Wilks Robinson, president of Wilks Robinson Construction Co., Marion, S.C., purchased a historic yet dilapidated farmhouse with the intent of restoring it to its former beauty.



Montique McMillan would be proud of her 1896 farmhouse. Wilks Robinson, president of Wilks Robinson Construction Co., Marion, S.C., purchased the historic yet dilapidated farmhouse with the intent of restoring it to its former beauty. Today, the home is the center of attention from both land and air. Much of the attention is due to the teal-colored metal roof.

The home had been in the McMillan family for over a hundred years. In 1998, Robinson purchased the home and 40 acres after Montique McMillan, the last surviving member of the family, passed away at 105 years of age. The old farmhouse had deteriorated and needed massive renovation in order to save the structure. The Robinson family began a three-year effort to restore the treasured home.

When it came time to replace the roofing system, Robinson decided to use Metalogic 3000, a metal roof system designed for residential, commercial and architectural applications. A division of McElroy Metal, Metalogic furnishes architectural metal roofing systems as a complete package, with trim and panels cut exactly to order. The back of each panel and trim component has a piece-mark label indicating length and identification, in order to show the exact location of every component on the roof system. Accessories such as fasteners, clips and sealants are also included with each package. “I had used the system on the local library and really liked how it looked. I especially like how well the product correlates with the installation drawings and the ease of assembly. It has a wonderful look,” noted Robinson.

Robinson began the roofing portion of the home’s restoration with a complete tear-off. “The old roof had three layers of different shingles with a base layer of the original cedar shakes. By the time we took off all four layers we were happy to find the original battens still in good shape,” says Robinson. “We covered the battens with plywood and #30 felt to build a solid deck for the new roof.”

“The roof is very steep with a 10:12 pitch,” Robinson continues. “We had all of our crew tied off and had to use a man lift once we started the reroof portion of the project. The steepness of the roof was by far our largest challenge.” Robinson’s crew prepped the roof for soffit venting and a new skylight. Ridge venting and a power ventilation fan in the attic accompanied the soffit venting. The home was then ready for the metal. “There are certain aspects of the system that are very nice,” says Robinson. “The concealed fasteners, narrow-pitch and low profile standing seam design make the system very user friendly.”

That is an important point for Robinson, who, in addition to renovating the historic farmhouse, is planning a new housing development on the surrounding 40 acres. The housing development will be called Knapedale, which was the original Scottish name of the property when owned by the McMillan family. According to Robinson, Knapedale will be an exclusive new development with a cul-de-sac design. The lots will be half an acre to one, with all underground services and lighted tree-lined medians. It will have a homeowners association, a private 2.5-acre lake and protected nature area.

“The lots are laid out and the underground utilities laid. We are ready to sell,” says Robinson. “We are encouraging our new homeowners to stay with the southern white home with metal roofing.” Robinson will recommend the Metalogic system, which is UL-90 classified. “Hurricanes and tropical storms are definitely a consideration,” adds Robinson. He also cites the narrow 12-inch integral rib and the Kynar 500® colors as additional selling points.

As the president of a construction company, Robinson understands the importance of purchasing quality building materials and systems. When asked why he chose metal for his own home, Robinson replies, “I wanted this to be the last roof I put on this house. In fact, this roof will last my lifetime.” In addition, “I am very proud of what we have done and I love the roof. People from the highway pull over or come right up to the house every day to look at the improvements,” says Robinson. “The roof draws them in. They just can’t believe how good it looks.”