Customer Reviews

Thank you for sharing.

here are a few shots, we really love the structure you guys built for us!

Thanks again for sharing the video.

Josh F. - Oakland, CA.

Dear Raul,

We finally completed our total amenities area. Last to go in were Bocce and Horse shoe courts, decorative stone. We have:

• A half court basketball court.
• A corn hole court.
• 10 additional parking spots.
• A fenced in pickle ball court.
• The aforementioned horse shoe and Bocce courts.
• An 8X20 storage shed.
• A 55X 15 open patio.

AND YOUR MAGNIFICENT 35 X 45 Pavilion with lighting, fans, and full electrical service.

This weekend, after 3 plus years, we had our community grand opening. It was a great event and a all sense of satisfaction for Gary and myself. Pictures are attached. A great thank you to yourself and FR. Talk to you soon. I still owe you two or so night pics.

Frank.

Be advised that we have received the shipment and could not be more pleased with the appearance and quality of the step stool! We are also happy that you were able to customized it so that the darker pieces of redwood were used for the bottom (base) and the lighter for the top.

Thank you so much for your attention to detail!

All the best,

Cliff and Daleela D.

Below is an email exchange between Raul (CEO - Forever Redwood) and John B. one of our valued clients who sends a gallery of photos to participate in our 2024 Photography Contest.

Raul: Fantastic shots John!

John B.: Glad you like them. Your pavilion is the “statement piece” of my backyard. I look forward to hearing the results of the contest. You have many other beautiful structures I’m interested in as well.

Raul: Hi John, I am sure one of your photos will be a finalist. We have some good competition but all 5 of your photos are extraordinary. Good lighting, great layout, landscaping - all of it. Oh yeah - and the structure! :-)

John B.: Thanks for the update. When is the contest decided?

Raul: I think voting starts later this month and it will be decided early in August. We'll keep you posted John!

John B.: Roger that!! And thank you for producing a great product that really does differentiate our backyard from most

Hi,

My neighbor came over with his tractor that has forks on it unloaded the whole truck for them. The boys really liked that????.

I have great neighbors and you folks are in my thoughts.

Bless you from the heart.

In case you wanted to know... the boys said they would be here at 8:30... and what do you know... they were here spot on. I have to tell you... you folks have the nicest crew... so polite and very likable... they are a complement to your business. It’s a pleasure to have them here and to know them... the world needs more folks like theses guys... there would not be so much hate in the world.

Thank you kindly for everything.

Bruce R. -

Hello Forever Redwood-

We have finally completed the build our our beautiful front porch cover "amazing". Had some challenges including having to make some adjustments due to the rafters in our roof, which then forced us to re-drill some of the holes. However, all in all beautiful structure beautifully done, ready to go. The only thing we missed was double-sided, sticky tape in our kit which we then had to buy $200 worth of tape to follow your recommendations.

We are thrilled with the outcome and very much appreciate the detail in your work.

Kind Regards.

Ken & Collen C. - North Bend, WA.

Hi Raul and Jorge,

I just passed the final Pasadena inspection today. Some photos are attached in a zipped file.

I have written a customer testimonial between the rows of asterisks below. Feel free to use it online and/or in publications with or without editing.

Below my recommendation, I will give you some comments about the pavilion and the construction process.

******************************

Customer Recommendation:

I purchased a 12' by 20' Douglas Fir Del Norte pavilion for an existing patio at the back of my two story home.

ForeverRedwood's product quality is excellent. The A grade wood is significantly better that one would find in local lumber yards. I was also pleased with the quality and precision of cutting, construction, and assembly. I was expecting only carriage bolting, but when the pavilion arrived, I found that it was assembled with both carriage bolts and numerous well hidden screws of various dimensions. Once my pavilion was fully assembled in ForeverRedwood's factory, it was disassembled and treated with coats of Sikkens sealant. It is beautiful.

For shipment, all components were wrapped and taped in two layers of recycled cardboard boxes that ForeverRedwood had acquired from local factories. On delivery, there was no damage to any of the 30+ shipping boxes that totaled almost one ton in weight.

