Winter is time to plan for your projects, and arrange your materials.

It’s such a great feeling to put the mower, rakes, trimmer, pruners, and shovels away in the shed. A well-deserved break from numerous outdoor jobs, and your lengthy to do lists. Canada is great for many reasons but giving us a well-deserved break from the yard work is certainly on the list!

Our attention quickly turns to Christmas, and a New Year. Bundling up and trying to enjoy the beauty that is, a Canadian Winter. Whether you ski, ice fish, or just read lots of books under a cozy light, there is a feeling of pride associated with closing out another year.

In the building, manufacturing, and contractor industry, we all take a well-deserved break from the long hours, and busy days. We spend time with friends and family that have missed us. We try to remember what it felt like to binge watch a favourite show.

Once we enter the new year, our attention turns to our new season. Planning and scheduling projects. Hoping we can fill our summer months fast and be able to keep everyone working. Unfortunately for the customer that waits till spring or summer to start thinking about their project, they may find it hard to believe that the contractor is telling them, “We might get there around August!“…August?!!

Fall and Winter. What a great time to start looking at some projects you may have planned for the New Year! You now have the time to weigh out your options, get multiple quotes, and hem and haw over what materials best suit your needs. Great time to do your homework and find the right contractor. The sooner you book your project, the sooner you can get it done in the new year. 

At LIV Building Products, we quote projects all year round for customers and contractors. The customers shop price, and availability, and pick the right products for their needs. Luckily, we provide free quotes, material lists, and layouts through any of your local Lumber and Building Supplies retailers. This allows the customer, you, to begin finding a contractor, or find friends and family to help with your project. Hopefully sooner than later. Knowing which product you need, and knowing its availability early on, can certainly lessen any last minute surprises close to build day.

Get your project started anytime with LIV Building Products. Right here in Ontario.

When it comes to railings, there is never a shortage of options. It is extremely easy to get confused during the process of choosing the right rail for your project. However, this can be made easier by narrowing down your choices in the beginning. Here are some questions to get started:

• Glass, or spigots?
• Which colours will work for your property?
• Any maintenance requirements?
• Warranty?
• Where is it made?
• Budget?

These will all play a big role in your decision making. 

However, the quickest way to start narrowing your options down to something manageable, is to find out which ones are engineer approved to be used in your region.

With so many railings entering the market. Some offshore, state side, and regional manufacturers or distributors may not have completed safety standard testing at all, much less Engineer Sealed documentation. Testing and engineered sealed details are especially important. Not just for your own safety, but also the safety of others. Nobody wants to put up a new rail, spend their money and time, to  then be told by their building official the need to tear it down as it does not meet standards.

Ask the company and or companies you are researching if they can send you engineered details and test data. I assure you, that this will narrow your choices fast.

Liv Building Products, and InvisiRail both conduct outside testing and supply engineer sealed details for a wide variety of railing options. Not to mention Liv Building Products also, do estimates, construction layouts, and material list for all their products. Even better, these are free services offered to help you from start to finish. Oh, did we mention that many of their options are Made in Ontario?!

Finally!!! A Composite Decking made in Canada! Right here in Ontario.

Clubhouse PVC Decking, and TruNorth Composite Decking are manufactured by the same company in Ontario, Canada.

They have spent many years creating great products and investing plenty of time and money to make products that meet and exceed all building code requirements.

CCMC approved, and made here in Ontario, clearly makes this one an easy choice.

From the higher end PVC decking that is branded as Clubhouse Decking, to Composite Decking, branded as TruNorth decking, there are plenty of great choices for any customer, and for any project. You can be assured that you are buying a great product with a great warranty, National Code approvals, and manufactured and distributed right here in Ontario!

Next time you are looking for a composite deck for your home, or for your next client, look right here in Ontario for Clubhouse and TruNorth low maintenance decking.  Distributed by LIV Building Products in Uxbridge, Ontario.

A little-known product called G-tape – what is it? Glad you asked!

Consumers today are spending thousands of dollars on new PVC or composite decking products to enjoy the outdoors. These new decking products are state of the art and will last for many years maintaining their beauty and enhancing outdoor activities. Composite and PVC decking products are installed over pressure treated framing that has been around for over 40 years and will decay much quicker than the decking it supports. This is where G-tape comes in. 

G-tape installs on top of each joist and beam creating a watertight barrier between standing water and the wood framing it protects extending the life of the sub structure. Why not give the framing a little TLC! G-tape is a small fraction of the total cost to build a new deck and is well worth the investment. 

Click here to see the G-Tape products we offer!

