Rusticated Never Cuts Corners.

“Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.”

Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield.

– The inspiration for launching Rusticated –

I must confess that I’m notoriously picky.  Despite this, I was generally quite satisfied with the workmanship in our current home, which was built for us by a well-known local home builder.

BUT…  When it came time to start building our deck, I was shocked to discover the sloppy fashion in which the deck ledger had been secured to the house.  The issues that I found could have have been very simply addressed during the framing of the home – instead it took hours for me to correct, pulling out vapor barrier & insulation, working up on a ladder in cramped spaces behind heating ducts, plumbing and wiring etc. amongst the trusses in our basement ceiling.  Besides both ends of the ledger being not properly supported, the fasteners used were most definitely not to code (un-coated framing nails into pressure treated lumber.).  It was obvious that the ledger had been slapped on in minutes with an air nailer, a careless afterthought.  Since then I have been dismayed to see similar indifferent “workmanship” on many other homes around the city.

I feel fortunate to be knowledgeable enough to recognize these issues, and to be handy enough to correct them myself.  I can be satisfied that in the end (after my corrective measures) no corners were cut in the framing of our deck – I know that it is sturdy, and will be safe for family and friends to enjoy for decades to come.

But what about other homeowners who don’t have the benefit of such knowledge and experience, who are hiring builders and trusting them to do quality work?  I do acknowledge the dilemma that professional builders find themselves in these days.  Of course nobody wants to run a business that loses money!  Offering competitive quotes on projects; or maintaining uncompromising quality – unfortunately these two concepts seem to be increasingly incompatible.  I’m saddened to see the shortcuts and erosion of quality building standards that are being driven by the need to keep costs down and “get it done fast (and cheap.)”  Some responsible builders can find a happy medium and at least do a decent job.  And some obviously rush through the work, cutting corners wherever they can.  The evidence is easy to find – just do a Google Image search for “Deck Collapse” and keep scrolling down.  And down…

Here is where I hope that I can come in – assisting homeowners to get their projects done, while saving money –and– ensuring that best practices are followed at every stage along the way.  If you are wishing that you could roll up your sleeves and add some sweat equity to your home, but are a little uncertain of your overall level of building knowledge, or if you are feeling a little daunted by the thought of drawing up a deck plan that would pass city approval for a building permit – Rusticated can definitely help!

…But why the name “Rusticated?”

I happen to like the rustic “Log cabin” aesthetic a lot – This has influenced my personal taste in the design of building projects, and is also the inspiration for some home decor and patio furniture items that I’m currently developing (as time allows.)  More details available soon!