Welcome to the newsletter! It's been a wild 12 months at Rose City Ropes and we sure are ready for the spring! There's been a lot of changes, beautiful projects completed, and an assortment of new developments, so let's dive in. Building through COVID-19 First off, the most obvious. The pandemic brought about a lot of challenges for builders, and here at RCR we faced them as well. We had to shift and pivot the business numerous times to make sure we did all we could to protect ourselves, our clients, and our families. Deliveries, material prices, and material shortages all became unique challenges at the start of the pandemic, and continue to be an issue to this day. So what are we doing to respond? #1 We are following all guidelines and taking all precautions when on job sites to keep things moving forward. Much of our work is outside and done exclusively by Bryan which gives an added layer of protection. For material pricing and acquisition, we are purchasing materials months in advance to lock in prices before summer surges hit. This guarantees the best possible prices we can get for our clients. Last summer fence materials quadrupled in price and became almost impossible to find! Last, we've moved a majority of our estimates and bid processes online. Most of our clients are able to send us descriptions and basic measurements so we can get a ballpark number figured out. This allows us to give extremely quick bids, and then schedule home design consultations for the clients who are ready to commit based on the estimated pricing. In the past, we saw as many as 20 potential clients every weekend. Now, we've successfully cut that down to 1-2 clients to help prevent any possible spread of COVID-19. Growing, Changing, Adapting - Portland Custom Carpentry There's always been the question: Why Rose City "Ropes". The answer? I started my professional construction career as a climber. Towers, stadiums, bridges, dams, if there was work to be done high in the air it was ideal for me! RCR started out as a climbing construction company based out of the Portland area. As the years flew by, carpentry became a greater focus and the desire to travel for work at height diminished. As such, we have begun the process of adopting a new name: Portland Custom Carpentry! While RCR will continue to hold "parent company" status you'll see more and more of our branding as Portland Custom Carpentry. Our Recent Projects We've been tackling an incredibly wide variety of projects, while also honing in on the core elements of what we do. The last few months have included a fantastic "Cabin in the Attic" project where we converted a cramped attic walk-in closet to a fantastic spacious room with tongue and groove ceilings and walls.
The wood shop has been up and running and we've been experimenting with different wood combinations. Check out the photos below to see a fantastic solid wood padauk and myrtlewood chess board. No stains, just natural wood color!
We also just wrapped up one of our first fences for the year. It's an outstanding cedar tongue and groove fence with a custom lattice on top. It maximizes privacy while also giving an incredibly cozy feeling to the backyard!
What's Next!? Our season is getting booked up fast and we have some amazing projects coming up that include: Shiplap basement remodel. New oak stairs and flooring. Custom kitchen remodel and floating wall shelving. Kitchen built ins. More custom fences!!! When I'm not in the field, I've launched a blog that will share the intricacies of many different elements of carpentry life. Spring Giveaway!? This spring we are kicking things off with a giveaway to a randomly chosen subscriber. This springs winner is.... K.C.! We'll be in touch to set you up with your gift! One Last Announcement Last but certainly not least I have a very exciting announcement for this fall. We've been waiting for quite some time to acquire new woodworking machines and they are scheduled to arrive this summer. As such, I am thrilled to announce the launching of Hall Wood Shop this fall! I'll be diving deeper into custom woodworking projects of all sorts. Everything from cutting and chess boards for the holidays up to handmade furniture, tables, and other wooden gifts and items! Anyone with this newsletter in hand can pre-order a holiday gift from Hall Wood Shop at a 10% discount until the summer newsletter is released! In Closing Thank you so much for being a huge part of the success that is RCR - Portland Custom Carpentry. Take a peek at the photos below and you'll also find a link to our initial blog posting. Until the next build, we're wishing you a structurally sound summer. Bryan Hall Owner-Builder