Brian Bosgraaf
Cottage Home, Holland, Mich.
Brian Bosgraaf designs and builds vacation homes along the shores of Lake Michigan. In keeping with the local vernacular, he creates an updated version of traditional board-and-batten siding with SmartSide engineered wood siding products from Louisiana Pacific. The resin-coated boards retain the look of wood but are resistant to moisture and other harsh elements. “We combine their panel and trim pieces to get this historic but clean look,” says Bosgraaf, adding, “There are no seams and it holds up great.”
Another exterior product Bosgraaf finds ideal for his beach homes is an exposed outdoor shower. Using industrial-strength, a la carte parts, Bosgraaf mixes a raincan by Danze with fixtures by Chicago Faucets to give his outdoor shower systems style and durability. Rinsing the sand off after a day on the lake is essential for Bosgraaf’s clients, and this fixture does its duty from head to toe with its foot-spray feature. All of the plumbing is exposed, so for the homeowner who forgets to turn off the water in winter, frozen or burst pipes can be repaired in minutes. But the outdoor shower is more than just functional. “It’s just a fun piece,” the builder says.—Shelley D. Hutchins
Louisiana Pacific. 888.820.0325. www.lpcorp.com.
Chicago Faucets. 847.803.5000. www.chicagofaucets.com.
Brad Gummersall
Denman and Associates, Santa Fe, N.M.
Many of the Santa Fe, N.M.-area homes Brad Gummersall builds feature outdoor spaces atop garages and other one-story structures. “We do a lot of exterior decks here over roofed areas, so you’ve got to make sure the roof is really good,” he says. Bison adjustable deck supports help him achieve that. Though most of the roofs he builds are relatively flat compared with those in other parts of the country, they still slope slightly for drainage purposes. The Bison supports can be adjusted individually, allowing Gummersall and his team to create a completely flat deck atop an angled roof. Plus, the high-density polypropylene product resists severe weather. “We used to do decks with wood sleepers,” says Gummersall. “But the plastic deck supports last forever.”—M.D.