Composite decking is a great alternative for those looking for no-maintenance decking. When we were considering our deck renovation, composite decking was the best choice, since we wanted a deck that had no-maintenance. TruNorth Decking materials are a fantastic option for composite decking. When you choose composite decking, there are a variety of benefits that come along with it. 

Firstly, this composite decking is stain and fade resistant, and comes with a 25 Year Limited Warranty, to ensure your composite decking looks brand new even after years of exposure to sun, snow and rain. TruNorth decking is extremely versatile for any season; meaning it’s extremely durable to withstand harsh Canadian winters, while also features heat blocking, to keep your deck cool in the Summer months. TruNorth composite deck materials are also a great low-maintenance decking solution; as there is no paint, seal or stain required. When researching all the different kinds of composite decking, TruNorth decking stood out because it was well-priced, and had low maintenance. I was impressed with how eco-friendly, and realistic, the deck boards looked, in comparison other composite decking. I also liked how TruNorth ensured no rotting or molding of our deck. Although I was skeptical, seeing for myself after 5 years, I’m truly impressed.  

Blue Sky Privacy Screens are a fantastic option to enhance and customize any outdoor or indoor living space. Blue Sky Privacy Screens are available in a wide variety of designs, allowing you to create custom privacy barriers for all spaces. In addition to easy installation and low maintenance, Blue Sky Privacy Screens are also made out of durable aluminum, and will continue to be reliable during any Canadian season.  

In addition to creating a useful privacy option, Blue Sky Privacy Screens are also extremely versatile. For indoor living spaces, Blue Sky Privacy screens are a great solution to separate rooms and spaces in your home or office, whilst still offering a sleek and modern design. Whether you need to separate desks in an office space, or create privacy between shared common spaces in your home, Blue Sky Privacy screens allow you to create barriers without sacrificing space or design. 

Not only are Blue Sky Privacy Screens ideal for indoor living spaces, they can also create sleek and stylish barriers for your outdoor living spaces. Nobody wants to see their neighbour’s, and by using Blue Sky Privacy Screens in your backyard, you don’t have to! Blue Sky Privacy Screens are great for creating privacy between you and neighbours, or around your backyard deck, pool, gazebo, and much more! By adding a simple privacy screen, you can turn your backyard into a luxurious and private outdoor living space.  

Blue Sky Privacy Screens are offered in 5 design profiles to suit your specific style. Privacy screens should enhance your space, not become an eyesore! Blue Sky Privacy Screens are the best solution to achieve not only privacy for your living space, but also a sleek and modern design. 

Some people that aren’t from the frozen North may ask, “Why would you spend time and money on your deck and landscape, when you only get a few months of summer to enjoy it?” My reply is always the same: “That’s exactly why we make our outdoor spaces so nice! With so little time to enjoy our beautiful outdoors, we want to enjoy summer to the max. That means relaxing decks, pristine yards, gorgeous views, and most importantly, great friends!” Maybe a beer or two as well!

Visit www.livbuildingproducts.com and www.invisirail.com for more information and great tips on how to improve your outdoor space and “Enjoy it while you have it.”

If I had to narrow down one saying in the world of business that drives me crazy, it would be “Don’t let the tail wag the dog.”

In the world of business, the thought that one party is the dog and the other party is the tail is simply not true — erase that thought from your mind! Working as an outside sales representative in the building products distribution industry for many years, I know that a true relationship with your dealer partner is a purely symbiotic relationship, and you can’t have one without the other. A dealer can’t sell to their retail customer if the distributor can’t supply, and the supplier can’t survive without dealers buying from them. Both the dealer and supplier are equal partners in creating revenues for their companies.

If you look at it the way we do, you strive to build business relationships. If you forget about the “Tail wagging the dog,” mindset, you may even be lucky enough to build business friendships with your dealer partners —relationships based on the reality that you can’t have one without the other. If you just can’t shake the thought that someone has to be the dog and the other the tail, then just remember: the only person that could be the dog is the end user, the retail customer, and those of us in the supply chain are the tail. We definitely want to keep the end user happy, or we all know where the tail goes!

During my many years of building the landscapes of our customers dreams, there were two things that drove me crazy. Number one was that when we were done building a beautiful landscape, the customer would block the view from their deck with pickets and rails. Second would be putting plastic frogs and turtles on a beautiful water feature.

Although we may not be able to avoid quirky decor, InvisiRail™ is the perfect solution if you’re looking for an unobstructed view! Withs 6’ sections of glass, and no top or bottom rail, you will see your property in all its glory. Whether it is a beautiful landscape built by a landscaper or a beautiful vista built by nature, not blocking your view is what we do!