48 Friday, July 27, 2018

BY MIMI ESTESFor the Times Herald-Record

Backyard sheds used to be all about storing yard

equipment, but that’s not the case anymore. Today, storage sheds can be whatever you want them to be. Kennels, pool houses, fishing cabins, man caves, garages, home offices, even two-levels - you name it - Grey’s Woodworks in Grahamsville, probably has experience building it.

They’ve been making backyard dreams come true since 1979, when Beth Mickelson’s father, Bob Grey, opened the business. Mickelson and

her husband Bob, both Grahamsville natives, took over the business in 1994, and have seen backyard sheds transform into much more elaborate buildings. The build-ings may have evolved, but their commitment to high-quality work and customer satisfaction has remained the same.

Years ago, during winter, they would build shed walls. When a homeowner ordered a building in the spring, they would put in win-dows to specification; very quickly it would be built. Due to the com-plexities of the new designs, that “pre-fab-rication” work wasn’t effective anymore. One

benefit though, is now a customer can have whatever kind of finished look they want. Beth Mickelson explains that, “Some customers want to match their house, some want to see contrast,and others want it to blend into the background.”

Having grown to 10 full-time employees, the company has branched out to three locations:

Making backyard dreams come trueGrey's Woodworks builds quality

Owners Beth and Bob Mickelson of Grey’s Woodworks in Grahamsville have branched out to locations in Goshen and Highland. [PHOTOS BY MIMI ESTES/FOR THE TIMES HERALD-RECORD]

BEST CUSTOM GARAGE OR

SHED BUILDER1st - Grey's Woodworks

2nd - Mr. Shed3rd - Ey Garage Doors

See GREY’S, 49

Grey’s Woodworks also builds garages and pergolas. The choices are endless; you can have any style of building you would like.

Highland, Goshen and of course, Grahamsville. Beth and Bob agree, “We were ready to expand the business and wanted to go to where it was easier for people to reach us.” Be sure, you’ll receive the same personalized service, no matter what branch you choose.

They’ve recently added pergolas — an open lattice “roof” — often covered with woody vines, such as wiste-ria, clematis or climbing roses. Today, homeowners are cover-ing their pergolas with fabric to create a shady spot for outdoor living. Either way, it adds an elegant look to your home. The Mickelsons found some cus-tomers were looking for a more standard type of storage, and have introduced a line of basic sheds to accommodate a broad spectrum of needs. No matter what type of construction

you’re looking for, Grey’s Woodworks will carefully walk you through the process.

There are requirements neces-sary to install outside structures. Small sheds may only need a level layer of Item 4 stone gravel or a concrete base, depending on the customer’s needs. Larger buildings will need a more built-in foundation, which requires town permits and other plan-ning, Grey’s Woodworks has a complete planning service to take care of details like that for you. Building can be done onsite; if the work area is small, they now have a “mule,” a type of trailer, that can bring structures into small spaces without tearing up your lawn.

The Mickelsons are very thankful for their employ-ees, saying, “We couldn’t have grown as we have with-out them," adding, “We still enjoy the business; we love the customers. Meeting and work-ing with all the different people has been a wonderful experi-ence. We take their needs very seriously.”

GREY’SFrom Page 48