It has been another busy year at Workman’s Workshop, and as the outdoor building season comes to an end, it is always useful to reflect on the numerous projects that we have completed.
The year began with outrageous increases and shortages in most building materials. In particular 4×8 sheets of OSB went from $27.00 for a 7/16” sheet to close to $80.00 per sheet. Noticeable too was a general increase in the price of all pressure treated material (brand name Micropro Sienna) for fences, decks, outdoor stairs and landings. The most frequent question I was getting throughout the year was “have materials come down in price?”. Happy to report that… yes, while not at 2020 price points, materials are far less expensive now than they were 8 months ago.
Even with the cost increases, we manage to push through numerous original and exciting outdoor projects. Popular this year in the fencing department was the re-emergence of horizontal fence boards. This in turn lead to some unique designs in particular when building gates to compliment fences. In the deck world, with treated wood prices rising, composite decks were the most popular installation choice. Both multilevel and single level decks of all sizes were constructed throughout the summer with little delay as the weather cooperated with our building schedules.
And under the unique building projects, the year started with us designing and building a 96 square foot pool shed in May. We continued with many stair projects, which included tearing out concrete landings and steps and replacing them with wood and composite construction. There were pergolas and carports as well as a few shingling jobs that certainly kept us hopping.
Assembling a prefabricated cedar garden shed was an interesting way to round out the fall.
As the indoor work season begins with basements and bathrooms scheduled for the new year, and a mantle and 2 outdoor window enclosures to complete before Christmas, we anticipate a work filled winter. We are always grateful for the opportunity to work for a variety of clients all over the city and the surrounding area. Personally, if I can complete my own mantle and 12 seat banquet table before the new year, my wife would be very appreciative!
Michael J Workman