We in the Pacific Northwest take our outdoor activities to heart. Most of us grew up camping, fishing, skiing and playing all types of sports. Being outdoors is just a part of who we are. It is no surprise that the trend toward utilizing outdoor living spaces in our homes has grown steadily in the past few years. At first, it was something that most of us could only dream about, associated mainly with large, expensive homes. Fortunately, there have been products and services introduced in the market that allow homeowners to incorporate outdoor living spaces into their homes at a reasonable cost.
Mutual Materials has been at the forefront of developing outdoor living products for our Pacific Northwest customers. We recognize you want beautiful and functional products at a good price. Value is important, but so is convenience. With this in mind, we are pleased to bring to market two product packages that will help you enhance your backyard without breaking your budget or taking up all your free time.
Outdoor Fireplace Package
It doesn’t get any easier than this. For one price, you get a 36” outdoor fireplace installed at your home, with your choice of veneer. You select from a list of Slimbrick, Cultured Stone or Glacier Stone natural stone thin veneer options and we do the rest. Once you purchase one of these packages, a Mutual Materials’ contractor will contact you to set up a time to begin the installation process. We manage the project; you just sit back, relax and watch your backyard get transformed into an oasis. Please visit one of our local branches for more program details and pricing.
Paver Patio Kit
Mutual Materials pavers are a great way to make an instant, affordable upgrade to your home. Now you can visit any of our branch locations and purchase a kit that contains all the materials you need to install a 10’ x 10’ paver patio at your home. Simply choose from 3 different paver styles, with multiple color options, and we put together everything else you need. We deliver all the materials to your home and you install it yourself. If you don’t want to be a weekend warrior, we can put you in touch with one of our Preferred Contractor who will give you a labor estimate. Please visit one of our local branches or go to www.mutualmaterials.com for more details.
Showing posts with label mutual materials preferred contractor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mutual materials preferred contractor. Show all posts
Friday, September 9, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Outdoor Fireplaces
There’s something magical about a roaring fire. Anyone who grew up in a home with a fireplace, or enjoyed camping trips with family and friends, knows that inviting, warming feeling a good fire provides. It should be no surprise that more and more homeowners are making outdoor fireplaces a focal point in their backyards. The popularity of outdoor living spaces continues to grow and having a beautifully veneered fireplace has become the cornerstone of most designs.
Mutual Materials has partnered with FireRock to offer a full line of outdoor and indoor pre-engineered fireplace and chimney systems that can meet any design options you envision. These kits allow the installer to construct and face a ready-to-use unit in as few as two days. Simply pick the size and type of unit you want and we will make sure you have all the things you need to complete your project.
Once you select your fireplace style, you will need to choose the type of veneer to face it with. This is the icing on the cake! You can choose a Mutual Materials’ Slim Brick to achieve that classic brick look, or if you like stone, we also offer both Cultured Stone and natural stone veneer products in many different shapes and colors. Nothing will light up your yard, and make the neighbors jealous, like an outdoor fireplace from Mutual Materials. To make your design dream a reality, visit us at www.mutualmaterials.com.
Rob Rosson
rrosson@mutualmaterials.com
Mutual Materials has partnered with FireRock to offer a full line of outdoor and indoor pre-engineered fireplace and chimney systems that can meet any design options you envision. These kits allow the installer to construct and face a ready-to-use unit in as few as two days. Simply pick the size and type of unit you want and we will make sure you have all the things you need to complete your project.
Once you select your fireplace style, you will need to choose the type of veneer to face it with. This is the icing on the cake! You can choose a Mutual Materials’ Slim Brick to achieve that classic brick look, or if you like stone, we also offer both Cultured Stone and natural stone veneer products in many different shapes and colors. Nothing will light up your yard, and make the neighbors jealous, like an outdoor fireplace from Mutual Materials. To make your design dream a reality, visit us at www.mutualmaterials.com.
Rob Rosson
rrosson@mutualmaterials.com
Monday, November 29, 2010
Offseason is a great time for a masonry or hardscape project
When our Northwest weather turns cold and wet, most of us start thinking about the usual winter activities- holiday shopping, skiing and warm weather vacations. Unfortunately, not many people think about doing a home improvement project, especially one on the exterior. The truth is the “off-season” in the construction industry is a great time to do a project for several reasons:
1. Many areas in the Northwest have mild winter climates, so most projects can be done without having to adjust for weather issues.
