Most everybody treasures their prized possessions. No matter the size or price tag, these items require great care and a trustworthy place to call home. When James needed a reliable structure to protect his favorite hobby in a north-central Tennessee community, Morton Buildings provided the answer.
“I’ve been a car guy most all of my life,” James explained. “I’ve always liked cars – liked classic cars. Of course, like everybody else, I had to take time … to raise a family. When you get that done … that’s what I’ve done for the past few years – collect and restore my cars.”
After exploring his options and looking at several different types of buildings, Morton and its reputation as America’s leader in custom post-frame construction proved to be a factor James couldn’t ignore when finding the perfect structure to house his classic car collection.
“I called the rep out from Morton to talk to him about it, they were very helpful,” James said. “We got to work very fast on it. They were very efficient in building the building. All of their people were very efficient. They were eager to please.”
The end result was a 30’W x 10’H x 56’L four-stall hobby garage completed in November 2011 by a Morton construction crew based in Murfreesboro, Tenn. James marveled at the construction process, managed in-house from start to finish by Morton.
“I was very impressed with the crews from the start to when the building was delivered. It was delivered on one semi truck – the whole building on one truck. They put all the materials in very good order. When the crew came in to start the building, every man knew his job. They were helpful in anything we would ask them to do, they would try to do. They went to work, worked very efficient and got the building in very quick.”
The 1,680-square-foot building features Morton’s Hi-Rib steel, wainscot and a pair of cupolas along the ridge of the roof. The concrete floor was coated with an epoxy-like material to make cleanup for oil and gasoline spots more efficient. Fans were also installed along the ceiling to combat exhaust from the cars.
Most notably, the hobby garage boasts Morton’s Energy Performer insulation system, a feature James wouldn’t build his garage without. Our story from July detailed the strengths of Morton’s insulation system when faced with extreme heat. James’ garage in Tennessee is designed to battle not only the extreme summer heat, but also the bitter winter cold.
Morton’s efficient system – in place for more than four decades – allowed for maximum climate control, ensuring his classic car collection would be protected from extreme elements. The building is heated with electricity, a more economical option than another building on his property heated by propane.
“There’s really no concerns,” James said when asked about the insulation system. “We believe that this building will weather our conditions that we have in this area. This past winter (2013-14), we had a very unusual winter, a very cold winter. The building had done very well. The heating system had done well, so I don’t believe there will be an issue for the hot weather or cold weather. I think the building will withstand it and do what we need.”
Thanks to his decision to build with Morton, the vehicles won’t be the only thing he’ll be putting on display when friends and family visit his property.
“Everyone that sees the building, they just really think it’s a great building and think that it’s something they would like to have some day. I don’t think I’ve had anyone have any negative feelings about any part whatsoever about any part of the building. I have had builders and contractors that build other types of houses … that have found no fault in this building. They have liked the building.”
Hobby garages are one of several types of residential buildings constructed by Morton. Founded in 1903 as Interlocking Fence Company, Morton also produces farm, equestrian and commercial facilities.
