Shepard Contractors Shepardcontractors.com

Steeple People
Church paint job wayyy up high

The team rented a boom to reach the 125 foot high steeple.

It wasn’t a big job and it didn’t take a lot of paint, but it was a boom-worthy effort with a holiday deadline. Forest Hills Presbyterian Church contacted Shepard Contracting around Thanksgiving, looking to get its steeple repainted by the week before Christmas, in time for some holiday activities.

Things were looking up. “We did a survey from the ground as our company-owned boom lift would not reach the steeple,” said company owner Ken Shepard. He told the church that his bid would be based on normal procedure: cleaning, scraping, sanding, priming … but that the price could increase if they ran into issues he couldn’t yet see. The church looked over several estimates, and in its estimation, Shepard was the best fit for the job.

Ken rented a boom that could lift his crew 125 feet to the steeple, and the company prioritized strict fall-protection safety measures. Turns out it there was more to be done than originally met the eye. “The steeple was fiberglass over a wooden sub structure and the fiberglass was very deteriorated,” said Shepard. “We had to pull out our ‘body work’ skills. It was like restoring a boat, only 125 feet high.”

First they removed the loose fiberglass and gelcoat. Next, they installed new fiberglass cloth and resin where they made the repairs, using gelcoat to finish and seal the repairs. Finally, they could paint. Even with this extra work, Shepard didn’t have to charge extra.

Church representative Tom Pittman praised the company in an online review. “Though they were not the cheapest bid, they showed up on time, did a great job and stayed within the estimate. Ken told me that the estimate might change when they got a lift to get a closer inspection. That inspection revealed additional work beyond the estimate, but they completed that work and did not charge us,” he wrote.

Extra work, on time, on budget –a fabulous Christmas present from Shepard Contracting to Forest Hills!

Damage to the steeple fiberglass, needing repair prior to painting.   Damage to the steeple fiberglass, needing repair prior to painting.

Key Products

• Fiberglass fabric, resin, gelcoat Sherwin-Williams Emerald Exterior Satin Acrylic.