Last Friday, just after finishing mowing the lawn, I was outside with the dogs. A red truck came idling up the drive, which is always concerning (I guess we live off a gravel road for a reason). The man behind the wheel asked if I had any interest in having my old barn painted and if so he could give me a quote and a good price since he and his crew had just finished painting our neighbor’s barn about 4 miles down the road. My first inclination was to shoo him away, saying I wasn’t interested because these types of approaches usually scare me, but then I thought ... it
would be nice to have that old eye-sore made over. What’s the danger in getting a quote?
![]() |
| blinged barn |
So, we ambled down to the barn in the stifling 95-degree heat and humidity and he described how he and his crew travels around, painting all the barns, outbuildings, even houses in the area every year. He said it would be great for him to round out the week with another job. We talked about the regional differences and colors of barns in the Midwest (red), as opposed to Kentucky (where I moved from, and where all the barns are black, for tobacco) and Tennessee (where he is from). He offered to do the job for little more than what paint would cost, so I made the call to the hubby at work. After asking a few more probing questions like “Are you a gypsy?” (kidding), we decided to take him up on the offer, quietly saying a prayer that it would all be OK. About an hour later, the paint truck rolled up with the crew and instantly our barn roof was being painted with a shiny aluminum asphalt paint. It took about an hour for it to be sprayed and finished. They came back the next morning and painted the body red—in about 3 hours. Incredible!
After they were done, we walked all the way around, pointed out some thin spots, one area of touch up, and asked that one of the pipe gates be wiped down from overspray, and they did it without consternation. Incredible … again!
So, as you can see the results at right, we’re quite pleased with the transformation. I guess sometimes you do have to step outside your comfort zone and take a chance … and give someone else a chance.
I love your blingy barn. We painted our rusty barn a few years ago. The roof still needs painting. Anyway, yours looks great!
ReplyDeleteHappy Summertime to you!
I struggle with appreciating the upkeep of old buildings and the neat and trim look of fresh paint and really liking the "shabby chic" look of faded paint and rust.
ReplyDeleteHowever, kudos for giving the guy a chance. Where would any of us be if someone hadn't taken a chance on us at one time or another?
I hope that guy makes it over to our neck of the woods! ;)
ReplyDeleteYour editorial roots are showing... What a clever title! (says a former editor who is now farming for a living).
ReplyDeleteI like the change. You did a great job transforming it because it looks absolutely different now. I love the red body paint of the barn! It turned out beautifully. And the metal roof looks great too. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI think you made the right decision in taking up the guy’s offer. Your barn now looks nice. I also love the choice of color; it gives the farm and the barn a lively look. Just make sure you clean your roof every now and then to preserve its beauty. =)
ReplyDeleteWow! That’s a huge transformation! Appearance really has a huge effect on the value of a property. But I can’t blame you if you got scared at first. That’s a normal reaction when a stranger approaches us, but it’s a wise decision to give it a try. It’s worth the chance, because the end-result is very amazing. Thanks for sharing this, I become inspired to pimp my barn. :-)
ReplyDeleteNelson Mcglaughlin