BARKDUSTERS, INC., a company of ‘bark blowing specialists,’ offers bark blowing services to homeowners, schools, commercial buildings, apartments and more. Most customers like to have bark dust spread around all planting beds in their landscape area.
BARKDUSTERS, INC. installs all types of bark dust, compost, soil blends and playground chips. An apartment playground that employees from Barkdusters worked on is shown here.
ON AVERAGE, it takes a crew from Barkdusters, Inc. about two hours to finish one bark blowing job. Crews are very careful around plants and other parts of a landscape.
MULCHES LIKE BARK DUST help prevent weeds, help with erosion problems and protect plant roots.
Back in 1985, Bob and Linda Lawrence wanted to find a way to make spreading bark dust around the yard easier, so they built a bark blowing truck and went to work.
That year, Barkdusters, Inc. was born. Jason Lawrence, Bob and Linda’s son, helps to manage the company with his dad. Jason describes them as “bark blowing specialists,” and said Barkdusters, Inc. is only a blower service company, no retail yard or dumping. He said they do work for homeowners, schools, commercial buildings, apartments and more.
“We go to the job site, blow bark wherever requested and then clean up any mess we might make,” Jason said. “We make properties shine, like icing on the cake.”
Barkdusters installs all types of bark dust, compost, soil blends and playground chips. According to the Barkdusters website, under “Why choose Barkdusters blower service,” Barkdusters has professional crews with vast bark blowing experience; excellent clean up; competitive pricing on bark dust, compost, cedar chips and soil blends; they only charge for the actual amount of product blown; save time and effort; reach difficult areas; crews are very careful around plants and more.
“Imagine two different weekends,” Jason said. “One is spent with the friends or family at the beach, golfing, hunting, etc. The next one is spent behind a wheelbarrow, sweating and pulling out slivers. What would take an average person a weekend worth of work only takes us a couple hours.”
Although business is very seasonal for Barkdusters, Jason said, on average, they have about 15 people working for the company. It takes a crew about two hours to finish one job, on average. In Washington, Barkdusters offers services in Vancouver, Camas, Battle Ground, Washougal, Brush Prairie, Woodland, Hockinson, Longview, La Center and Ridgefield.
As far as trends go, Jason said the most popular area for customers to want their bark dust spread is usually around all planting beds.
“Mulches help prevent weeds, help with erosion problems and protect plant roots,” Jason said, addressing reasons why it’s good to place barkdust in the landscape or garden areas. “It also makes a yard shine – aesthetics.”
Bark dust can help retain moisture in the roots of plants in the summer heat, and can also insulate roots for winter freezes. It also prevents mud during heavy rains. According to the Barkdusters website, on average, barkdust will last about two to three years if put down at a 2-3 inch depth. Other factors such as the slope of the landscape and the amount of traffic through the material will also affect how long it lasts.
Barkdusters, Inc. is very much a family business. After the company was started by Bob and Linda in 1985, Jason grew up blowing bark every summer and now manages the company along with his dad, Bob. Jason is married and has twin boys, 7, and a daughter, 3. He lives in Portland with his family, they moved the business to the Vancouver area in 2007.
For more information on Barkdusters, Inc. or to contact them for a bark dust blowing job, visit their website at www.barkdusters.com, call (360) 253-6579 or email sales@barkdusters.com.
