patrick_mccombe

Thanks for the kind words, Jeremy. The wood stove is in the back of the lean-to section of the barn. The space is about 6x12 with a sloping ceiling that's 12 ft. tall on the high side and 8 ft. on the low end. The stove is closer to the low side as it meant a minimum of double-wall (rather expensive) chimney pipe. I'm hoping to give a video tour of our barn soon--stay tuned. I'm hoping to see your workshop project. Send pictures PLEASE!
Patrick

Thanks for the comment Red Baron. It's too bad that you have to destroy vintage stoves. I've found reconditioned models similar to ours being sold for more than $2000 by shops specializing in vintage stoves.

Yes Matt, good question. I have a 12-in. square grill that connects the top of the wall in the stove alcove with the knee wall in the upstairs room. I may evn put a little fan in there if necessary. And yes, I've already used the stove to make woodworking mistakes go away.

Thanks for the well-written letter and feedback on Fine Homebuilding. With regard to your estimate for new motion-sensing switches, perhaps I'm missing something, but I found a motion sensing switch for $51, admittedly much more than a traditional snap switch, but nowhere near $1200.

Wounldn't this work in the application described without any rewiring?
http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-ODS10-ID-Decora-277-Volt-Occupancy/dp/B0007N72P6

Thanks Dan.

Yes, your desciption of a 2x4 platform is what I first had in mind, but it just seemed like overkill. Of course I'd feel differently if my method put me in the hospital. I appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks for the comment bski. I'm curious. You'd rent scaffold to hang one sheet of drywall? How does one set it up on a 39-inch wide staircase? Where does one tie off in such a situation?
Have you ever gone skiing or rock climbing? Aren't they more dangerous than sitting at home?

Your idea is probably better, Cussnu2. The second part definitely!

Thanks for the comment, Renosteinke. Yes you're right, my barn will never be a place for livestock-I hope. The plan is to make it real living space as money and time permit. Our house is tiny (800 sf), so the barn is meant to be place for projects and making a mess. Maybe someday the upstairs will be a guest suite.

Hi Jaybour67,
I do. I'd suggest building them right in the opening. Space the perimter of the door away from the opening with 1/4 thick shims for the proper reveal.

The inswing carriage doors on the lean-to section of my barn are board and batten. I temporarily screwed the battens to the opening and then screwed the boards that form the doors to the battens through the batten's back (interior) side. This created a fastener free look on the street side of the doors. Once all the boards were in place, attached T hinges to the battens and removed the screws that temporarily held the battens to the door frame. The final step was to cut the battens in the center with a recip saw, converting a single big panel into a pair of swinging doors.

This is tough without a picture or drawing.

To pararphrase:

1. establish and trim out the opening with finished jamb material
2. temporarily screw battons that span the whole opening to the jamb material
3. screw on the boards to the battens from the back side through the batten,leaving a reveal around the perimeter and between the two doors (if there are two)
4. attach hinges to the battens, remove the temporary screws holding the battens to the jamb stock
5. cut the battens in the center to separte the one big door into two doors.
6. open and close the doors a few dozen times to get the full enjoyment of having a weathertight, secure building.

I used a cane bolt that goes into the concrete slab to secure the passive door and a slide bolt that connects the active door to the cane-bolted passive door. They can only be opened from the inside. You'll need a hasp or something else if you plan to open the doors from the outside.

Clear as mud? If you need further explanation just ask.

Thanks for commenting Tim. I'm definitely considering a water table to hide the above-grade sections of pier, but I'd have to buy more stock.

My coworker suggested a series of potted plants in front of the piers. I'm pretty sure he was kidding, but I think he's right, plants or shrubs would also solve the problem of the visible piers.

I almost painted the piers white as an interim solution when I was top-coating the siding, but I chickened out at the last minute. I got concerned the paint would peel and look worse than the bare concrete.

Thanks for the reply Veggie Gardner. I see no reason to save the plumbing in a full bath rehab with new fixtures in new locations as is the case with the project featured in this video. It just doesn't make sense to undo or work around plumbing you're going to cut out anyway.

I've met a lot of hack plumbers in my day too, but I can tell you, Mike Lombardi is not one of them. I visted several of his jobs before he took on the bath remodel in our Project House. The jobs were clean and well run and he cares deeply about his trade and his clients. It's not fare to lump all plumbers in the same basket.

Vegetable_Gardener,

"I will be removing a tub this winter to remodel my bathroom and thought this video is just what I need to help me do it "the right way". Wrong.

It was just another reminder why I do it myself rather than hire a professional."

Why do you say that?

Actually, the tub is cast iron. It's from the 50's and weighs hundreds of pounds.

I can't imagine is faster to remove a drain with pliers than a recip saw.

Seperating the tank from the bowl makes it easier carry and safer to lift. We're saving the toilet for reuse. It's a relatively new Toto.

$8600 good gravy!

