Mitigating the Effects of the Concrete Strike

The concrete strike in BC’s Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley between May and late June caused major delays to construction projects. Since concrete is necessary to lay the foundation, the ripple effect can be felt throughout all phases of construction, from framing to window installation.

The concrete strike is now over and the construction sector can resume its normal activities. The bad news is that, while the strike may be resolved, we will continue to feel the effects of these delays for months to come.

During the strike, commercial and industrial projects were given priority over what little supply of concrete was available. This meant residential projects were impacted most. In our industry, what we tend to see happen when we’re faced with supply chain disruptions is entire projects being put on standstill because a particular product becomes difficult to source. The trouble is, when the supply becomes available again everyone tends to rush for the product all at once causing bottlenecks, frustration, and further delays. We’ve seen it – one common cause is unexpected extreme weather such as the major snow dump we had a few years ago.

Being able to source concrete again means many of these delayed projects will likely be looking for windows at the same time. This has the potential to cause a bottleneck and make it difficult to find windows when you need them.

Here are a few tips we’ve seen work for our customers to help minimize the impact of delays:

If you’ve experienced delays caused by the concrete strike…

Given the events of the past few years, we all know that nothing is concrete (pun intended) when it comes to these supply chain challenges. There are, however, some things in your power as a builder to help ensure you’re equipped to receive your windows when your project gets back on track:

• Open communication: Work with your suppliers early on to let them know your situation and come up with a suitable plan together.
• Move forward when you can: Approve your shop drawings as soon as possible, so when you’re ready to proceed there will be no further delays to hold up your product order.
• Take advantage of storage options: Receive your windows when you can and store them if necessary in order to avoid these future delays.

We’d recommend you follow these steps whenever possible for any aspect of your project. Reach out to your Window Experts today to learn more and make sure you’re prepared!

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We love to talk windows! We’re here to help, so if you have a question about your window project all you have to do is reach out. Contact us early in the process so that our experts can make sure everything is correct from the get-go.

For more information on this topic (and many more!) contact our local Employee Owners at 1-888-534-3333 or drop us an email at info@centra.ca. Join the club and become a Window Geek yourself by signing up for our biweekly newsletter, which provides news, advice, and tips about the window industry and upcoming events, and test your window knowledge by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.