Portland, ND | Morton for sure
We have 3 lesters on the farm built in 1985, 1991, and 2001. The 1985 model is the best of them all, it used strongpanel tin and more lumber.
They kept getting cheaper thru the years, and less quality control. The same local contractor put them all up for us, I wish we would have spent a few bucks more when we did the shop in 2001 and went with a morton.
You might want to check with Foltz buildings, they seem pretty good too. |
| I definitely don't recommend buying a Lester Building, I bought one and just weeks ago had to pay an Amish crew from Graber Bldgs. to come in and fix the mistakes and poor workmanship on it. I paid Lester Bldgs. extra for roof dripstop to be installed on the house portion of my Lester Bldg. but they shorted me on it, I also paid Lester extra for 3/4" plywood that I told them I wanted on all exterior walls, but again they shorted me and they incorrectly engineered the exterior of my bldg. I dealt mainly with the Lester Bldgs. Regional Manager who recommended one of their Lester Dealer/Builders from out of state to me saying he did "Good Work", which turned out to be a lie. It took this Lester Dealer less than 10 days to finish my Lester Bldg. and then he left town, but before he did he told me if he had to come back for any reason it would be a $500 minimum. Just weeks after he left, we had our first rain at which time I noticed I had 25 leaks in my roof, I had puddles all over inside my bldg., so I got up on the roof only to realize that he had installed the roof screws missing the roof purlins and some screws were too short. Well I wasn't going to pay this Lester Dealer to come back and fix his screw ups, so I got up on the roof and fixed them myself, it took me two days, but I did it myself. I found out later that he was supposed to come back and fix things like that for free, up to a one year period.
It took me two years to finish and move into my Lester Bldg. at which time we started noticing more serious problems, to the point that I called in an Amish Crew to check my bldg. out, who found several problems, but before I paid them to fix my Lester Bldg., I first called out the Lester Regional Manager and asked Lester for help. This Manager was shocked at my bldg. problems, but after he spoke with Lester Bldgs. Upper Management he said that Lester Bldgs. doesn't feel any responsibility for what they called "My Building Issues" and I'm out of my one year warranty period and they will not be helping me, so I at that point paid the Amish Crew to come in and fix my Lester Bldg. and the following is what we found: 8 Roof Purlins not nailed at all, the Amish actually picked one of them up and out to show me, which would explain why it sounded like my roof was going blow off on windy nights. A lot of my soffit only had one staple holding it on and when the staples tried going thru the steel they bent only allowing 3/8" to go into the facia board, which would explain the rattling we were hearing. Lester also used vented soffit on the gables ends, which should have been solid soffit. Gaps/Openings on the roof valleys where wind was blowing in and had blown my attic insulation away in those areas, cold air was blowing in and finding its way into my furnace plentum/duct work, rain had to be coming in too. 2 bird blocks not installed, but the ones that were installed were not nailed at all, I personally screwed every one of them off myself. Facia boards barely on the trusses and nails missing the truss, we had to sister nailers on the side of some trusses. Facia cover not cut to fit properly causing the ends to dip down an inch.
After I turned Lester Buildings into the Better Business Bureau they responded to the complaint by putting most of the blame on their Lester Dealer/Builder, you know, the one they provided to me and said he did "Good Work". This Lester Dealers name is C&C Construction, Willis Childress is the owner and he definitely did poor workmanship on my bldg., but Lester Bldgs. is who provided him to me and said he did good work, and Lester Bldgs. is who shorted me on roof dripstop that I paid extra for and the exterior 3/4" plywood that I paid extra for and they incorrectly engineered the exterior of my bldg., but they feel no responsibility for what they call "My Building Issues", with that in mind I would not recommend buying a Lester Building at all. |
Morton or Lester?