Thanks for the comments everyone. The community interaction is one of the main reasons I post to this blog. user-1060588, The nails are actually going across the grain because of the angled nature of the stringers. Airtite, not sure what you're talking about with regard to bearing at the bottom of the stringer as there's 9 or 10 inches of bearing there and a kicker to prevent the stairs stringers from sliding. This also reduces the load on the top. And at the top: it's true the strap doesn't reach the bottom of the stringer, but the nails are into the lower half of the stringer. Maximize the photo and you'll likely see what I mean. As far as safety glasses on my little boy, he wears them when we're using striking tools without fail, but an impact driver doesn't seem like a threat. I suppose a screw or bit could break sending schrapnel, but that seems unlikely. As far as me wearing safety glasses, I plead guilty as charged. Since I've passed the big 4-0, I need bifocals. The lenses are polycarbonate so they offer some protection, but admittedly, they aren't big enough to guarantee safety. We'll try to do better in the future. And you're right, a precious moment could be ruined forever with an eye injury.

Hey Axemann, Sorry for the slow response. I did put foam between the girts with a second layer on the interior. I did'nt put the second layer on the exterior, because I didn't sheath the building. I used the verticle pine siding for racking resistance which wouldn't have worked with a layer of foam between the siding and the building. I could have put foam on the roof instead of the rafter bays, but I would have needed super wide fascia and a second layer of sheathing for the shingles. This project has a rock-bottom budget and my labor is free. Thanks for the question.

Hi TD,

Thanks for the comments. I'm assuming you've seen this:

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22091/patricks-barn-the-dirt-cheap-high-r-building

and this:
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/22229/patricks-barn-wrapping-up-the-exterior

My own advice: Cut the sheets 3/4 in. undersize so you leave yourself with a 3/8 in. gap on all sides that you can foam in place. Smaller gaps don't seal as well; bigger gaps work fine too but waste spray foam. And get a pro-style foam gun if you're doing even a small amount of this.

Good question Mikey. I've never mixed hot mud with soft water as every place I've lived and worked has really hard water. Hot vs. cold water does make a diiference though!

Thanks for the comments Pestoman. While browsing the Deerbusters website, I saw the electric fence and acesssories. Believe me, if our lot didn't border the grade school bus stop and we didn't have a 6 year old boy running around, I defintely consider electric fence. But given the circumstances, going electric didn't seem like a good idea.

The fence maker claims the product we bought will last 10 years or more. As far as attractiveness, it's not the best, but I think it will look a whole lot better once there's a bounty of veggies on the inside.

As far as cost, I think we're going to have a total of $600 invested between the fence ($280), 4x4 posts ($220), and hardware (???).

Your point is a good one though. Thanks for bringing it up.

Thanks for the comments, Dave. I agree with you, setting-type compound is great, but some folks feel more comfortable with ready-mix. And three coats of setting-type compound is overkill for all but the most-rushed or smallest jobs.

About the same time we shot this video, we also did a video segment on setting-type compound that discusses the advantages you mentioned in your comment. The video should be available soon.

Stay tuned.

Patrick McCombe
Associate Editor

Thanks for the interest, Res. The Patrick's Barn blog and constructing the barn are both labors of love, but drafting is not, so there are no detail drawing to show you. You can look back at this post

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21165/patricks-barn-wow-its-starting-to-look-like-something

to see what's going on with the walls. There's one layer of foam on the inside of the girts and another cut to fit in between them. Both layers are sealed around the perimeter with spray foam. As far as the roof goes: I'm cutting pieces of foam to fit inside the rafter cavities and sealing the edges with spray foam.

Thanks for the comments. The caulk Jim is using is a high-quality arcylic latex exterior caulk. It's not painter's caulk. We should have done a better job explaining that.
Fine Homebuilding's video audience includes builders, remodelers and DIYers. Our aim is to produce content that satisfies the needs and curiosity of all three groups. The Building Skills video series, as the name suggests, are basic skills for those just starting out in their homebuilding pursuits. If you feel the content is too basic for your needs, I hope you'll check out one of our our other video series, like Master Carpenter, or There's a Better Way. Patrick McCombe Associate Editor

There's more here, Intlenus:

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21984/its-show-time

The next International Builders' Show is in Vegas:

http://buildershow.com/Home/Page.aspx?pageID=762

Two votes for fiber-cement, Cosmo, Scarecrow; at least one coworker made the same suggestion. I'll look into it. I've never worked with it, though.

I recently photographed an affordably-built house in Asheville, NC with Hardi panel. It looked good.

I agree, Firthbuilders. I realy like the look of steel ag panels, especially as roofing. It looks great on modern buildings too. There'd be a lot of waste on the gables though. I used a plain galvalume version on my last home's cross-gabled roof and had a bunch of triangles left over.

Thanks for the suggestion. I think more people should consider screw-down metal panels for roofing and siding. It's a great material.

Thanks for the comment rurunene, but I think you're wrong. For starters, the pine siding (which is a naturally decay resistant species) is primed on all sides, preventing it from taking on moisture. The felt behind the siding is somewhat wrinkled, so it allows any infiltrated water to work it's way down. If that weren't enough, each board has two continuous drainage channels form eave to grade by means of the shiplap joint, which isn't tight together. And I have a real overhang. Destructive testing of bad stucco jobs has revealed you can do just about everything wrong and if you have a decent overhang, the building is going to perform pretty well. Roofing felt, what you describe as tarpaper, is an amazing material. It can take on water and release it as conditions change. In short, I think I'm covered.

