Siewers Lumber and Millwork



“Preserving the Past while Building the Future.”

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Celebrating 136 Years of Service

A note from the Siewers Family…

A very Happy New Year to you, your colleagues and your families!  We hope 2020 is your best year yet!  We want to again thank you for your business in 2019 and let you know as we enter a new decade that we are here to help you with all of your building needs during the upcoming year!  Your feedback about our current products, pricing, service and input about products that you think we should consider carrying is invaluable and we truly rely upon that information to adequately serve you!

We are planning a number of Special Events for 2018!  We are focused on meeting your continuing education needs and are hopeful to have some great events to fill these needs!  On Thursday, March 19, we have a “Lunch & Learn” in our Cabinet Department focusing on new and renewed outdoor space and other NatureKast products.  Please RSVP to Jamie Naab at jamien@. In May we will host our annual Founder’s Day Decking Expo to answer all of your decking questions!  We are also planning other product demonstrations throughout the year in our showroom!  If there are products you think would make for a good product demonstration, please let us know!

January’s Newsletter is filled with many important articles!  Please be sure to read the article on “Winterization”, “Cupping in Flooring”  and “Dispute Resolution”.  Also, be sure to see some more exciting Siewers Custom Colors offered by our new Siewers Cabinetry Line!   

Again, “Thank You” for your continued readership and patronage.  We value your feedback and would love to hear from you about any needs, concerns or suggestions you may have!

-The Siewers Family

Contractor News

Bundle Up Your Equipment From Old Man Winter

Winter prep to-do list

Here are the critical machine maintenance tasks that should be performed whether you plan to store or use your equipment in colder or sub-freezing temperatures.

1. Conduct a thorough visual inspection.

Whether you’re planning to work a machine in winter conditions or put it in storage, it’s recommended to perform a thorough visual inspection of the machine and the necessary maintenance or repair tasks in advance. Cat® Inspect can help you with this process. Pay special attention to hydraulic hoses and fittings. They are more susceptible to cracking and failure when strained in cold conditions.  

2. Keep batteries charged and warm.

To ease the startup process on the battery, keep it charged and warm throughout the winter months. If the temperatures in your area drop to freezing levels, remove the battery from the machine and store it at room temperature when the machine is not in use.

3. Maintain a full fuel tank.

To prevent the fuel tank from freezing and to prevent algae buildup, refill the fuel tank and drain and clean the water separator after each use. With a clean fuel system, the machine will be better equipped to handle even the coldest of winter seasons.

4. Prevent diesel exhaust fluid from freezing.

When temperatures drop to freezing levels, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) will freeze. To prevent this from happening, store DEF containers in a temperature-controlled environment. When storing DEF, make sure the container itself is non-expansive. DEF fluid has a limited shelf life in comparison to other fluids. Be sure to monitor the expiration date of the DEF.

If operating machines equipped with DEF in freezing temperatures, be sure the onboard DEF heating system is functioning properly.

5. Lubricate any moving parts, including hinges.

Keeping moving parts lubricated reduces friction and protects them from the damage that ice, salt and cold temperatures can cause.

6. Check the condition of the oils and select one based on the temperature range.

Ensure all fluids are topped off. Lower viscosity oils perform better in colder temperatures because they flow smoothly. Change lubricants before the weather turns cold.

Of course, change your oil filter(s) and air filter(s) when changing the oil, regardless of if you will store or use your equipment. Please follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the best results.

7. Add antifreeze rated for your climate to the engine.

Whether you will store or use the equipment over the winter, the radiator could still freeze if you have plain water or warm-weather coolant in it. Using the proper concentration and grade of antifreeze in the engine will prevent an expensive mishap when you next use the machine.

8. Stay plugged in and warm up.

When equipped, an engine block heater is the most effective way to preheat the engine. Block heaters circulate engine fluids to warm the interior components. To expedite the warming process, block the flow of the engine fan from the radiator as you warm the machine.

An additional best practice prior to machine operation is to run the machine at idle until the engine reaches full operating temperature. Exercise each of the machine’s functions for approximately one minute, or for as long as required, to distribute warm lubricants throughout the machine. Doing so will minimize excessive wear in cold environments.

While these are good general guidelines, be sure to check your operation maintenance manual (OMM) for specific instructions on taking care of your equipment in colder temperatures.

Cupping in Flooring By Gene Weingert

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Q. I had standard 2-inch wide maple flooring put in our house. Now, almost every piece has developed a little cupping with the edges high enough that it feels like a corrugated surface. What is going on?

A. First, we know this is a moisture issue, as wood does not change size or shape unless the moisture changes.

One of the keys here is that every piece is cupping upwards. The natural tendency is for wood to cup toward the bark. Because it is likely that the pieces of your floor have random orientation, rings or grain running up or down, if your problem was caused by wet flooring, we would see cupping both up and down. So, in your case, with the cup up, we know that the humidity in the room is drier than the humidity underneath the floor. It is most common that it is the bottom side that is too damp.

When the bottom is damp, the bottom side tries to swell more than the top. Further, the moisture increase causes the strips to swell in width, but there is no room for expansion, so right at the joint, the wood pushes up slightly, exaggerating the cupping appearance.

