[AT] OT Barn floor question

Rob Gray Robgray at epix.net
Sat Oct 16 05:46:37 PDT 2004


Not to get into the merits of on group versus another, but many of the 
Amish folks still value hard work. They also tend to charge less than 
what a similar group of regular carpenters would charge. The negative is 
that you have to drive them around everywhere they need to go.... I know 
folks who recently had a group of them build a large shed and they have 
been very satisfied with the work.  That being said, like anyone you get 
to do work for you, you need to get references and talk to people for 
whom they've done work.

Rob
NE PA

Cecil E Monson wrote:

>> At the risk of offending many... Why Amish?  I know they are hard 
>> workers, but there are others with better skills who can and will 
>> build exactly what you want.  There are even some that aren't of the 
>> WASP persuasion.
>>
>> Why choose a workman based on his religion?  Or why not?
>>
>> George Willer 
>
>
>
>     I think it is a good question, George, and shouldn't offend
> anyone. In our area, most people consider contacting Amish or Mennonites
> to build farm buildings (or do repairs, such as re-nailing roofs, etc)
> as they are known to charge less than most local contractors.
>
>     My oldest daughter and my SIL, who live in the Finger Lakes area
> in western New York, hired Amish to build a pole type construction garage
> several years ago. They came as a family, a father and two or three of 
> his
> sons, and built a very nice 2 1/2 car garage in week's time. They were 
> not
> unknown in the area and were known for excellent work and low prices. 
> They
> started work in mid morning after their chores were done and left in mid
> afternoon to do the evening chores. My daughter and SIL were not 
> disappointed
> and feel they saved several thousand dollars.
>
>     My father and a friend of his, both retired farmers, did this type
> work for years after he quit farming and moved to town. He loved being 
> out
> and around and doing this type work. They charged a lot less and 
> worked at
> their own pace. Sort of like the Amish and Mennonites do today. The money
> wasn't as important as leaving something behind for when he was gone - so
> to speak. Sadly, an accident while doing soffits and fascia on a new 
> house
> resulted in his death in the late 1960s. People still say to us 
> sometimes,
> "You know, your father built my machine shed." or something similar. 
> So he
> did leave something behind.
>
> Cecil
>
> Cecil






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