Entitlement vs. Fear vs. Vision

I recently heard about a book where it was asserted that within an organization, the opposite of entitlement is fear.  In a nutshell, entitlement causes low productivity (true), and on the other end of the spectrum, fear also causes low productivity (also true).  Then it was stated that the middle ground is the best place.

Culture of entitlement on the far left and fear on the far right
The curve represents productivity

The middle ground is what I suppose we would call a healthy fear.  I’m sure what was meant here is a situation where accountability is present and people are well aware of the consequences should they not be as productive as desired.

I hope I’ve described it well so far.  Because I have to say, there is a missing link here that we dare not overlook.  First, it seems to me that the goal is to achieve optimal productivity (in whatever organization you are in).  And then, the deeper goal is to find the proper motivator.

Now, whereas it is true that an amount of fear breeds productivity, is that the best long term motivator?  Fear breeds productivity, but for how long in a free market where one can go find work elsewhere?  Fear breeds productivity, but is it the only thing that does so?

I say no.  In my experience, there is a better motivator, vision.  Consider which option would cause you to give your best.  A dictator who makes it perfectly clear how many widgets you are to produce or you’ll need to find employment elsewhere; or a leader who paints a clear vision of where the organization is going and what your contribution is to that goal?

To me, it’s not even close.  The Bible says, “where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Pr 29:18)  Funny, the context of that verse is a passage on discipline, exactly what we’re talking about.

So don’t mistake me, I am for healthy accountability.  The Bible also says, “if a man will not work, he shall not eat.” (2 Thess 3:10)  Discipline, what is loosely referred to above as fear, without vision does indeed, sound like fear.

Are you a leader where you are?  Provide accountability AND cast a vision.  And if fear is a more powerful motivator than the vision you are casting, perhaps it’s time to question the vision.

Well, this had nothing whatsoever to do with any of the products we sell at Wilson Lumber, but it was on my heart today.  I’ll give it to you free of charge:)  If we can help in any way give us a call (256-852-7411) or see us on the web.

In defense of the wood deck

Often I find myself blogging about composite decking.  And with good reason, there’s a lot of cool stuff out there.  Just a few years ago, if you were going to build a deck, it was just a question of whether you were going to step up to Redwood which was a lot more expensive but lasted longer.

Now with Redwood being hard to get (I didn’t even have any pictures, so I got this one online), and so many types of composites, the market is altogether different.

But one thing has remained the same.  The most common deck (at least in Alabama) is made with good old pressure treated pine.

And before you go thinking that it’s only because of price, consider these reasons (in no particular order of importance).

Natural Appearance – Now, composites have come a long way, no doubt.  But I have to say, there is nothing like the look of a well-maintained wood deck.  It’s warm, inviting and comfortable.

Renewable – I could go on and on here but suffice it to say that from and environmental point of view, wood cannot be beat.  With responsible logging (did you know that each year in the United States more wood is grown than harvested?), low cost manufacturing and easy recycling, real wood makes a great choice.

Strength - Sometimes wood decking contains more strength than its composite cousins.  This is not always the case and depending on the application, may not be an advantage.  But keep in mind that strength of product is not a reason to use something else.

Color choices – I’ll bet you didn’t think about this but with a real wood deck, you can stain, paint, seal it whatever color you want.  I know, I know, that’s the problem right?  that you have to maintain it?  Well, that’s true but you know, there really is no such thing as a “no maintenance” product.  Anything needs a good cleaning now and then.

So sure, there’s some maintenance involved, but a little work never hurt anybody.  And with that little work, comes a great looking, comfortable deck that will last for years and years.  For more information, see us on the web.  Or come by the store and see Alan, our deck expert.

deck safety month

You don’t hear about it often, but you do hear about it.  And it can be very bad.  Deck failures.  No, I don’t mean overcooking the hot dogs while on the deck.  I mean collapses, broken boards, etc.

May is Deck Safety Month.  So rather than sit and read my blog, get out there and do some inspecting. First, check out this video from the North American Deck and Railing Association.

The first thing you’ll want to do is check the structure.  Get underneath and look for signs of rot, termites, or even bad warping that might cause surface problems.

