Aluminum Railing is a Keeper for Dream Finders

Posted 8 September 2016 2:00 PM by Jase DeBoer

When award-winning national homebuilder Dream Finders landed a major townhouse project in Colorado, purchasing manager Rick Lambert went looking for a deck railing system that can be elusive—one with complementary style and the durability to withstand weather extremes. Lambert explained his company’s challenges and railing choice in a recent conversation.

Q. How did the Silver Meadows Townhomes project come about?
A. Dream Finders is a growing national builder headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. We expanded into the Colorado market in late 2014 when we purchased the Silver Meadows project in Longmont (near Denver and Boulder). Silver Meadows is a 110-unit attached townhouse community targeted toward entry-level and move-down buyers and has been a great way for us to break into the market. Buyers moving into this sort of community do so because they want to spend less time doing yard work and maintaining their home and more time outside hiking, skiing and enjoying the outdoors.

Q. What deck railing style were you seeking for Silver Meadows?
A. We needed railings that were aesthetically pleasing and fit with the design of our townhomes. The townhouses have relatively traditional rooflines for a townhome product, but we planned to use a variety of textures and materials on the elevations to make them feel more modern.

Q. How did the Colorado climate factor into your railing decision?
A. The seasons in Colorado can wreak havoc on exterior materials. We go from snow and ice in January to temperatures over 100 degrees in July, and our dry climate can be very hard on traditional wood materials. An important aspect of our townhome project was making sure that these units held up well and were low maintenance. We selected the materials based on this philosophy.

Q. Why did you ultimately choose Deckorators^® Classic Railing?
A. First, we wanted something that fit the design of our townhomes. The matte metallic finish of the Deckorators rail does a great job of adding a subtle interest and form to the outdoor spaces. At the same time, we wanted to provide buyers with a product that was low-maintenance and durable. We looked at using a traditional painted wood railing system on these but felt that the durability and low-maintenance aspect was worth investing a bit more for. After looking at several options available in our market, we settled on the Deckorators Classic Railing system.

Q. How satisfied are you with your railing choice?
A. The Deckorators Aluminum railings have been a great fit so far, with ease of installation and durability benefits. It’s a great product, and we are considering using more Deckorators products on upcoming multi-family projects like Silver Meadows.

Silver Meadows won 2015 Marketing and Merchandising Excellence (MAME) awards for Attached Homes of the Year and Best Architecture. Presented by the Sales & Marketing Council and HBA of Metro Denver, the awards honor the top achievers in the new home industry.

For more information about Deckorators railing systems, visit our railing page.