~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Big remodeling projects are no longer high priorities for most home owners during these difficult economic times, so to get through the downturn, remodelers must reposition their companies to meet home owners' changing needs.

Some suggestions on how to plow through:

Marketing Handyman Services on the Internet

Repositioning a company to a changing market requires focusing business resources on your potential customers' needs, Richardson says. To drive potential customers to the Web site, Case print materials now direct consumers to the Web site for design ideas, suggestions about remodeling projects, scheduling appointments and more. To help them navigate all the information, the Web site also features several videos and interactive tools.

Team Selling - An Approach to Maximize Job Leads

Another sales strategy Case is using in this time of scarce leads is team selling. Using this approach, two people visit a house, examine it and propose solutions to improve it. A team approach, Richardson says, enables Case to leverage its expertise and match employees' skills to the anticipated needs of the home visited so they can present appropriate solutions.  Click here to read more...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How Moisture Moves

Water intrusion compromises the quality of a home and reduces its market value. Water can enter a home in many ways. Good water management strategies both combat and cooperate with physical forces to allow water to drain or dry. Planning for drainage and drying, rather than assuming that it's possible to keep things dry, is an excellent step in preventing moisture damage. In order to plan for drainage and drying, it's important to understand the different ways moisture can get into a home.

The 5 Ways Water Moves:

Gravity

Gravity moves water down the surfaces of a home. Water moving under the force of gravity always takes the path of least resistance. If water is given a path toward the home, it will leak into the interior through openings, seams, or gaps between materials.

Wind

Wind is a strong force that can push moisture across horizontal surfaces and even make it defy gravity. Wind can drive moisture up valleys, into ridge vents, and behind exterior finishes. The exterior finish alone isn't enough protection to prevent wind-driven rain from wetting the sheathing and framing.

Click here to read more...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Flashing on Exterior Walls

You can't depend on the exterior finish of a home to prevent water intrusion through the exterior walls. The exterior finish is the first line of defense against water intrusion, but it isn't entirely waterproof. Stucco can crack, brick is porous, and courses of siding have gaps between them. Making the exterior surface as weather-resistant as possible is only part of the drainage solution. To prevent water intrusion, you have to think of walls as a water management system, and apply a second line of defense, consisting of the drainage plane and the proper flashings, to drain any water that penetrates the wall cladding back out to the exterior.

As all builders know, flashing is a thin sheet or strip of water-resistant material that's installed at roof intersections and projections, around windows and doors, and along the tops of foundation walls in order to direct water flow away from the home. Flashing guides water out from the drainage plane to the exterior. It's layered shingle fashion with the drainage plane to provide positive drainage.

The following are two water management solutions for a home:

Flash and seal all penetrations. Make sure that the flashing is the proper size and fits tightly to the penetration. The flashing should be able to protect the opening from water intrusion before any caulk is applied. The flashing must be large enough to counteract wind-driven rain. If the flashing is large enough, wind-driven rain will move up the flashing piece and then back down, instead of behind, the flashing.  Click here to read more...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Featured Product – Tyvek Flashing Tape

The final step for maximum reduction of air infiltration through wall systems is to help create a seamless, protective envelope sealed with DuPont™ Tyvek® Tape.

DuPont™ Tyvek® Tape is recommended as a best installation practice for sealing seams of DuPont™ Tyvek® Weatherization System to help provide a continuous barrier against air infiltration. DuPont™ Tyvek® Tape is constructed of an oriented polypropylene film coated with a specially formulated permanent acrylic adhesive.

DuPont™ Tyvek® Tape Features and Benefits:

• Strong
• High-tack
• Easy to use
• Portable
• Impact-resistant
• Waterproof
• Conformable
• Adaptable to temperature ranges

We have this product in-stock, so if you have any questions or would like more information, samples or pricing on this product, please contact Evanston Lumber (847) 864-7700, or e-mail us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upcoming Seminar

Marvin Window Installation Seminar

When: May 28, 12pm-2pm

Where: 1031 Sherman Ave. Evanston, IL (our warehouse)

Driving Directions

Seating is limited, so RSVP NOW to guarantee a seat!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Closeout Lumber Items

1 x 6 x 8' Pau Lope
Qty: 9
Price: $3.15/L.F.

1 x 6 x 12' Pau Lope
Qty: 6
Price: $3.15/L.F.

1 x 6 x 14' Pau Lope
Qty: 6
Price: $3.15/L.F.

8 x 8 x 14' Douglas Fir
Qty: 1
Price: $3.50/L.F.

To view our entire list of closeout items, visit our closeout section.

* Please note: Closeout items subject to prior sale and in limited quantity
** L.F. - Lineal Foot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Employee Spotlight

Name: Fidel Balderas
Years of Service: 12
Position: Lumberyard employee - puts together loads for delivery

Q: What do you like best about working at Evanston Lumber Design Center?
A: I enjoy making our customers happy.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you aren't working?
A: With the weather getting warmer, I like being outside and playing
basketball and baseball.

Q: Tell us about your family
A: I have a son - he's 3-1/2 years old, and a daughter - she's almost 13 years old.

Q: What is a little known fact about you?
A: I have an above ground pool that is well used in the summer.
______________________________________