If you sand and refinish the floor smooth now, it will likely stay flat, unless the humidity underneath increases. Anything you can do to achieve uniform humidity, top and bottom will help. Also, putting a finish on both top and bottom faces prior to installation will also help. 

Dispute Resolution: Best Practices

The best way to protect yourself against disputes with customers is to have a concise contract that you have gone over in detail with the customer. The contract should include detailed plans and clear, detailed specifications of all the actual products that your firm will be supplying. If the client is supplying some of the products (fixtures, appliances, etc.) the contract should spell out who will receive them at the job site and who is responsible for receiving them from the supplier or shipper and if such products turn out to be defective, who is responsible for the cost of reinstalling them.

The contract should specify payment schedules and expectations of completion. These items should have a detailed statement of the agreement between both parties with detail of what each should expect and agree upon.

With the correct level of detail in your contract, there should not be confusion about what is or is not included in the work you are doing for the client. BUT all specifications should be reviewed by both parties. Have each party initial each page of the documents. Include a clause that spells out what happens if disputes cannot be resolved by the parties. Require the following step-by-step process:

1. Mandatory mediation

2. Binding arbitration (if no resolution can be met)

Your contract should spell out what agency or organization will handle these procedures. The American Arbitration Association is one option. The contract should also spell out that both parties to share equally in the cost of the mediator and/or arbitrator to discourage either party from rushing into this process.

The dispute resolution process can prove very costly and most mediators will tend to give the customer the benefit of the doubt as opposed to you, the expert contractor. You should try very hard to avoid going down the mediation/arbitration road and the best way to do that is by doing the up-front work of managing expectations.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Facts

Martin Luther King Jr. was the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Martin Luther King Jr. attended college (Morehouse College) at the age of 15.

There are over 730 streets in the United States named after him.

He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

FROM THE SIEWERS CABINET DEPARTMENT

2020 schedule for Lunch & Learn events to benefit our Contractors.

March 19, 2020 (11:00 am – 1:00 pm) Outdoor Living Lunch & Learn hosted by We want to help you with planning new and renewed outdoor spaces. Please contact Jamie at jamien@ or 804-358-2133 if you are interested.

NEWS

We would like to introduce 3 more of our Custom colors from out Wall of Paint.

Madison 958 – This is the original phone number for R. A. Siewers Office and Yards at Yards at Belvidere and Canal, Madison and Canal.

Preservation – Siewers Mission “Preserving The Past While Building

The Future” TM

Boulevard Blue – Historic street in Richmond, VA. From Byrd Park through / Carytown/Museum District/ Fan, to The Diamond.

Have a great day and see you soon.

Kellene Gordon and Jamie Naab

kelleng@

jamien@

[pic] Feel Lucky!

Be sure and bring your business card next time

You visit Siewers. Just drop it into the glass fish

bowl on the counter to enter a monthly drawing.

Good Luck!!!

Congratulations to Ron T. Curry our January Winner!

~~~~~~

Sale Items This Month

* Free Pallets (Firewood, Tables, Partitions, Fence, etc) Up to 18’ long

* Discounted bundles of culled lumber (gardens, farms, temporary projects, etc.)

~~~~~~

FOR SALE – FROM CABINET DEPARTMENT

MUST GO

MOUSER CENTRA VANITY

$990.00 (Retails for $3,367.00)

Maple – Paint Color: Linen

54” Wide - 34.5” Height - 21” Depth

Space for 1 sink. Toekick drawer bottom center.

Not Included: Trim, Top, Pulls/Knob hardware.

Please see the cabinet Department – Kellene or Jamie – 804-358-2103

Economy Snap Shot……….[pic]

Consumer Total Housing

Confidence Starts/Seasonally

Unemployment (Indexed to value Adjusted Annual

Rate – Entire U.S. of 100 in 1985) Rate

Dec. 2019 3.5% 126.5 1,608,000

Prior Month –Nov. 2019 3.5% 125.5 1,375,000

Prior Year – Dec. 2018 3.9% 126.6 1,142,000

Gallon ($) Existing Home National Avg.

Of Gas Sales Mortgage Rate

Dec. 31, 2019 $2.59 N/A 3.72

Prior Month – Nov. 2019 $2.59 5,350,000 3.70

Prior Year – Dec. 2018 $2.25 5,000.000 4.64

Market Summary

January 17, 2020 (As of 9:40 am) 1/01/20 12/31/18

DOW 29,317 28,538 23,327

NASDAQ 9,357 8,972 6,635

S&P 500 3,323 3,230 2,506

Market Minute / Dec. 2019

Central Virginia / Richmond

New Listings 1,175 Average Sales Price $265,000

Units Sold 1,735 Days on Market 41

Sold vs. List Price 99.2% Months of Supply 2.0

Company Mission

To serve the needs of contractors and remodelers.

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“Preserving the Past while Building the Future.”

Siewers Lumber & Millwork

1901 Ellen Road

Richmond, VA 23230

Phone: (804) 358-2103 Fax: (804) 359-6986

Hours:

Monday – Friday

7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Visit our website for product and general information at



&

also on Facebook and Twitter at Siewers Lumber & Millwork

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….Next issue February 20th

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