ST. PETERS, Mo. – The frigid weather impacts many industries, but one that’s hit particularly hard is construction. Between snow and brutal temperatures, it’s been a slow-go for home construction crews, but this warmup means work can resume.
Senior Construction Manager Eric Boswell of Consort Homes is trying to complete several homes in the Lakeview Farms neighborhood in St. Peters, but the weather has caused delays.
“This has probably been one of the rougher ones in the last few years. The 12 inches of snow didn’t help. We spent a few days shoveling out, trying to get everybody back to work. So we did lose some time inside and outside,” Boswell said.
Beyond the snow, the frozen grounds and subzero temperatures set them back.
“At one point, there was 14 inches of frost in the ground. So we had to spend some additional money to dig out driveways and get those in. Typically, when it’s below 10 degrees, we don’t start outdoor equipment. So digging homes and things like that has been a challenge,” Boswell added.
Ryan Newton, a brick and stone mason with Lampkin Masonry, says they have to watch the weather closely so it doesn’t impact quality.
“In the masonry world, we battle the rain and snow. But it’s also really temperature dependent. Like our mortar can freeze which would then affect the quality of work we’re doing,” he said. “You try to prevent that. You try limit your work time during the day. You just got think ahead, plan ahead and stay one step ahead of it.”
This winter has been particularly hard.
“In the previous years, we usually just get a cold day here and there, so then we could keep working all week. But this year it’s really been tough. It’s just too hard to get anything done,” he said.
Now that we’re thawing out, the snow has left behind a muddy mess. But both Newton and Boswell say they’ll make the most of this change in the weather.
“We’re definitely happy that we’ve got some mid 60-degree weather this week and just kind of get back in the flow of things,” Newton said. “We’ll be here working and just doing as much as we can and playing catch up.”
Boswell added, “We’ll definitely play catch up…You can see we’re working on exteriors here with brick. So of course, siding, brick, flat work, are all areas that are definitely affected.”