Contractor Stories
Sean took the opportunity to explore what he could do with porcelain. In addition to cutting curves, he took a hammer to it and used the pieces to create a mosaic inlay in the pavers and a veneer for the fire pit.
1st porcelain project is a winner
By Tom HatlenLast year Premier Outdoor Living installed their 1st ever porcelain paver project, and right out of the chute the project won the HNA Project Award for Residential Porcelain Pavers.
Contractor Sean Collinsgru says, “It was something that we always wanted to try out. It just seemed to fit the style for the property. We wanted something sleek and clean, so I felt like it was the perfect opportunity to try porcelain.”
Sean’s always been one to learn by doing, and by watching YouTube videos. Porcelain installation was different enough that he also got help from the supplier of the installation system products he planned to use.
Project Profile
2023 HNA Award Winner
Porcelain Paver ResidentialDesign/build contractor
Premier Outdoor LivingTabernacle, NJ
Project Manager/Designer
Sean CollinsgruProject value
(both in-house and subcontracted work)$140,000
In-house work
Design, porcelain paver install from setting bed to finish, deck build from framing to finish, fire pit design and build, swinging chair arch, outdoor kitchen and wet bar, TV feature wall, water feature, low voltage lighting, lawn repairWork done by others
Electrical, natural gas to fireplace and fire pitYear completed
2023Porcelain creativity
You’d think taking on the challenge of a simple porcelain installation would be enough the first time out. But, Sean is all about creativity, and he wanted to explore what he could do with it. In addition to cutting curves, he took a hammer to it and used the pieces to create a mosaic inlay in the pavers and a veneer for the fire pit. They also used porcelain for the countertop on the grill island and for the top of the fire pit which meant cutting more curves.“I definitely like the product a lot. There's a learning curve, but we made it harder when we decided to cut curves in it and break tiles.”
Construction creativity
Another notable creative element in the project is the missing post on the left side of the covered structure. Yes, Premier Outdoor Living built the covered structure too, along with the deck. “We took out that corner post so it gives the appearance that it has this gigantic cantilever on it, and it turned out super cool. There's always a post in the corner of a building so I thought, ‘Let's take one out.’ It's real easy to do on rendering software.”
Then he involved his carpenter and an outside architect to make sure it would work. “Structurally we had to ensure the majority of the load was on the ridge beam and center posts. I made the pretty picture, and left the technical stuff and load capacities to the architect!”
Mix it up
Sean says he likes to integrate different textures, colors and materials into a project because it opens up greater possibilities for design. That’s how he got into carpentry.Sean had been building patios and decks since he talked his way into his first such project in 2015. “In 2020, I finally hired somebody [Anthony Lombardo] with a great deal of carpentry expertise, and that's when we started building roof structures, and that took all the projects to the next level.
“Once Anthony came on board it allowed me to step back and focus on design, and really push the limits because he's got a ton more skill when it comes to the building side."
“A lot of people only want to work with one person to design it and install it all. Once we did the first project with the roof everybody started asking for that. They're watching our videos. They see the area heaters and hanging chairs and everything, and now they want those things too. It really starts to snowball which is crazy.”
Another notable creative element in the project is the missing post on the left side of the covered structure.
Not massive projects
Sean says this project is typical of what they do. “Most of them have roof structures, a deck and hardscaping, and then we finish it off with landscaping and lighting and details. We do everything top to bottom aside from electric, plumbing and shingles. This job took about 8 weeks to build. That’s typical of most jobs.”“The combined square footage of our jobs is usually somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 sf with 500 or 600 sf hardscape. We're not set up with a ton of heavy machinery to do really big projects. That leaves a lot of room for me to just focus on design rather than having to manage logistics installing these massive areas.”
Yes, a full-time videographer
They’re also not staffed for large projects. The company employs 6 people, but only 3 are full-time field employees. Sean works with the crew part-time as does Catherine Lippincott who also manages the office. Sean also employs a full-time videographer, Steve Broomall.Yes, a full-time videographer. “I realized early on that I wasn’t cut out to run a traditional construction business. Building an organization and systems and all that isn't my strong suit. I leaned more into the creativity side of things, so I got into the video stuff.”
Manufacturers sponsor Premier Outdoor to do time-lapse videos of projects constructed using the manufacturer’s products.
The office is a van
The videographer is on the job site nearly all the time along with everyone else. Steve, Sean and Catherine do all of their office work out of a van parked on the job site. Sean says they do not have a separate office in a building somewhere. Just the van. He says, “It is a converted medical transport van outfitted as a mobile office. It has a high top and an extended cab. It’s more spacious than you’d think. So Catherine and I can work in the van doing computer stuff, and our videographer can run in there and edit everything he shoots.”
The video business has actually grown to around half their revenue. Check them out on YouTube @THEpremieroutdoor.
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