Barn roof Wisconsin

We have an old barn that needs a new roof, I've gotten a couple of estimates to reshingle the roof. I've seen alot of barns now using new steel roofs and steel siding. Anyone in Central Wisconsin near Portage done this to their barn? If so can you recommend a couple of companies?

The guy down the street i talked to used an amish family to do his barn. I'll have him over for a quote but I wanted to have a couple of companies over too. It's a big expense and want to get as many people over too look at it before i make a move.

Thanks,
Chris

My grandfather put metal roofs on everything in about 1915. Right over the top of the original wood shingles. We just tore down the big barn and the machine shed as well. The posts and beams in the big barn were in perfect shape and most were shipped to California where they like the idea of recycling old barns to make bars, restaurants and movie star's homes. Best investment you will ever make, assuming the building is going to be used for many more years, is a metal roof. Get as many estimates as you can. Golke Bros in Waupaca has been doing this for generations. Morton Buildings in Wausau will do a first class job in right short order but might be pricey and then the Amish. Better check the quality on theirs by examining a roof they already installed somewhere. Beautiful thing about metal is that it lasts just about forever, goes on fast right over the top of what's there now and looks pretty good too. About as fireproof as anything gets.

In my experience , you get what you pay for as far as quality of work . I've seen several jobs done by the Amish & have redone or repaired several of their jobs in the 25 yrs I was in business . Remeber alot of times you have to haul them to & from the job . You have to pay to have their materials brought in & alot of times you have to furnish their tools & equipment for them .Years ago I was at my Moms & her neighbor hired a bunch of them to build a small porch . They were dropped off & picked up later that day . Anyhow , thru the day they came over to Moms numerous times & asked if they could borrow extension cords , power tools , a few nails & also if Mom had any boards laying around they could have . Being a self employed contractor myself I didn't take it very well that they take work away from guys like me & don't have everything they need to do the job . They wasted alot of time sitting & talking instead of working due to nobody to run them to get anything for the job . Also another place I was working daily was a Federal Credit Union as maintenance man , the manager of this bank thought my estimate for a roof replacement was too high so he got an Amish gang to come in . While they was preparing to rip off the old roof ,this guy demanded I parked my extra truck or trailer near the roof so the Amish could drop the old material into it . And then try & get rid of the materials somewhere without any cost to the bank . Now that was just too much for me to take & I voiced my opinion . Needless to say he decided he didn't want me to work there anymore . I might add that I was bonded , insured to the hilt , had about every piece of equipment needed for various jobs & moved all my own materails to & fro . So please get bids from the fully equiped companies that'll stand behind their work . HTH ! God bless, Ken

Go with steel. We Had our barn done about 10 years ago, and they did it right over all the old shingles. I think between cedar and asphalt shingles there was 4-5 layers. The steel lets the snow slide right off so the snow load doesn't build up.

I forget who did ours, but his first name was Duane and he had an amish guy working for him back then, his name was Ezra. Came back a few years after they did the barn and then they did the shop. Both are holding up fine, and the metal roof is the only way to go on an old barn.


Here is about the best picture I have right now of the roof on our barn-


Donovan from Wisconsin

Culpitt Roofing Inc. 957 West Ave North West Salem, Wi. Ph 608 786-0660. Standing rib no nails show will last a lifetime not cheap but the best IMO.

We farm in the Dalton/Pardeeville area about fifteen minutes from Portage. We hired a former Amish guy to put steel put on our barn a few years ago. Did a real good job. I don't remember the guys name exactly (Levi, Leroy...something to that effect)but I'm fairly certain he has the small engines shop on Barden road north of P-ville. If it's not him he'd be happy to point you in the right direction.

Thanks for all the information! I'm gonna contact all of these sources.

jenkbefrm what a small world our barn is in Pardeeville, we've actually been referred to that amish gentleman by someone else!

Agree that Culpitt is the way to go, expensive, little over 7000 year ago for a 30 x 40 dairy barn. But the roof will out last me, and I could not get insurance on the barn without a metal roof.

Stickert Roofing in Chili has a decent reputation.