Barn Restoration Testimonials

“It’s easy to get along with my clients – we share a passion for precision craftsmanship and preserving antique structures for the future. That alone says a lot about a person.”

Three Cheers for George!

Once upon a time, I bought a circa 1650 farm house with a 150 year old barn on it. A big barn
(35 ft x 50 ft) in fair condition. I thought I was handy enough to fix it up over time being the naive new homeowner I was but the job was way beyond me. So I hired a local carpenter (who brought along his friend) and they just about killed themselves just getting one corner square. Exit. Then I hired a local company who was in the business of fixing up old barns. Fourteen thousand dollars later they walked off the job. Over time I found out they had gone bankrupt. I was the last job they ever worked on. Now what!

Put my hands on a copy of “Antique Homes” one day: it was published by a collection of local realtors and there was an ad by George Yonnone. Gave George a call and we arranged for a date to meet. On that sunny day this beautiful BMW motorcycle drove up to the barn with the driver all decked out in a perfectly tailored leather driving outfit. Enter George Yonnone. We talked for several hours and then I left him alone so he could take his notes necessary for his proposal that I had requested. Off he went. A few days later I received a proposal which I signed immediately so work could get under way.

I was very excited the day George and his crew started; a kind of nervous anticipation and fun was in the air and I’m speaking strictly about me. For George, it was business-as-usual and it showed because they were organized and set up to do the job including an “office” area in just a few hours. In 7 weeks, I had the marvel of the neighborhood. I was the hero of this neighborhood because everyone loved this barn and were delighted when I took measures to restore and preserve it. The building looked beautiful. Square. Solid. Even features George didn’t work on looked better than before! George became a celebrity as the roadside barn afforded passers-by a chance to chat with him. The crew stayed at a Bed & Breakfast nearby the owner of which is a licensed builder himself and to this day he still talks about George and the job he did.

Three Cheers for George Yonnone!

John Brennan

December 6, 2003

I engaged George Yonnone Restorations to conduct the structural restoration on a group of barns. The 4 interconnected structures, built between 1780 and 1850, were in a state of complete disrepair. Stone foundations had collapsed, sills had rotted away, and joists and rafters suffered from extreme water damage. After an exhaustive survey of the structures, George Yonnone Restorations proposed a comprehensive structural restoration plan which addressed the weaknesses in each structure in a systematic fashion.

Led by George Yonnone, the four men worked on the barns for nearly 18 months. More than just general carpenters or structural repairers, George and his crew are dedicated craftsmen. They understand and respect the history of the structures they work with, and are sympathetic with them. Their repairs and restoration are of the finest quality, and their solutions to complex problems display an ingenuity and understanding of timber-frame structures that only experience can foster.

In the end, George Yonnone Restorations gave new life and dignity to my dilapidated barns. The strength and integrity of their work has allowed these 200-year old structure to once again be useful contributors in adaptive reuse.

Stephen Daniel

Mr. George Yonnone has done carpentry work for me at my West Stockbridge house on a number of occasions in the past three years, including a major addition to the structure.  I have always found him to be thoroughly competent, completely professional, and fairly-priced.  I have offered to be a reference for Mr. Yonnone and
would be happy to provide further details of his work.

Sincerely,

Daniel R. Gustin

It is my pleasure to recommend George Yonnone as one of the most qualified and experienced restorers of timber frame constructions in Berkshire County.  I have known George personally and professionally for a number of years and I have seen the successful results of his restoration work.  George is deeply committed to all the projects he takes on and completes them with the skill and detail only an experienced restorer and craftsman can posses.

I wholeheartedly recommend George Yonnone and his company to anyone who is considering restoring any timber frame construction.

Sincerely,

Christopher J. Hodgkins

State Representative, Commonwealth of Massachusetts