Service Restores Old Stave Silos

Service Restores Old Stave Silos SILOS Silos 34-1-40 Falls Silo Service fixes stave silos better than new and guarantees its work for 10 years. The company does everything from relining silos with an air proof, acid resistant epoxy to rebuilding foundations and replacing staves. They also straighten leaning silos and replace doors, fill pipes, chutes and roofs - everything needed to renew an old silo. Though based in Wisconsin, the firm has done work all over the country. "A silo is only as good as the footing it stands on," says Leroy McNamara, who owns the business with his father Glen. "I talk to farmers every month who tell me about silos in their area falling over. We dig around the old footing and take out corroded parts, knock out every other stave and pour a new footing and floor." Inside the silo, McNamara and his crew set up a scaffold and do a complete retrofit. The first step is a high-pressure wash at 3,500 to 4,000 psi. This knocks loose any rotten feed, deteriorating plaster and other debris. "All the joints that opened up during the pressure wash have to be filled with a cement mix," says McNamara. "An additive helps with acid resistance. The next day we hand roll epoxy the walls with a 1 1/4-in. nap roller. The epoxy soaks into the wall and rewelds all the cracks and joints. The silo is then acid resistant, and freezing to the walls will be eliminated." If a silo owner suspects his silo needs work, McNamara suggests he line up a silo repair service like his to examine the silo in the spring when it's empty. If needed repairs are minor, the owner may be able to handle them on his own. "Look for deteriorated concrete around the foundation," he advises. "The condition of the staves is critical to the structure. Bottom deteriorating staves are often the culprits in silo tipping." After checking the foundation and lower staves, McNamara suggests examining the silo unloader cable and winch. Check the outside ladder to be sure it's not loose or shaky. He recommends adding a safety cage around outside ladders if one was not installed originally. "Check doors and latches as well as the chute," he says. "Are the steps loose, latches missing or bolts pulling through the old doors?" "The average silo repair runs $4,000 to $5,000," he says. "Once it's epoxy-sealed, you eliminate spoilage and freezing and improve feed quality." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Falls Silo Service, 12964 E. Mail Rd., Gordon, Wis. 54838 (ph 715 376-4436).

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