This pavilion required a Pasadena, California auxiliary structure building permit, and Pasadena is serious about housing quality and the permitting process. The ForeverRedwood design department worked closely in partnership with me during the permit approval process. n-site, the pavilion was assembled according to the ForeverRedwood's detailed assembly instructions, and the pavilion easily passed each of a series on-site Pasadena building inspections.

Before purchase, I had researched the various vendors offering similar outdoor wooden structures and had concluded that ForeverRedwood's products were the most refined. Their website and online catalog and photos are extensive, which indicated that ForeverRedwood was both established and experienced. I was never disappointed.

ForeverRedwood staff and management communicated clearly throughout the process, and they kept their word and their commitments. I am very pleased with the final product, as installed at my home.

Larry Russell - Pasadena, California

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Concerning the construction process, I (age 71) put this pavilion up by myself with the occasional assistance of my adult daughter, who is quite strong. I was the only person who ever got on a ladder. This self-construction process was possible, because the trusses had been separated into pieces. I have a two-story house and still have a six-to-one block and tackle system left over from cleaning three large rugs on the back patio several years ago. Attached to the roof joists, this block and tackle allowed me to lift the heavy pieces. The construction process was slow and steady, and took almost three months. The first month was the most intensive, and then less so in the last two months.

The project required four city inspections:
1) framing
2) & 3) sheathing
4) roofing + final.

Pasadena building inspections are always backed up by 2 or 3 weeks, so I signed up for the next one on the day that I passed the prior inspection.

Here are several things about the project that you might wish to note:

1. Breaking down the trusses into parts made it practical to construct it the way I did. Given the multiple inspections, the white glove process would never have been practical. Other do-it-yourselfers with building inspections would probably have hired help, and I expected I would too, but I found that I could rig things up without outside help. or about $130, I purchased two sturdy panel dollys from Home Depot. This allowed me to move all the boxes from the driveway to the back of the house without extra labor to carry the boxes. For under $10 I bought an 8 foot 1/4" steel, and cut it into four pieces. This allowed me to insert the 18 inch rods into carriage bolt holes and tie pieces together for safety, while I inserted carriage bolts.
2. The instructions to your building department to separate the wall truss got lost in the decision to break down all three trusses into components. This was not a big deal, because I figured out how to take that truss apart. It was necessary to do so, because most of the 6 inch and 8 inch galvanized bolts I used to bolt the wall truss to the house were placed inside the truss and not all the way through. I had to have the wall truss open so that the framing inspector could see the internal bolting before the truss was reassembled. I color matched an external putty to cover the screw holes after reinstalling the screws. It is not quite as nice as your wood plugs, but it looks fine.
3. I should have ordered the $400 sideboards from you, since my wife said they were needed once the frame was up. So, I did it myself and had to figure out all the necessary adjustments. This also caused me to buy a gallon of Sikkens primer RE and a gallon of Sikkens 23 top coat for the side boards. By the middle of August, everything was up and all the wood had baked in July's record heat. Since I already had it, I put another coat of the 23 top coat on the entire structure. Doing that is a real pain in the butt, since you are doing it overhead versus having the piece on its back like in your factory. A second coat makes it look even nicer. The cedar coloring goes very well with the color of the brick overlay on the patio.
4. The reason for the two sheathing inspections was that your building department did not put enough screws into the sugar pine planks. The California building codes specify that there should be two screws at the ends of each board -- whether a board is short or long. Two screws are required on each side of each board into all the frame support below. Your building department only put one screw in the middle of many of the boards, and they missed putting any screws at the ends of some boards. (I am taking about the short cut boards within the panels and not the edges of the panels.) Anyway, after failing the first sheathing inspection, I bought a couple of boxes of exterior fence screws and finished the job and passed the second sheathing inspection. By the way, Hilary hit with about five inches of rain here, before I had added any screws and some of the boards with screws only in the center cupped. I put in two screws on the sides, a bit more rain came, and the boards relaxed a bit.
5. I hope your Ensenada factory survived Hilary intact, since Baja got hit a lot harder than SoCal. Regarding rain, I was required to roof the pavilion, because wood roofs are not allowed in Pasadena. I had got the impression that roofing was optional on these structures, and they would shed most of the rain. However, after only a half inch of Hilary rain, everything under the pavilion was wet. (Here, Hilary was just rain and there was almost no wind.) After five inches of rain, all the flat cardboard boxes in the pile under the pavilion were completely soaked. I suggest you just recommend to all your customers that waterproof roofing be added to any of these structures. If people plan to sit under them in the rain or place any furniture or appliances under them, they want to keep dry. This is not something that your white glove teams would/should necessarily do, but it is probably better to have the customer expect to add roofing than be surprised when it first rains and leaks.

