 Being one who values reusing and re-purposing I knew that Nail & Hammer was founded on the very same principles. And being locally owned and operated was another plus, in my books. So, an obvious choice when I set out to find reliable suppliers was this place owned by Allan and Teresa Stalker.
So when was the last time you saw a 26” wide exterior door? They are virtually non-existent. But there it was metal skin, foam insulated in a comfy space at Nail & Hammers new location, 525 39th St N. This find was truly a gift! So not only did Nail & Hammer donate this rare door to the cause of placing a tiny house in the Grow Calgary microhome competition - but they cut the door based on design specs I provided. Many thanks to Allan -who loves a challenge- and the crew at Nail & Hammer! When working with geodesic domes it’s always good to have someone around who enjoys the creative process of inventing and building new stuff. :)
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 Last year when I was looking for a workable exterior dome covering (paint or what?) I received a referral from a friend in the painting biz. See said, ‘ask Chandra she can help’. Well I found Chandra and her answer to my dilemma was to use elastomeric paint. That did the job since there hasn’t been any water seepage through the paint and no loss of integrity from uv radiation in over a year - and it still looks good. Of course, it comes in whatever colour you choose.
Not only was her advice right on but I had noticed the folks at Cloverdale to be service oriented and to know what they’re talking about. The steady flow of DIY’ers as well as painting subcontractors through the store is another sign that they offer not just the paint but the assistance to meet a diversity of needs. So I was pleasantly surprised when they accepted my request for, yes more elastomeric paint to help in building the tiny house for the GrowCalgary microhome competition. Having started in BC (I’ll hazard a guess here and say Cloverdale), Cloverdale Paint is Canada’s largest Canadian family owned and operated coatings manufacturer and has reached a milestone by celebrating 85 years in business. Something to remember when you’re looking for a more local, Canadian supplier. A huge thanks to Cloverdale Paint!  Today I'd like to salute Benchmark Glass.
I discovered one of the founding owners’ of Benchmark Glass, Ron LeClair, not only had the same last name as mine (with a tiny variation of the capital C) but his first name matched that of my older sibling who helped make GeoStudios possible. Serendipitous one might say. And when I read the websites ‘about’ page did not fail to notice Ron’s thoughts mesh with my own in terms of local control and autonomy. It reads “...His goal was to build a glass service that was free of the corporate bureaucracy…” Gotta like that. I’ve dealt with Benchmark on several occasions in the last couple of years. From getting my lexan glass for previous domes to a new windshield on my vehicle. Each time it was service without a hitch. From the moment you walk into the store on 2nd Ave North you get that “these guys have it together” kind of feel. Excellent service and helpful advice. Special thanks to David Proctor for his time to explain the details of the future ‘StarGazer’ pentagon. Look forward to working with you guys some more. :) www.benchmarkglass.com  I was looking for a simple (yet almost impossible to find), piece of metal with a 36 degree bend. It had to be strong enough to support the weight of a dome pentagon yet light enough to not hamper interior decor pieces. I kept getting from people “ask Charlton & Hill to make it”. So I finally went over with my simple plan and to my surprise got a positive response. They were willing to support my entry to the MicroHome Competition!
Well it appears as though everyone in Lethbridge has dealt with Charlton & Hill at one time or another. To my surprise their reputation in this city was, and remains, stellar after over 75 years. Maintaining a very high level of customer satisfaction over so many years is not just an average achievement! And it didn’t escape me that they’ve participated in numerous local causes from Big Brothers Big Sisters to the college, the university, food banks and more. A vision that includes a better community. My kind of people! Special thanks to Val for her encouraging interest and Trevor for his knowledge and skill. www.charltonandhill.com  GeoStudios would like to thank it’s sponsors. Especially Challenger Building Supplies who stepped up to help by donating lumber supplies towards the construction for the Microhome Competition in Calgary. Challenger opened in Lethbridge’s new industrial park by Vince Toth in 1975. It included a temporary office on six acres of land, one truck and one forklift.
With the growth in all sectors of the city, Challenger’s reputation as an industry leader also grew. Challenger joined forces with TimBrMart, the largest buying group in Canada in 1981. Today, Challenger Building Supplies Ltd. employs upwards of 16 full-time employees and stands as the city’s only full-line dealer offering a complete package of on-site materials, a 13,000 sq. ft. retail area and a 30,000 sq. ft. warehouse. The guys at Challenger are knowledgeable and helpful. In my experience, their prices have been consistently lower than their competitors on many lumber products. So not only do I feel good about supporting a locally owned business I can do so knowing I’m saving $. So a wave of appreciation to all the staff and especially Shaun, Hans and Wade. Thanks guys! www.challengerbuilding.com |
AuthorGilles Leclair is the founder of GeoStudios. Somewhat eccentric, fairly environmentalist, politically aware, he believes the world should have more off-grid communities... many more. Blog Archives
November 2018
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