When COVID-19 first started to make its mark in Canada, Martin Poirier, the Owner of Spartan Decks in Moncton, was concerned about his company.
Entering his second year in business, Poirier knew that even one summer of poor results could affect the long-term outlook for Spartan Decks.
When April began, Poirier’s phone would not stop ringing, “Having the pandemic, I thought it wasn’t going to be good but turns out we had great success,” he said.
With Canadians stuck at home, money that would have been used for a vacation was directed towards creating a backyard oasis.
However, like the occurrence of the pandemic, nobody was prepared for the frenzy of backyard renovations. Poirier often found himself worried that a shortage of supplies would stop him from doing business.
“Everything was pretty much sold out… Some materials I had to order three months in advance,” he said.
While it was a successful year, eventually the demand did outpace the supply, and Poirier had to tell some clients that their backyard would not be completed until the following year.
“It kind of sucks when you have to tell someone you can’t do their project,” he said.
Now, with COVID-19 variants threatening another summer, Poirier has already found himself back to work. The mild winter allowed him to break ground in early April, and Spartan Decks is booked into August.
Similar to last year, there are concerns that a shortage of supplies will cut the season short. If that doesn’t turn away customers, outrageous price increases may.
“The second year was around a 20% bump, and this year it’s about another 20-25%,” said Poirier about the cost of wood.
While many homeowners may be hoping for a deck at a reasonable price, Poirier says the project will cost you around $5000.
He says that’s because even if demand drops, it is rare that the price of wood decreases.
