How The Supply Chain Disruption Is Impacting Home Construction
Why Home Improvement Projects Are Taking Longer
If you’re planning a kitchen or basement remodeling, home renovation, or addition, you’ve probably been hearing many people talking about disruptions in the supply chain.
What is this?
It’s both simple and complicated. It means to homeowners and contractors, though, that material costs are higher than usual, supplies are not keeping up with demand, and many home improvement projects have been either put on hold or are happening at a much slower pace than ideal.
Here, we’ll look at what some of the problems with the supply chain entail and what your best options are as a homeowner.
So What’s Up With the Supply Chain Anyway?
It’s no one single thing that is causing all the disruption, but rather a perfect storm of many individual factors.
The pandemic has been an issue with many facilities that produce building materials deal with shortened hours and fewer staff.
Lumber
The lumber shortage has seen a lot of buzz online and is often the first thing people think of regarding supply chain disruption and how it affects home building projects.
Most of the issues stem from simple supply and demand. While demand was strong before the pandemic, it grew during the pandemic as people stuck at home wanted room to expand and improve their homes. There just wasn’t enough available supply to readily fill the need. As things get back to normal, many of those home projects are still in the works, and new projects are already lining up.
Glass
Some of the pandemic-related issues related to supply chain problems are subtle—such as the glass shortage. Many glass producers have been working overtime to produce vaccine bottles and other medical-related supplies. Because vaccines are still in high demand both in the US and around the world—and with the possibility of booster shots in the future—the need for glass bottles won’t go away, so the industry will have to learn to accommodate both the medical and commercial demands.
Polymers
Outside of pandemic-related factors, the cold weather events in Texas this past winter and the subsequent failure to uphold the power grid negatively affected large companies such as Dupont and others. These companies produce the chemicals used to create plastics, composite woods, glass, resins, and more. Even supplies for the polymers that go into carpeting were affected.
Metal
While recent changes to import tariffs on steel and other metals have been a boon to some industries, demand issues similar to lumber continue to be a factor, with supply not yet keeping up. Homebuilding competes for steel, aluminum, and other metals with automotive and home appliance demands.
Lumber
The lumber shortage has seen a lot of buzz online and is often the first thing people think of regarding supply chain disruption and how it affects home building projects.
Most of the issues stem from simple supply and demand. While demand was strong before the pandemic, it grew during the pandemic as people stuck at home wanted room to expand and improve their homes. There just wasn’t enough available supply to readily fill the need. As things get back to normal, many of those home projects are still in the works, and new projects are already lining up.
Shipping and Freight
Between container ships lining up at overworked and understaffed ports and long-haul trucking having taken a hit during the pandemic, getting supplies from point A to B and C has been challenging and more expensive.
Driver shortages, increases in diesel price, and the start of a summer that may be seeing people travel again all contribute to challenges to the cost of materials delivery.
Infrastructure needs a little more time to catch up.
What’s the Best Thing To Do For Now?
Be patient.
While it’s true that timetables have been thrown off, this isn’t a situation that will last forever. Most of the issues will be fixed once production facilities reopen to full capacity with workers to match. Tariffs on steel and other raw materials are already being renegotiated, but it can take a little time for the effects to be felt.
The very last thing you want to do is cancel your planned renovation or addition.
For one thing, a renovation or addition will add value to your home. Should the time come when you are ready to sell, you’ll appreciate that extra appeal to buyers and a better asking price.
Secondly, if you’re working with a contractor and cancel your project but change your mind later, you’ll likely find yourself at the end of the waiting list as businesses catch up with everything.
If you’re experiencing delays due to supply chain issues, the best thing to do is to wait it out. As businesses get back to being fully staffed and the market for raw materials settles, suppliers, contractors, and construction companies will get back on track.
Before too long, you’ll get your remodel, renovation, or addition done.
Leading the Way
If you’re looking to remodel a kitchen, basement, bathroom, or any other room in your home—or looking to add on to your home—Total Quality Construction is the team to count on for quality work. Your home project is in good hands.
Our experienced designers and construction teams serve homeowners in Ottawa Hills, Sylvania, Maumee, Monclova, Whitehouse, Perrysburg, and surrounding areas.
Call today for more information, or fill out a form!