For most lumberyards, February feels like a waiting game. Exterior work is paused. Foot traffic slows. Everyone’s looking ahead to spring.

But here’s what actually happens this time of year: decisions get made.

Homeowners aren’t building decks in February, but they’re absolutely deciding what they want—a covered porch to extend the season, a screened-in space to enjoy on summer evenings, or a real enclosed outdoor room instead of something that feels like a half-finished add-on.

That’s where Great American Spaces fits in, and why February is exactly the right time for your yard to lean into it.

Why Screen Systems and Porch Enclosures Aren’t Seasonal Products

Screen systems and porch enclosures live in a different mental category than decking or siding. Homeowners don’t stumble into these projects because the weather’s nice, rather they arrive at them after months of living with a porch that’s too hot to use in summer, a space where bugs take over the minute the sun goes down, or an outdoor room that never quite feels finished enough to actually live in.

Winter is when people are stuck inside, staring at wasted space, and thinking about how to fix it. They’re not worried about curb appeal and thinking about how they want to use that space once the weather breaks.

When your contractors show up with a clear enclosure solution, the conversation shifts. The project moves from “someday we should do something” to “let’s get this scheduled for spring.”

Lumberyards Shouldn’t Wait Until Spring to Start the Outdoor Conversation

Most yards treat outdoor living as a warm-weather category. But if conversations start after spring promos kick off, by then, your contractor will already have a plan. Or worse, he’s already bought from someone else.

Great American Spaces flips that script because it’s not about selling loose components. It’s about complete porch and enclosure systems that solve real problems contractors’ customers are living with:

• Screen systems built to last, not cheap seasonal add-ons
• Ceiling and wall finishes that make a space feel like it’s part of the house
• Weather-resistant components designed for semi-exposed environments

That “system” approach is the difference between selling parts and helping your contractors close jobs they wouldn’t have won otherwise.

What Makes Great American Spaces Outperform Lower-Cost Porch Enclosure Alternatives?

Cheap enclosure options fail for predictable reasons: sagging screens, moisture issues, inconsistent finishes, and callbacks nobody budgeted for.

Great American Spaces solves all of that. The components are designed to work together, install cleanly, and hold up to years of daily use. That’s what contractors care about, especially when they’re selling a higher-value outdoor space to a homeowner who expects it to last.

Weather resistance isn’t a side note when it comes to Great American Spaces. Rather, it’s the reason these systems outperform lower-cost alternatives. When the product installs correctly and easily and performs as it’s supposed to, your contractor looks like a pro, the homeowner is happy, and your yard becomes the trusted source.

How Can Lumberyards Build Contractor Pipeline for Spring Outdoor Projects?

Contractors don’t want winter layoffs. They want work that keeps crews busy and pipelines full. Screened porches and enclosure upgrades do exactly that. Projects can get planned in February, installed in early spring, and they won’t compete with the peak-season exterior work that fills summer schedules.

But contractors can only sell what they understand and can explain or demonstrate. If Great American Spaces is treated as a “someday” category, it stays invisible. If it’s positioned as a February planning solution, it becomes a tool your contractors can actively use.

Promoting Great American Spaces doesn’t require overhauling your whole floor. It requires being intentional about a few things. The dealers who win with Great American Spaces do the following consistently:

• They talk systems, not SKUs. They focus contractors on how the enclosure works as a whole.
• They use the showroom strategically. Even a small display, like a screened opening or a finished porch ceiling sample, helps contractors show their customers a more realistic outcome rather than just imagining.
• They equip contractors. When contractors can bring customers into your showroom and say, “This is what I’m talking about,” the sale moves faster and sticks.
• And they start in February, when planning happens quietly but decisively. By March, schedules are filling up.

How Carrying Great American Spaces Actually Affects a Lumberyard’s Bottom Line

Great American Spaces isn’t a summer filler product. It’s a margin-protecting, relationship-building category that fits perfectly into the part of the year most yards ignore.

Putting it front and center in February:

Evens out your revenue. You’re not completely dependent on the weather and spring rush.

Gives contractors work that keeps crews busy. Projects they can plan now and install in early spring.

Separates you from the box stores. They’re selling components. You’re selling complete solutions that contractors can execute.

Captures the dollars before schedules fill up. By the time everyone else wakes up in April, you’ve already locked in the work.

You don’t need more customers walking through the door to make February work. You need better conversations with the contractors you already have.

The Real Question

Look at your calendar. Are you waiting for outdoor season to start, or are you helping your contractors plan for it?

The yards that treat February as Great American Spaces season aren’t sitting around waiting for spring. They’re building pipeline, strengthening contractor relationships, and locking in work while everyone else is still in hibernation mode.

If you’re ready to make February productive instead of slow, talk to your BPI rep. We’ll walk through how Great American Spaces can help you win outdoor living projects before your competitors even wake up.

Contact your BPI rep and talk through how Great American Spaces can help your yard win outdoor living projects before spring even arrives.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time for lumberyards to start selling porch enclosures and screen systems?

February is the ideal time. Homeowners make outdoor living decisions during winter months when they’re inside reflecting on unused space. Lumberyards that start the Great American Spaces conversation in February give contractors a head start on projects they can plan now and install in early spring, before competitor yards even wake up.

What makes Great American Spaces different from other porch enclosure systems?

Great American Spaces is a complete system rather than a collection of loose components. The parts are engineered to work together, install cleanly, and resist moisture and weather over the long term. This reduces contractor callbacks, improves installation quality, and delivers a finished result that homeowners perceive as a real extension of the home.

How do lumberyards use Great American Spaces to increase contractor sales in the off-season?

The most effective yards position Great American Spaces as a winter planning tool rather than a spring product. They use showroom displays, even a simple screened opening or porch ceiling sample, to help contractors show customers a tangible outcome. When contractors can walk a homeowner through your showroom and say “this is what I’m proposing,” deals close faster and at higher margins.

How does selling complete enclosure systems protect lumberyard margins compared to selling components?

Component sales invite price comparison. When a contractor buys a screen system piecemeal, every element is a line item that can be sourced elsewhere. A complete Great American Spaces system is sold as an integrated solution with a defined outcome, making it far harder to cherry-pick or underprice. This keeps the project attached to your yard and protects margin at every step.