To be clear, by the way, nothing in items A through E above really bothers me. You just adjust until things are right. I am a very happy customer.

The next step is to install mosquito netting all around. I have four 9 foot by 12 foot garage mosquito screens with the magnetic openings to put up. I bought a bunch of 1" x 2" x 8 foot furring strips, sanded them, and treated them with Sikkens. They will keep the netting in place and the mosquitos out. Lastly, my family will be surprised later to find that this pavilion will have an elevated G Scale Model Train riding around up in the rafters. I am only allowed to have the train in the house around Christmas, but in can be up in the pavilion year round!

Thank you very much for all you have done and best regards,

Larry Russell

I would to express my gratitude to your company and what a pleasure dealing with everyone from design to the 2 men that delivered the pavilion.

I have Uploaded photos (at least I think I did) hopefully our area meets requirements to be in your portfolio

Again thanks

John L. -

Everything went great. I assembled it by myself, it was a fun project. I have only one complaint, the bottles of touch up stain were dried up. I'd like to purchase some more of it if possible. It's the coffee color stain.

This was a great project; the neighbors and family are very impressed.

Thank you.

Ron C. -

The pergola is beautiful and high quality, overall the experience was positive.

The order arrived on time, however the assembly team struggled with the chaotic travel environment and the assembly had a lot of schedule uncertainty as to when the team would be onsite and when it would be completed.

Gregory F. -

Everything went as scheduled. No damage or missing parts. Instructions very easy and clear. Very beautiful bench. I have no complaints.

Thanks for such a professional product.

Luisa A. -

Overall experience was very good.

We paid for the White Glove service and was well worth the extra cost. The quality and workmanship of our pergola met all of our expectations. Where else can you get a product made from mature redwoods.

Gary G. -

Thank you for a very pleasant transaction!

From planning to delivery the experience was ideal. The pieces arrived on time and with nothing damaged. We did have a slight mixup with the "boots" for the posts, but that was quickly and easily rectified. Thanks for creating a great product backed with excellent customer service and delivery teams!

Jaret O. -

The order was on time, and it turned out even more beautiful than we expected. The assembly was easy due to the easy-to-follow instructions. The quality and finish of the finished bench is super. From start to finish each employee I dealt with was professional, pleasant and very easy to work with. Each step of the process was beyond expectations.

Thank you to each and every one of your representatives.

Carol D. -

The order arrived per the shipping schedule. The box that the pergola pieces came in was impressive; everything arrived safe and secure at our home in Indiana. The carpinters were happy with the instructions. We love how our pergola looks. We'd highly recommend Forever Redwood to others.

John H. -

Our fabulous dream glider arrived on time and every piece was perfectly crafted. Between my husband, my son and stepson, it came together a day. The staff has been more than gracious in responding to any questions. Each piece was well protected for shipping. We were kept up to date on every step along the process. That was such a added bonus. I What no had ordered the cup holders at he time. My mistake but we will do so in the spring. Something to look forward to next year.

The rocking is such a peaceful motion and provides a perfect place to read, reflect, and catch up with friends. It was on my wishlist from the time I was 3 years old. I spend countless hours on it every day. Itbsirs on a flagstone patio under trees. We can enjoy it on the hottest days and even in a downpour. The roof keeps us dry. It was a pleasure to work with Forever Redwood.

