Big Sticks & SIPs: Blaine Zulkoski's Winning Combination

Big Sticks & SIPs--Log Builder Blaine Zulkoski's Winning Combination.mp3 Download the mp3 interview above and discover how longtime builder Blaine Zulkoski combines these building systems to appeal to the growing number of buyers concerned with energy performance. Blaine started in construction in the 1970s. For you 20 or 30-something readers, picture Jimmy Carter, soaring heating costs, long lines at the gas station, and even longer sideburns. His experience has run the gamut, although for the last 15 years he’s concentrated on handcrafted and milled log homes, timber frames and post and beam. No matter what the style of construction, the constant theme has been energy efficiency. Q: You’ve seen the markets ups and downs? A: “Yes, there’s a down trend right now. But it appears to be coming back a bit,” says Blaine, owner and founder of North American Log Homes (Loveland, CO). Q: How do you find your customers? A: “Bulk of my clients come from home shows. That’s all I do anymore. It’s the best way to meet one-on-one with prospects. I’ll do 18 to 20 of them in a year. It’s a big time and money commitment—mainly money.” Q: What strategy do you use to win over buyers? A: “We promote energy efficiency in our homes, as well as using a building system to save time, money and increase quality. When you look at what’s going on in the world, these concerns are going to be number one as we move forward.” Q: Builders have long maintained that buyers won’t pay for energy efficiency, instead opting for big screen TVs and granite countertops. What’s changed? A: “The general public is under so much pressure to save energy and money. They finally understand that they can always upgrade their countertops in the years to come. You cannot upgrade the building envelope after the fact. Most of my clients are interested in a log home, which is something they plan on living out their days in. It’s not the typical three to five year ownership cycle. That changes the dynamic.” Q: What manufacturers do you use? A: “I work with Canadian company, Pacific Log Homes, for my handcrafted and round post and beam systems. It’s mainly large logs, from 10 inches all the way up to three feet thick. I also work with a milled log producer in Tennessee, Pioneer Log Systems, which does the 8-inch D log, as well as timber frame packages. For roofs I use Eagle Panel Systems, which has done an innovative roof panel system that works really well. Their panels have tongue and groove decking on the inside of the panel, which really speeds construction. Take a typical roof that you would take three weeks to stick build; I can do it with Eagle’s panels in just two to three days. That translates into some great savings on the construction loan. Q: How do SIPS rate on cost compared to stick building? A: “It depends on the complexity of the roof. If it’s a real simple configuration, SIPs will beat any other system hands down. If there are tons of hips and valleys, then you may pay as much as five percent more. But with the amount of time savings on the jobsite and how fast you can get a structure under roof, I think you still come out ahead with SIPs—especially because you’re always working with Mother Nature.” Q: How many homes will you do in 2008 and how does that compare to other years? A: “2008 is a bad year. We will only do seven homes this year. I just finished drying one in Long Island; got another one in the Catskills, another just outside Sacramento that we are about to start. There isn’t anywhere in the continental United States that we won’t go.” Q: What size of crew do you use on these dry-in projects? A: “Typically, we take from five to seven, depending on the size of the home.” Q: With what kind of schedule? A: “The Long Island home was 3,200 sq.ft. handcrafted house. Including our travel time to and from, we had it totally dried in 49 days. We worked a few hours too, to get there. We’re not afraid of work.” Q: Do you have much Colorado business.? “Only a tenth of business is in the Rocky Mountain region. I do a lot of traveling because I will. I will take on the jobs when others won’t, as long as the owners are interested in energy efficiency. Many, many times I have been known to turn projects down if the owners won’t use sip panels. I just don’t feel it’s worth building if it isn’t going to be energy efficient. If they insist on a stick frame roof they will continue to pay out the nose, because that’s where they will be losing money. Walls and windows are only about 15% of energy loss. The majority is in the roof.” Q: Do you see yourself moving toward doing green style of building, in addition to energy efficiency? A: “We are already green. Virtually everything we use is a renewable resource, the only exception being the foam in the panels. I have turned toward the green building as much as anybody. It’s a popular trend and it needs to be, because we need to use renewable resources in construction and cut down on trash going into the dumps.” Q: Are you finding the log and timber markets recession proof? A: “For sure. At least 85% of my clients have been dreaming of this for years. It’s usually their second home or retirement home and they’ve been saving and thinking about these homes for years. That’s why in a recession, it doesn’t get hit quite so hard.” Q: What kind of square footage totals are you seeing and how has that changed? A “We stay usually within the 2,500 to 3,500 size, although quite a few times people approach us about building a cabin in the mountains. And that cabin turns out to be 6,000 sq.ft.—nice cabin that.” If you want to discover the sweet spot in the log and timber home market that Blaine is seeing success in, how fast he and his crew can build a log home, then tune into our podcast at www.buildingsystems Click on the podcast button at the top of page to download it to your computer or listen on the go with your mp3 player. Blaine gives his best tips and success strategies, as well as volunteering free advice to other contractors who want to get into the log and timber market.