Product Focus I DE A S FOR B U I L DE R S & R E N OVAT OR S
A Black Walnut/Amberwood combo from Al-Mar’s Wolf Serenity Decking Tropical Wood collection makes an impression.
MADE YOU LOOK!
Six ways to enhance the great outdoors BY T E D M c I N T Y R E SUMMERTIME EXTERIORS go a
long way past curb appeal. From landscaping to siding to backyard stonework, it’s about enjoying both the aesthetic and physical features for homeowners. And it’s about doing so with as little maintenance as possible—which is what’s helping propel a dream season for Al-Mar Vinyl and Aluminum Products. “Sales are up 600 percent!” says James Marsden, Outside Sales Representative with Al-Mar. The prime driver? Wolf Serenity Decking. “It’s selling extremely well in the GTA,” Marsden says. “What’s pulling people in is the fact that you’re not sacrificing that great variegated-wood look by going with a product that can ohba.ca
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handle the UV and the moisture. It has some of nicest colours of any PVC decking on the market, with a Tropical Hardwood line and two solid colours in the Seaside collection (grey and light brown). “And then there are the safety features,” Marsden says. “It has great traction, no splinters and there’s no chemicals from stains that you’d use on your wood decks.” Another feature unique to Wolf Serenity Decking is that it is embossed on both sides of the deck board. “That means that from a design point of view, you can use the same product as your deck surface for features like privacy screens and garden boxes. And it’s also great for contractors, because if they
happen to damage the surface, they can simply flip the board over!” The lingering issues of lumber supplies are only supporting Al-Mar’s cause. “The gap between wood and low-maintenance fencing and decking is closing,” Marsden says. “There used to be 40% gap between wood and installed PVC fencing, but now a six-foot white PVC fence is generally the same material cost as a pressuretreated fence. Not to mention the fact that contractors might have to go to three lumberyards to pick up the product for that wood fence. And a lot of lumber stores aren’t honouring pricing for very long.” In Wolf’s case, there’s also the warranty to consider. “Wolf not ONTARIO HOME BUILDER SUMMER 2021
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