Mary S. -

Dear Raul,

Hope this finds you well.

As promised heres is a selection of the photos taken once the swing was in place (You may choose to consider any of them -perhaps the first one- as our submisson to the Forever Redwood photocontest, of course to the benefit of whichever charity of your choice, if luck were to have it).

Our lives, after more than forty years of marriage (which the pandemic nearly prevented us from celebrating, if not for your earnest and professional response) are as these photos so clearly depicted: a look towards the horizon, amidst a lush vegetation of so many good things bestowed upon us, year after year.

So nice that your swing should materialise the possibility that dreams do come true (childhood memories of a swing back in the Philippines, now rooted on Spanish land -Marugan, Segovia-, as are we) as a result of careful pampering of forests and true craftmanship, by a team who we have not met persanally, but have all left their personal signatures on it, in some way, along with our own initials that you engraved as your anniversary present.

Please convey to them all our sincerest gratitude. The swing is now miles away in a different forest (that surrounding our house in Marugan, Segovia, Spain), but with the heart where it was borm.

Gracias,

Pilar y Luis -

Just wanted to drop a note and tell everyone THANK YOU.

Your whole team was excellent to work with. We placed a time lapse video camera on the project and will be able to send it out in a couple weeks. Our construction crew started assembling the pavilion on Monday and just finished up today (4 days total). They were very complementary of your work and the directions to reassemble; they really liked this project.

Here are a couple pictures.

Andy K. - Starkville, MS.

Greetings from Virginia, Raul!

We are excited to let you know that Forever Redwood was mentioned in an article just released about our garden lab at Frederick Douglass Elementary School where your beautiful pergola that you made possible still stands in magnificent condition as the center piece of the garden. Here is the link to the article:

www.loudountimes.com

We think of Forever Redwood and its amazing, dedicated staff often. We hope you know how grateful we are for your partnership in this program. I have attached updated pictures as well of the pergola, which you are welcome to use.

I hope all is well your way!

With deep gratitude,

Marykirk C. - Leesburg, VA.

Hi Raul,

My apologies for taking some time to send this email.

The table your group produced is simply beautiful and fits in perfectly for us. The picture tells the story and everyone who has seen it admires the look, feel and craftmanship. I would have liked to send you a picture of a big gang of us with the table but, unfortunately, just after we got the table in, we all came down with a good case of Covid and it has taken us a couple of weeks to finally shed it!

Hats off to all of you team and we really appreciated the effort of getting this delivered. It is not common to find this level of service.

Best to you.

Bill K. - Vida, OR.

Raul,

Love my new picnic table. Thank you so much!

Jane J. - Vida, OR.

Raul,

This is the 7ft custom table you made for us several years ago. It went through a major forest fire in September 2020. Some burn pockmarks but no major damage. Just refinished it with the Sikken product. The big swing also survived.

We think of you often and we hope your redwood conservation project is doing well.

John and Lia F. - Vida, OR.

Dear Raul, et all.,

I hope this finds y’all well.

What an absolute pleasure it’s been working with Juan Carlos and Daniel. Super nice guys and super-efficient; they completed the work in less than projected time, they kept the work-site clean, neat and organized, they kept me abreast of their progress and needs, all the while being accommodating of the club’s needs. We simple could not be happier. Oh, and the pergola looks fantastic!

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may be of further assistance.

I would like to forward this to Juan Carlos and Daniel and I think I can manage a translation =)

Gustavo C. - Raleigh, N.C.

Hi Raul,

We are absolutely still LOVING our pergola! It gets so many compliments and we are out there almost daily/nightly. I attached a pic for you that I just took during a gentle Colorado rain.

Quick question – I looked at your site for care and maintenance and you recommend Sikkens Proluxe Cetol Log and Siding Stain. Do you think that one gallon should suffice? Our yard is south-facing and gets hit with our Colorado sunshine all day long. There are a few areas where the wood is looking a little dry and tired and I’d like to spring it back to health.

Thank you and keep up the great work!

Jason B. - Wildwood, MO.