Summer Madness

Lafarge Tarmac’s Dr Bill Price is getting all summery

It would appear that despite the odd downpour (well, what with Wimbledon, the Cricket and Glastonbury, what did you expect?!), the weather is set fair for the next few weeks.

We should expect the amount of outdoor building activity to increase, as builders take maximum advantage of the light mornings and evenings and the ‘builder friendly’ weather. This is a seasonal effect that can give a short term boost to the overall longer term trend for increased construction activity.

A garden make-over (no, not the ‘instant’ TV version!) is particularly popular at this time of year, as the ground is hard enough to walk on, but not too hard to dig. Block paving, slabs, decking and gravel are all in demand at the moment, together with accessories such as weed control membranes, edging strips and fencing.

For some, built-in barbecue areas, summerhouses, or even swimming pools may be on the menu. With all this outdoor work anticipated, you might even consider stocking sun hats and factor 50 sunscreen, builders are not immune from sunburn.

Often, when new work is commissioned in the garden, it also shows up existing areas in a poor light. You know the ones; those areas that are in need of repair or a little TLC, become much more obvious when compared to bright and clean new construction. Now is a good time to sort out these little projects as well

Of course, the onset of the holiday season, for both builders and customers alike, can have an unpredictable effect on demand. In some cases, customers are happy to let the builders get on with things, whilst they lie on the beach and escape the noise and dust, but on the other hand, some projects close down for a short break when the customers flies off.

Let’s not forget that hard-working builders also need a summer break. However, overall the summer and early autumn months are a busy time in the building trade, and merchants need to be in the best position to reap the biggest rewards from all this activity.