure to prepare all the paperwork beforehand. Does your client have all the permits ready? Be sure that their design is flawless, that the project is calculated well. Because if there is one thing us builders loath more than anything, it is the constant running back and forth to the store for your lacking material. And being stuck on a job.
TIP of today: Getting your customers started during winter
Are your customers not keen on the idea to build during winter?
Here is a few benefits that might convince them:
- The lawn is less sensitive during winter than in the soggy month of March
- Flowers buds aren’t peaking out their heads with the risk of getting trampled yet
- The calmer demand for materials and manpower means process is less likely to be delayed
DAGENS TIPS: Få dine kunder i gang om vinteren
Er dine kunder ikke vilde med ideen om at bygge om vinteren? Her er et par fordele, der kan overbevise dem:
- Plænen er mindre følsom om vinteren end i den fugtige marts måned
- Blomsterknopper kigger ikke op af plænen med risiko for at blive trampet på
- Mindre efterspørgsel efter materialer og arbejdskraft betyder, at byggeriet er mindre tilbøjelig til at blive forsinket
Conclusion
Time is of the essence. It is one of the most valuable things we have, so get out there, finish your project sooner that you expected and start another one. Save time, build more.
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GroundPlug® Screw Foundations
Hos GroundPlug® Easy Mounting SystemTM tilbyder ingeniørudviklede skruefundamenter til små bygninger. GroundPlug® Easy Mounting SystemTM er en funderingsløsning uden grave- og støbearbejde, designet til at gøre funderingsprocessen hurtigere og langt mere effektiv.
GroundPlug® TwisterTM Skruefundamenter kan bruges til mange forskellige udendørs konstruktioner blandt andet terrasse, drivhus, skur, anneks, sommerhuse, pergola, udhuse og meget mere.