2. In the areas with colder climates, contractors can use cold weather techniques that allow them to work in most situations.
3. Supply and demand dynamics work in your favor, as most contractors are eager to find projects during the winter months. The added competition can translate into overall cost savings for the homeowner.
4. There is a good chance your project will start sooner and take less time. With fewer jobs on their schedule, most contractors should have little or no lead-time and will not be trying to juggle multiple projects.
5. Your construction project will not disrupt your spring and summer activities. You can enjoy your new patio or outdoor fireplace as soon as the good weather arrives.
If you are interested in doing a home improvement project, and need a reliable mason or hardscape contractor, please visit our website at www.mutualmaterials.com and click on “Connect with a Preferred Contractor”. Happy Holidays!
Rob Rosson
Residential Sales Manager
1. Many areas in the Northwest have mild winter climates, so most projects can be done without having to adjust for weather issues.
2. In the areas with colder climates, contractors can use cold weather techniques that allow them to work in most situations.
3. Supply and demand dynamics work in your favor, as most contractors are eager to find projects during the winter months. The added competition can translate into overall cost savings for the homeowner.
4. There is a good chance your project will start sooner and take less time. With fewer jobs on their schedule, most contractors should have little or no lead-time and will not be trying to juggle multiple projects.
5. Your construction project will not disrupt your spring and summer activities. You can enjoy your new patio or outdoor fireplace as soon as the good weather arrives.
If you are interested in doing a home improvement project, and need a reliable mason or hardscape contractor, please visit our website at www.mutualmaterials.com and click on “Connect with a Preferred Contractor”. Happy Holidays!
Rob Rosson
Residential Sales Manager
Friday, June 25, 2010
Summer Means More Time Spent in the Outdoor Living Spaces
Outdoor living spaces, it seems, are all the rage in the northwest. They can be as simple as a small fire pit in the back yard, all the way up to those elaborate, high-end outdoor kitchens you see in Sunset Magazine. Both serve the same purpose; getting us outside to enjoy the warm weather, family and friends.
Mutual Materials offers many different products that can help create your ideal outdoor living space. Installing a paver patio is a simple, low-cost way to enhance your backyard and create a functional, beautiful area for people to gather. Add retaining wall block to your design to create a seating wall for guests to sit and relax, or to build a fire pit for warmth and pizzazz.
For those with larger areas to work with, an outdoor fireplace can be a beautiful addition to your backyard. Mutual Materials now carries the FireRock line of prefab fireplace units. These fireplaces are both cost effective and fairly simple to install. Generally, they can be constructed in one day and faced with your favorite brick or stone in one day. A two-day outdoor fireplace solution is great option for homeowners and contractors alike. Please visit our website at www.mutualmaterials.com, or one of our many northwest branches, for more information on all our products that can be used to build the outdoor living space of your dreams.
Rob Rosson
Residential Sales Manager
Mutual Materials offers many different products that can help create your ideal outdoor living space. Installing a paver patio is a simple, low-cost way to enhance your backyard and create a functional, beautiful area for people to gather. Add retaining wall block to your design to create a seating wall for guests to sit and relax, or to build a fire pit for warmth and pizzazz.
For those with larger areas to work with, an outdoor fireplace can be a beautiful addition to your backyard. Mutual Materials now carries the FireRock line of prefab fireplace units. These fireplaces are both cost effective and fairly simple to install. Generally, they can be constructed in one day and faced with your favorite brick or stone in one day. A two-day outdoor fireplace solution is great option for homeowners and contractors alike. Please visit our website at www.mutualmaterials.com, or one of our many northwest branches, for more information on all our products that can be used to build the outdoor living space of your dreams.
Rob Rosson
Residential Sales Manager
Monday, June 29, 2009
Measure twice; Cut twice…maybe three times
In 1988, for Fathers Day, my loving wife gave me a gas barbecue. Of course it was still in the box needing to be assembled, and the extended family was coming over that night for dinner. Needless to say the meat had to be broiled that night and the following three frustrating weeks because the step-by-step instructions were too complicated. Lesson: Buy pre-built when possible.
After mastering barbecue assembly, my next project was to build an attractive brick patio. It was a great idea and something I could work on in my spare time. I even read a book on how to build it before gathering the materials.