If all looks well, go up top and look over the deck planks real close.  You may simply need to screw a couple back in place.  But if you’re used to looking at it everyday, you might want to do a good close inspection.  They could be in worse shape than you think.  Look for excessive cupping, bowing, even possible splinters in your bare feet.

Finally, be sure to look over the railing.  It may be fun to lean on them and feel them bounce you back.  The problem is, one wrong push and you may not bounce back.

There are of course, solutions to all this.  And yes, that’s where we come in.  Come on by the store and see Alan, our decking expert, or visit us on the web.

Top 5 things you need to know about door replacement

I’d love to say we never make mistakes…  What I can say is we’re committed to making things right when we do.  I recently went to a customer’s home where we made a boo boo when building their door.  While there, it occurred to me that replacing a door is a much more complicated process than most people realize.  I guess since we do it every day its grown familiar to us.

So I thought I’d throw a few things out that one should know when thinking of replacing a door.  Here is my top 5 list gathered over 30 years in the business.  Others may have a different list but this is what I’ve seen.

1. Handing – Oh me.  We draw pictures, we show, we explain, we’d use smoke signals if it would help.  Still, on occasion, we’ll deliver someone’s door and they’ll say “it swings the wrong way”.  Now this is a real bummer, and I’m not blaming the customer really.  When you don’t live it, it’s an honest mistake.  Simply put, here’s how doors are “handed”.

Click on the following for a more complete chart Door Handing Chart-HR

2. Size – I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve asked someone what size their door is and they’ve said, “Oh, it’s just a standard size door”.  The thing is, there’s no such thing.  A 3′ wide door has changed over the years in actual width and changes from manufacturer to manufacturer.  Same with height.  Now don’t fret, because we can handle just about any size you can throw at us, sometimes it just takes a little more time.

For the record, our sizes in stock now are nominal.  That is, a 3′ wide by 6’8″ tall door slab will actually be 35-3/4″ wide and 79-1/4″ tall.

3. What’s not included – The great majority of anyone’s doors do not come finished (painted or stained).  The biggest reason is shipping.  It’s too easy to scratch or scuff it.  This is actually a good thing.  Once you’ve installed the door and are ready to finish it, you’ll know you’ve got the color you want.  If it’s purchased already finished, too late.

Hardware (door knob) is also not included.  Two reasons.  First, there are so many different kinds it’s easiest simply to make sure we know what kind you’re getting, and then make sure the door will accept it.  Second, shipping a door with the hardware on it is a bad idea.  You’ll be too tempted to use the knob to pick the door up, and knobs were not made for that.  I guess there’s one more reason, that is that you might not need it at all.  In many cases, people simply remove the hardware from the old door and install it on the new door.

4. Inswing/Outswing – Now it’s true that we don’t sell all that many outswing doors (the door swings open to the outside instead of to the inside) except in commercial applications.  But this has tripped some people up before.  This may seem like a softball, but if you grew up in a house that happened to have an outswing door, you might think that everyone has them.  But it’s not very common and if you get an inswing, you’re not happy.

A couple of things to consider here.  In my experience, you probably should not get an outswing if you don’t have much overhang above it.  On the other hand, if you need a little extra space in the room it leads in to, it might be a great option.

5. Paint or Stain? – Yes, I did say that painting and staining is not included.  But we have to know which one you’re doing.  Why?  Because if you’re staining, you’ll need clear jambs and we’ll need to know what species.  If painting, you’re better off with paint-grade primed jambs.  And of course we have the best.  Our framesaver jambs come standard on any units we build.  The bottom few inches of the jamb are a composite that wont rot, rust or warp, definitely worth it.

Well, I should be quick to say that what I mean here generally is exterior doors that are wood, fiberglass, metal, etc.  But some of the above does NOT apply for others.  Sliding doors from most manufacturers do include hardware.  Some wood and fiberglass doors will come pre-finished.  And on and on the exceptions go.

It’s best you just come by and see us, but you can also visit us on the web or give us a call at 256-852-7411.

Rabbit Season! Deck Season!

Remember that old Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs and Daffy are both being hunted by Elmer Fudd.  They get into an argument over what season it is; “Rabbit season!”, “Duck Season!”, “Rabbit season!”, “Duck Season!”.  And on it goes until Bugs turns it around on Daffy and the ever frustrated Elmer Fudd shoots Daffy in the face.

