Morton ploe barn-How square should it be ????

tracdoc · Aug 4, 2004

( I do know they have changed the story more times than I can count and they wouldn't be offering anything unless there was something wrong. I just don't think I should be able to stand on the side of a building this expensive and see dips on the roof line. )

Your gut is telling you what is real. Listen to it, and act accordingly. You have everything documented, including the chameleon behavior of the Morton folks. No matter that you may not know the details of the construction biz. A good attorney has the resources to dot the i's and cross the t's.

( A plastic surgeon can make a scar go away, but if the surgery that was done to correct a problem was done incorrectly, even though the scar no longer shows, the pain of the incorrect surgery will still remain. )

As a plastic surgeon, I have grappled with this concept for many years. Scars are permanent. Once human skin is injured into the deeper layer (dermis), the dermis heals by laying down collagen, aka, scar. Currently, we have no way to stimulate regeneration of natural dermis (working on it, though). The "job" of the plastic surgeon is to camouflage scars as much as possible, what is referred to as cicatrix optima which is Latin for optimal scar.
Back to your building debacle, Junkman is quite correct. You can try to optimize and camouflage the builder's bungles, but at the end of the day, you will still know it's not what you paid for.

Fortunately, building a barn is not like healing human skin. You CAN start over or go back to the last correct step and get it done correctly. IMHO, I would focus with my attorney on the outcome which you expect, namely a properly built and up to Morton standard/spec barn. If Morton cannot deliver that outcome, then they can take it down and refund your money.

Keep us posted...

DannyD · Aug 4, 2004

Send them to my place, they will not find the mistakes and shoddy work here. The "crew" that built my barn does not do shoddy work. It is right or it is not done the first time.

Dont take the 500.00, it is Like they have proven, and cheap way out.

You paid how much? Tell them to fix it, or that is what you want back

DannyD · Aug 4, 2004

These people are lying to you, making excuses and trying to get one over on you. Dont pay them another dime, or if you have already paid it all, take them to court, make them take the building down and hire a sub to put up a package.

My package is 28x34, a tad over 5 g's. put it together, 2.5g's........and it is square, the roof is in line, and the rafters are not bent or twisted.

i hate when a company is full of bs. And I really hate salesmen with no conscience about lying and cheating.

call the local paper too, some negative publication should help. Do you have an obudsman in the area? companies hate it when consumers show them up

DannyD · Aug 4, 2004

I do know they have changed the story more times than I can count and they wouldn't be offering anything unless there was something wrong.>>>>>>>

This is enough for me to force them to take the thing down, and refund all my money, or face a court battle.

Sounds like Morton needs to lose some of it's glamour. The building they put up by me is nice, but it is not as nice as mine, they paid a lot more than I did.

Dont take Morton's idea of right, they have proven many times they dont know what right is. When they say it is done, get out the tape, whatever else you need and check it for yourself...........If they see you are going to do this, they will either do it right, or admit they screwed up and give you your money back. I would stand my ground, right or replaced, or taken down.

Docsknotinn · Aug 5, 2004

I think ultimately everything we are dealing with at this point is an issue of aesthetics. Some of the trusses need to be shimmed but only 1/4". It still needs to be done to look right. I don't think they can make it perfect but as it stands they are trying to say a facia line that rises and falls 1/4" plus is as good as it gets. That's where it gets really difficult because those are tolerances that may well be within industry standards. There is just a big difference between "industry standard" and what Morton promises in reference to quality and appearance. Any one who is not familiar with them they imply they build a perfect building. Look at their web site or their brochures and they all say we use only "top quality" materials. I can't accept at this point that I'm just being difficult when I hear from a regional manager that laminated beams that are warped 1/2" and trusses that come the wrong size are " Top quality". I'm hoping to speak to our advisor today. I'll leave you guys with a quote from the Morton web site until I get back next week.

"Morton buildings wants you to know the quality of our buildings is so high that we dare you to use the word, "excellent." After all, when you put your hard earned money down, you want a building you know is going to look BETTER and last longer."

I couldn't agree more Mr.Morton. For what I was charged and PROMISED I too want a building that looks at least AS GOOD as those that cost 10k less in my area.

Robert_in_NY · Aug 5, 2004

I have tried to stay out of this for a while as I am no where near your place to be able to see the work in person. But if all you are talking about is a 1/4 inch here or there then I would rethink my situation. I would not worry about the roof line as .25" is not much in a 6' span. Your building will do a lot of moving on its own anyways as materials dry, the weather warms and cools and when you accidentally hit it with a tractor (it happens /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif). Mortons sells their name. The installers are just contractors who decided to buy into the Morton franchise. All you did by having a Morton built instead of a local contractor is get that little M put on the front of your barn for a lot more money. Like any profession, there are good and bad workers and contractors. As long as it is well within standards and you don't have boards hanging in mid air and such I would not be so worked up about it. I am sure I could walk thru your house and find a lot of mistakes you have lived with for years without knowing about. In the end if you try to get this barn perfectly straight you will have a lot more problems from things being torn apart and rebuilt as the crew will not be as happy the second time around and not take as much pride in their work and it will continue for a long time. Like I said, if you really have a legitimate complaint and are not just picking their work apart then continue on with this but in the end what have you gained? Go to court and lose and how much more are you out when Morton gets their lawyers and engineers to say this barn was built according to specs. Your pictures do not show much so how will you convince a court? The Morton reps are trying to make you happy by saying what you want to hear which is why they keep back tracking. They want to say what you want to hear and make you happy. Good luck on this and keep up with the updates.

To clarify the statement about imperfections in your house, you do not see gaps and such in the boards because they are all hid behind walls. Your barn does not have a wall to hide these gaps and other imperfections. If it did you would be very happy with this barn when they were done and none of this would have started.

rockyridgefarm · Aug 5, 2004

( The installers are just contractors who decided to buy into the Morton franchise )

One of Mortons claims as to why there quality is so high is that ALL the workers are direct employees of the company. That THEY build all the trusses and roll ALL the metal and the quality can't be matched by anyone else.

Docsknotinn · Aug 5, 2004

I agree. I understand Roberts postion but I have to respectfully dissagree that all I paid for was the "M". I paid for a building that is supposed to be as Morton claims....Astheticly superior to all other metal buildings. I'm not hung up on the 1/4" I'm hung up on the fact that I can see waves in the roof.

Junkman · Aug 5, 2004

You are paying for a Rolls Royce and they want to deliver a Chevette. You paid for perfection, you should expect perfection. I can understand the previous posters comments and position, but I can't agree with it. Not for the amount of money that you are paying for a building of sub standard quality the way that Morton wants you to accept it. Would they accept that quality of work for a building that they were going to put up for display at a county or state fair? I doubt it. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif You are paying for first class materials and workmanship, and don't accept anything less. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

riptides · Aug 5, 2004

I expect at least superiour materials and quality workmanship in all my jobs.

Heck, when I was building my equipment shed, and a post went wacko after it rained and framed out.... I dug it out.
If the boards and roof lines are visually out of line....

Sorry, they are out of spec. You don't build around problems.

Go after them to your satisfaction, what happens to the next customer of theirs? Do they get an even worse end product?

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif