Instead of asking “How’s life been treating you lately?” we’ll ask it like this: “How’s the weather been treating YOUR outdoor construction project lately?” Specifically, your outdoor living project. Perhaps one that Archadeck of Birmingham is building for you?
Archadeck of Birmingham customers are frustrated that afternoon thunderstorms are wreaking havoc on the construction schedule for their outdoor living projects. The screened porch, deck or patio they had expected to be completed by now is not finished yet. Why, why, why?
We share your frustration and wish we could handle the weather as just another obstacle to be overcome, but we can’t. It’s Mother Nature, and she will not be handled.
The Weather IS What the Weather IS
You know the saying, The grass is always greener on the other side? If you have rain every single day, the grass is going to be greener on your side, too, and that is certainly the case here in the Birmingham area. Every. Single. Day. And we aren’t just having rain, but big ol’ thunderstorms that send everyone running for cover.
We knew a woman who used to laugh at people scurrying to get out of the rain. She always said, “You’re not sugar. You won’t melt.” The problem is, with these thunderstorms it’s not about personal comfort, it’s about safety.
An article posted recently on AlabamaNewsCenter.com reminds us that the weather here is pretty much the same from June through August and even into mid-September. "Hot and humid with scattered afternoon storms” is correct 95 percent of the time. If you happen to be in the spot where the thunderstorms hit—usually in the afternoon—you may experience a brief but intense period of dangerous lightning and damaging winds called “wet microbursts.” They last just a few minutes, but during those minutes wind speed can be greater than 60 mph, enough to damage trees and power lines.
It’s true we didn’t need to tell you what the weather has been like in the Birmingham area lately. You know because it affects you, too.
Schedule and Re-Schedule, It’s the Best We Can Do
The reason we mention the weather is to acknowledge—and make you aware, if you’re not already—that Archadeck of Birmingham IS behind schedule at this time. Not only does that affect the clients whose projects we are building right now, it also affects those who are scheduled to come after them. It’s the proverbial domino effect.
We are doing what we can to move things along, but you must be aware that we cannot control or mitigate weather-related construction delays. For example, when one of these storms hits our job site, our crew rushes to cover work in progress and to secure materials and equipment including power tools. We don’t send a crew home because it’s storming. Since we all know the storm will pass fairly quickly, the crew waits for it to clear, and then they jump back into the job. There is still a delay while they uncover what they just covered, etc., before they can swing back into full building mode.
Thunderstorms with lightning and wet microbursts are hazardous. We take the safety of our crews seriously—and the safety of your property, as well, because unsecured equipment and materials could do some damage in 60-mph winds.
The crew doesn’t get advance notice of a storm bearing down. These summer afternoon thunderstorms move so erratically it’s hard for the meteorologists to predict where they will strike. Once the storm passes, it still takes time to set everything back up and get going again—turning a day’s work into a day and a half.
We Share the Same Goal: The Outdoor Living Space You’ve Been Waiting For
As a company that derives joy from designing and building outdoor living projects our clients LOVE, we understand your excitement. Of course, you are eager for your Birmingham deck, porch or patio project to be completed so you can start enjoying it. When we first give you a construction schedule, you know bad weather could be a factor, but until it happens to you, it’s not part of your reality.
We appreciate your patience as we get through these next several weeks of continuing scattered afternoon storms. We share your frustration, and we want your project to be completed just as much as you do.
Now, thinking ahead to those crisp fall days with no clouds in sight, what outdoor living project can we build for you (once we get back on schedule)? Call for a free design consultation at (205) 576-5780.
— Derek & Carissa Crews, owners Archadeck of Birmingham
