Certified Elite, Bob and Robyn Mertens from R&R Remodeling have been in business since 1996, serving the greater St. Louis area. Since they became Certified Pros, Deckorators has been the only product the couple has felt comfortable with and had enough faith in to use on their own home, which has become their very own showcase.
Q: What led you to make deck building a career?
A: I worked with a large deck building company and I really liked the building process from start to finish. Being able to stand back and see what I built and being able to take pride in it because I did it myself. I loved it from the beginning.
Q: Can you define your service area and what services do you offer?
A: We’re based out of Wentzville, Missouri, which is on the outskirts of St. Louis. We service about a 40- or 50-mile radius from Wentzville. Primarily, we build anything from decks, sunrooms, cover-decks and roofs.
Q: Is there something that R&R offers that other decking builders or outdoor living builders aren’t doing?
A: What we like to do is try to distinguish ourselves with the quality. Homeowners are paying for the quality.
The crews that we have, they’re all our own crews. We have the best guys out there that focus on craftsmanship.
Q: What was the first interaction you had with Deckorators?
A: When Deckorators was introduced to me, I was told how great and wonderful it was. I basically told the sales guy, “Bring me a 20’ board and call me back in a year.”
Deckorators claimed to have minimal expansion and contraction on the Vault decking family. So, we built a frame, put it outside and let it go through 12 months. We went out there and checked on it in different temperatures to see if it really performed the way we were told. About a year later, the sales guy called back, and I said, “Absolutely, it proved itself.”
Q: When did you become a Deckorators Certified Pro? And since becoming a Certified Pro, what has the program meant to you?
A: We became a Certified Pro roughly three years ago. One thing different about Deckorators is that they are the one company out there that cares about what the contractor thinks. They use our input and actually listen to us, and I can see the changes that they make to better themselves as a company.
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