Ah, they don’t make them like they used to.  This of course, has nothing whatsoever to do with my blog but it’s what I think of every time I hear the words Deck Season.  Get it?  Deck Season?

Anyway, I really shouldn’t even be blogging. See, here’s how I go about it.  There is a wealth of information around this place (Wilson Lumber) and so I basically just ask people about jobs they’ve done or for pictures or whatever.  And then I get pictures that only make me jealous (in a good way of course).

Recently I requested pictures from everyone so that we could run a loop on TV screens in our booth at the Home Show.  I got a ton of them.  Decks, garages, cabinets, closets, doors, etc. etc. etc.  I came accross this one.

Timbertech Decking installed by Straightline Construction in Huntsville, Alabama

Oh, deck season.  Very nice.  I’m about to do some work on my patio.  This makes me wish I had a deck instead of a Patio.  You would think a guy that owns a lumber company would have built a deck… Anyway, I love this.  It’s so warm and inviting, makes me want to grill out or something.  Then I got this.

Aeratis Porch Flooring installed by Barton Construction in Huntsville, Alabama.

    

Are you kidding?  The perfect postcard deck.  Very cozy.  Looks like a great place for a good book.

It is indeed Deck Season.   And the deck market has changed a lot since I built my patio.  Where is your imagination taking you? Maybe it’s time you came on in to see what’s available.  Or give our Deck Specialist, Alan Hill, a call at 256-852-7411.  As for your home, we can help you pick out materials that will compliment your tastes and lifestyle.  As for this blog, in the words of Bugs Bunny, “that’s all folks”.

a new kind of old siding…

If you’re like me and have been around the building materials industry a while (I’m getting old), you are familiar with wood siding, fiber-cement siding, vinyl siding, and this really old stuff they used to use made out of sawdust and glue.  Some called it pressboard, some MDF, some called it much worse because of a class-action lawsuit surrounding it.

Wilson Lumber has stocked it all at some point or another in our 64 years (we’re old to).  Well, actually that old MDF siding never really went away.  Turns out that whereas some of it was made poorly, it actually caused some R&D folks to go back to the drawing board and come up with something really great.

Oh, and perhaps this blog is poorly titled because it’s not really new.  It’s just not well known.  LP has had this great product called SmartSide since the 90′s.

SmartSide is a treated engineered wood siding.  We had a lunch and learn about it last week.  Now I could try to go into all that the guy said about it’s chemical makeup and resins and flux capacitors and all that.  But to be honest, he wasn’t into that very long before he started to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher.  What can I say? I’m not a details guy.

Here are the important details.  It looks great and comes in a boatload of styles.  It has a 50 year limited transferable warranty.  The warranty even covers labor for 5 years.  SmartSide paints easy and is affordable.  One thing I liked is that the lap siding comes in 16′ lengths.  This should translate into a little less waste and fewer seams on the house where the siding ends butt together.

Well, I have to say, it’s a bit hard to make siding sound exciting when writing a blog.  How much detail to include?  Do I write about installation instructions?  Ive lost half of you who started reading already, I’m afraid.

Look, the bottom line is this.  There are a lot of siding choices out there.  And like anything else, it comes down to what you like to use, how it looks, and most importantly, doing business with a trustworthy company.  I believe LP and Wilson Lumber both fit that description… even though we’re old.

 

Building, Home and Remodeling Show Time

Well I cant just show you pictures of all the great stuff in our booth!  Then you wouldn’t have enough need to go see it.  And Huntsville’s Building Home and Remodeling Show is always worth going to see.

I’ll give you an overview.  Door specials on replacement steel unit’s INSTALLED, special pricing on Iron Doors, Window displays from Andersen Windows and Ply-gem, both with a wide breadth of product offering, decks, siding, Shower Doors, Cabinets and Closets.

And believe it or not, we did all this without cluttering the booth up, it’s pretty impressive.  Definitely one of my favorite booths ever.

So what are you waiting for?  The show’s open now.  Come on down!  Like I said, it’s always worth going to see.  Just do me one favor, don’t go see our competitors while you’re there:)