I made a series of mistakes in my brick patio installation, including, but not limited to: measuring the area trying to make it so the brick would fit inside the edging I had staked down and deciding to saw cut the bricks to fit the dimensions I’d laid out, rather than adjusting the edging. Two hundred brick cuts later; I managed to end up with a patio that looked good until the next morning when a gopher popped up one of the brick in the middle of the patio. The patio survived until the weight from a tractor broke some of the bricks during our house remodel. When the heavy equipment left I decided to start anew. This time I did it right using lessons I had learned from my past mistakes. And these lessons on creating a beautiful patio I now pass on to you.
Lesson 1: Use the right materials. Road base or 5/8 minus crushed rock provides a great sub-base, unlike pea gravel that does not securely compact. Since I used a crushed rock base, I have never again had gophers disturb pavers. Of course you need to compact and smooth the base with a plate compactor.
Lesson 2: Use real paver edging secured with spikes. The only edging that goes down before pavers are laid is at the starting point. Once you establish where the pavers end you then put the edging butted up against the last course of pavers.
Lesson 3: Prepare base material a foot beyond where you will be laying pavers. Then if you measure incorrectly originally, there is more forgiveness.
Lesson 4: Level just one inch of sand for the paver bedding. Use two pieces of ¾” metal conduit laid on top of the crushed rock as a guide for leveling. Use a 2 x 4 over the conduit to drag (screed) the sand. There is a lot less friction than dragging a 2 x 4 over 2 x 6’s used as guides.
Lesson 5: Level only sand in just the area where pavers are about to be laid. Otherwise overnight critters will ruin your hard work.
Lesson 6: If there are more than a few cuts, rent a saw. The Flintstone hammer and chisel method is ok for cutting a couple pavers, however, the saw is fantastic for multiple cuts or angle cuts.
Lesson 7: Using a contrasting color or texture of paver for the outside edge gives the patio a frame and custom finished look.
Lesson 8: It may be just me; however projects usually take twice the original estimated time. So be sure to take into account when planning.
Lesson 9: If you feel overwhelmed by your project, hire a contractor. Sometimes it’s worth the money to hire a contractor. It's the same as buying pre-built.
Brian Healow
DIY Segment Manager
After mastering barbecue assembly, my next project was to build an attractive brick patio. It was a great idea and something I could work on in my spare time. I even read a book on how to build it before gathering the materials.
I made a series of mistakes in my brick patio installation, including, but not limited to: measuring the area trying to make it so the brick would fit inside the edging I had staked down and deciding to saw cut the bricks to fit the dimensions I’d laid out, rather than adjusting the edging. Two hundred brick cuts later; I managed to end up with a patio that looked good until the next morning when a gopher popped up one of the brick in the middle of the patio. The patio survived until the weight from a tractor broke some of the bricks during our house remodel. When the heavy equipment left I decided to start anew. This time I did it right using lessons I had learned from my past mistakes. And these lessons on creating a beautiful patio I now pass on to you.
Lesson 1: Use the right materials. Road base or 5/8 minus crushed rock provides a great sub-base, unlike pea gravel that does not securely compact. Since I used a crushed rock base, I have never again had gophers disturb pavers. Of course you need to compact and smooth the base with a plate compactor.
Lesson 2: Use real paver edging secured with spikes. The only edging that goes down before pavers are laid is at the starting point. Once you establish where the pavers end you then put the edging butted up against the last course of pavers.
Lesson 3: Prepare base material a foot beyond where you will be laying pavers. Then if you measure incorrectly originally, there is more forgiveness.
Lesson 4: Level just one inch of sand for the paver bedding. Use two pieces of ¾” metal conduit laid on top of the crushed rock as a guide for leveling. Use a 2 x 4 over the conduit to drag (screed) the sand. There is a lot less friction than dragging a 2 x 4 over 2 x 6’s used as guides.
Lesson 5: Level only sand in just the area where pavers are about to be laid. Otherwise overnight critters will ruin your hard work.
Lesson 6: If there are more than a few cuts, rent a saw. The Flintstone hammer and chisel method is ok for cutting a couple pavers, however, the saw is fantastic for multiple cuts or angle cuts.
Lesson 7: Using a contrasting color or texture of paver for the outside edge gives the patio a frame and custom finished look.
Lesson 8: It may be just me; however projects usually take twice the original estimated time. So be sure to take into account when planning.
Lesson 9: If you feel overwhelmed by your project, hire a contractor. Sometimes it’s worth the money to hire a contractor. It's the same as buying pre-built.
Brian Healow
DIY Segment Manager
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