Home Depot, Lowes, and Menards are handy for the homeowner who loves to DIY. They’re close, you probably have one or all three within driving distance of your house, and for the most part, you can find what you’re looking for. But when it comes to bigger home improvement projects, like installing new windows or exterior doors, purchasing new cabinets, building a new deck, siding your exterior, and more, the big box stores often don’t cut it.
Why?
They’re not specialty stores. And usually, that’s just fine. They offer a mix of materials designed to suit the largest number of customers at an attractive price point. But if you want to transform your home with beautiful new windows or add in custom cabinetry, you’re just not going to find the selection, the guidance, or the reasonable prices that you would find at a lumber & building material store that specializes in quality home building and renovation selections.
Here are a few reasons why you might want to look outside your favorite big-box home improvement store for home improvement projects:
Expert Advice
Lumber & building material companies are staffed exclusively by experts. From sales representatives to installation experts, everyone at a building supply store understands their products through and through. They’ll be able to tell you the difference between two product lines or multiple manufacturing companies, and they’ll have the information and support you need to install custom windows, choose the perfect exterior door, or choose the ideal durable, yet affordable siding option.
At Zeeland Lumber & Supply, we have dedicated teams for each specific product offering. From our kitchen & bath design and interior trim & door teams to our roofing, siding, decking, window and exterior door teams, every sales person here has in depth knowledge of our available products and is available to help you sort through the pros and cons of different features, styles and levels of investment. We offer customized solutions to perfectly suit whatever project you have in mind.
Product Quality
Your local Home Depot and Lowe’s are great for finding deals on things like paint, everyday hardware, lawn and garden improvement products, and more. They’re not the best for finding high-quality materials for the things that really matter, like your windows, doors, deck, siding, or cabinets.
You might be able to find a few prefabricated, baseline options at your local big-box store, but you won’t find things like quality craftsmanship, custom features, or flexible options. And if you’re working on your house, you know that these things matter. Great windows save you serious cash on energy bills, and your front door delivers the first impression when friends and neighbors stop over. You can find premium quality products at a variety of price levels at a building supply store.
Custom Product Offerings
Big box home improvement stores typically only supply prefabricated materials and selections. If your home has an odd-sized kitchen or a custom window in your upstairs loft, you probably won’t find what you need at Menards, or you’ll have to pay an arm and a leg to get it. Local building supply stores, on the other hand, already have relationships with excellent craftsmen and quality manufacturers. They can work with you to design and build that custom island your kitchen needs, or to find the perfect window for your upstairs loft. And since they do that every day, you’re guaranteed the very best in service and quality.
Installation Expertise
Big box stores are a wonderful resource for smaller projects, but their employees aren’t necessarily experts. Building supply stores, especially your local lumber and building material stores, have installation experts on hand to help answer any questions you might have about the product you’re considering. They’ve worked with the products for years, they’ve installed them in the field, and they know everything there is to know.
Best of all, they’re happy to help! Whether you need assistance choosing the right finish to install, or you have a question about installation, your local lumber company can help. Here at Zeeland Lumber & Supply, our teams specialize in a wide variety of projects, like windows & exterior doors, decking, cabinets, and more, to ensure that no matter your question, we have an answer. Whether you’re renovating an old kitchen or completely overhauling the exterior of a home, our team can help you with installation questions, and provide customized solutions for your unique project.
Support American Craftsmanship and Sustainable Business Practices
Local building supply companies offer higher-quality products. To do that, they look to source their products from manufacturers who build quality products right here in the USA. Here at Zeeland Lumber & Supply, we’re proud to carry brands like Shiloh, Eclipse, and Marquis Cabinets, all of whom were founded, and continue to do business here in the USA, and who offer superior American craftsmanship you just won’t find anywhere else.
You’ll also find that your local building supply company offers more products from sustainable and environmentally friendly manufacturers. Since we have the flexibility to choose the brands we believe in and want to supply, we’re able to select companies like Marvin Windows and Andersen Windows and Doors who develop products with energy efficiency in mind, and Trex Decking, who manufactures their composite deck material using recycled wood. Zeeland Lumber & Supply is proud to support companies like these, not only because we know our customers appreciate their values, but because we believe in environmental sustainability too.
Local lumber & building supply companies are the ultimate, trusted resource for homeowners who have questions about their home renovation or are looking for quality products they can trust to stand the test of time. Staffed by experts, and supplying the very best materials on the market at a variety of investment levels, you’ll want to head to your local lumber & building material supplier for your next major home renovation project.
If you’re interested in renovating your home or another construction project, the big box stores might not be your best choice for supplies. From cabinets, windows and doors to siding, decking, and trim, Zeeland Lumber & Supply has what you need, and we’re here as a resource to help you through any project you’re working on. Give our building industry experts a call at (888) 772-2119, leave us a message, or stop by one of our locations today!