Baker Roofing Company’s residential and restoration team’s were fortunate to work on many beautiful historic buildings throughout the triangle. Recently they had the opportunity to show off their skills on the Historic Wakefield Barn in North Raleigh.
The barn was originally built in the 1930s, but once purchased by John Sprunt Hill it served as a dairy farm. The farm was passed around to a handful of different owners over the years, and some of the historic buildings were sadly lost. Fortunately, the farm was purchased by Mary Schilling in 2000. She worked to restore the structures to their original glory.
“They were also faced with a timeline challenge; the entire project needed to be completed in time for a wedding that was scheduled to be at the barn two weeks from the start of the project.”
Team Baker understood the reroof of the Wakefield Barn needed to be handled with care to ensure no part of the historic structure was damaged. They were also faced with a timeline challenge; the entire project needed to be completed in time for a wedding that was scheduled to be at the barn two weeks from the start of the project. Before they began the process of tear-off and reroof, they covered the inside of the barn with plastic sheets to protect it from any dust or debris that may have the chance to get inside. We knew it would need to be in tip-top shape for the wedding just around the corner! For the roof itself, the owner elected to do an Atlas shingle in the color Emerald Slate. The greenish shingle color is not one that you see very often, but beautifully compliments the rest of the barn exterior. As the team was roofing, it was essential that they followed all safety protocols due to the steep slope of the roof. A traditional home is usually a 12×12 pitch, however, the Wakefield Barn was a 32×12. The team used a full rappel system to allow them to access the lower sections of the roof. The other challenge the team had to think through was the curve of the roof. They had to use flexible lattice to adapt to the curve of the roof before the shingles were installed.
Thanks to the hard work of our entire team, the project was completed in 7 days, a week ahead of schedule. We appreciate being trusted with projects like the Wakefield Barn. They allow us to do our part to preserve our area’s history!
