Between the blazing summer heat, vacation travel, and maybe even a little COVID complacency, there are more than a few property owners who still have outdoor projects to complete before winter shuts down such activity for the season. For DIY’ers, the cooler fall weather provides a great opportunity to be productive and finish off any outstanding tasks.
“This a great time to complete work outside,” said Brad Rawn, store supervisor of Simcoe Building Centre on Raglan Street in Collingwood. “Since the heat has dissipated there’s a lot of landscaping stuff that can be done. Things like lifting patio slabs and stone, building and repairing walkways and laneways. It’s also a good time to dig holes for fences, posts and patios.”
The fluctuation between summer heat and heavy rain can often cause patio stones and interlocking bricks to heave or sink, alter the uniformity of soil levels in garden beds, or put divots into yards. Rawn says the opportunity is there now to clean up landscaping problems or to start laying the foundation for new spring projects.
“You’ll find a lot of people putting their beds in now,” said Rawn. “If they’re going to build a patio, they’ll order or purchase the stone. They’ll get it dug out and lay the limestone or whatever bedding they’re going to put in there, then let it settle for a season before tamping it down in spring prior to laying the brick.”
From lumber and fence boards to limestone screenings and masonry sand, Simcoe Building Centre is a one-stop-shop for a variety of materials needed to complete landscaping jobs. That’s a new menu of products that haven’t always been part of the mix at the store, but it’s something about which Rawn says locals should be aware.
“Over the course of our 30 year history we’ve been primarily thought of as a masonry centre, brick block and stone,” he said. “That’s been changing. We want to be more of a building centre. ‘Simcoe Solutions’ is our new tag. We’d like to be able to be all things to all people from foundation to the shingles. We do supply and have access to a broader range of materials throughout group of stores.”
Rawn says the Simcoe Building Centre has had little issue with keeping materials in stock, which has been a problem for some businesses faced with COVID-19 supply chain challenges.
“We’re stocked up. We spent a good chunk as a purchasing group making sure that wouldn’t happen. Pressure treated supplies have been the least of our worries.”
For those property owners emerging from the comfort of their air conditioning with plans to complete projects but with little expertise on how to do it, Rawn says the staff at Simcoe Building Centre is ready to help.
“From our yard guys to our sales guys to our counter service help, we have a huge resource,” he said. “From our purchasing group, from our suppliers, from years of experience, not just at this yard, but also Barrie, Bracebridge, and Sturgeon Falls. If there’s something we haven’t seen or heard of chances are somebody else has. We’re able to draw on that.”
Another advantage of shopping at a locally-owned and operated business like Simcoe Building Centre is the customer service provided. Rawn says that’s a big consideration for many of the people moving up to the area from Toronto.
“Some people like to shy away from big box locations. We’re a smaller, more intimate setting and we can offer more personalized service.”
Look for Simcoe Building Centre on Raglan Street between Hume and Poplar. Call 705.445.1504 or visit them online at simcoesolutions.ca.