That's right, Res. The siding is right on top of the 30-lb felt. With the first wetting, the felt wrinkles up creating a natural drainage space. I love the system because it's fast, easy, and there are no wacky details to work out. The siding is coated all all six sides and we have a real overhang. Personally, I think rain-screen is overkill in most situations.

You're skeptical?

Thanks for the feedback Doc. I believe my gun was the forerunner to the Dow Pro 14, but it's essentially the same tool.

As far as taking care of it:
I always spray the tip and nozzle with som Pam before use and when I start to notice the dispensed form is sticking to the end. Periodically (once or twice a day with heavy use) I gently scrape the tip clean with a utility knife.

The most important thing is to always keep a can on the gun. Most recently, I left a can on there for more than a year. The gun was fine, but the foam wouldn't hold it's shape once dispensed, so I tossed the can. When I read the instructions, it said to use up foam within 30 days.

I was planning to, Res and thanks for your comment and interest. However, I'm expecting this to be a multi-step project, so "done" is somewhat of a moving target. Once the barn is weather tight, we'll move inside for aditional insulation and mechanicals.

In the spring, we'll likely start with the rain garden that we agreed to build as part of the town's wetlands permit. The barn is in the "buffer" area of a small stream, so a storm water management plan is part of the permitting process.

If we have enough cash remaining, we'll build a deck and porch roof on the back of the building after that.

This is strictly a cash project; we haven't borrowed any money and we don't plan to. Although, I'm planning to seek refinacing for our home mortgage to get a lower rate, once we have the additional equity of the barn. The barn will have to be completed to the degree that it's an asset to the property and not a liability, as I suspect it is now.

Would you be interested in what it has cost so far? Anybody else curious how much we've spent?

This is good stuff, Don. Would you mind telling us how much cellulose you installed and what it cost? Where did you get the machine and did you have to pay a rental fee?

Thanks very much! I realy appreciate your tips and comments. You're not too late at all, as there's plenty of additional polyiso to install. At this point, I'm planning a layer between the girts and a second layer on the inside of the girts. We'll air seal on the interior layer with spray foam.

We have a ton of insulation, so there may even be a third layer on the walls, but my first priority will be to fill the rafter cavities after the walls are done.

I think the windows were placed lower so horses would have a tougher time seeing out of the bridge and therefore less likey to get spooked.
Patrick

Thanks for the input Renosteinke. Sadly a new spray rig is not in the budget. Although I agree, it would making coating all those boards a lot easier.

This is great stuff. Many thanks.

Thanks. As I recall, I drilled a pair of 1/4-in. holes 1 1/8-in. up from the bottom (double check, please). There's a single steel rod inside that you have to go underneath. I'm using countersunk carriage bolts with wing nuts to hold on the poplar fence because it saved a little time, but tapping for flat head machine screws would be better. I have a larger piece of butcher-block pine screwed to the poplar fence (good plywood would be fine)and a pair of 4-in wide feather boards screwed to the pine. I layed-out the holes on both sides of the fence very carefully and drilled from both sides toward the center of the fence. I got to use an automatic center punch for the first time. I bought it secondhand for a few bucks about a year ago. Cut and paste this into you browser if you're not familiar with this neat little tool: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_center_punch

Hand held or in a table?

Thanks for your thoughts Dreamcatcher. I too thought about your concerns with 2x8 sheets, especially with the 7 /16 OSB I'm using. It seems flimsy in 4x8!

I was felting the shed roof last night and I put up some roof jacks on the main roof. I only have four, so I may have to get a few more.

I think it will be relatively easy once I have the first course down (I already have most of the first row on both sides). I plan to nail some cleats to the rafter tails to help me place the remaining first row sheets.

What a great idea, Andy! You may have saved my life.

Thanks Don.

I'll have to think about that for a while. I've never built a post-frame building before, so I'm learning as I go. I like how the girts make it eay to reach the higher parts of a post-frame building. It makes construction easier.

How about some photos John? Where is the house located?

Amazing writing, Larry; it made me cry.

Your plans are great Don and thanks for commenting. Maybe other readers considering plans like the ones I bought will have questions for you.

Yes, I'll be posting regular progress updates. The first batch of framing lumber is scheduled for delivery tomorrow; just in time for the long weekend.

Thanks for the kind words, Ryno. I wasn't familiar with lumber link connectors, but a quick web search filled me in. Looks interesting; you're planning to use them?

The connections spelled out in my stock plans are pretty conventional--nails and lag screws generally.

Thanks Andy. I'm so grateful for your help. I'm looking forward to the next pour, as I learned so much. Let me know when and how I can help out with one of your projects.

Thanks for your interest Pete577. I'll give a rundown of the specs and budget as part of the next post. I should have it up in a day or two.

I've been traveling for the magazine, so I have a little catching up to do first.

Hi Benito 9,

Diamond plates do lose their adbrasive qualites as they age. In fact, the diamond plates in the Fine Woodworking shop have lost almost all their grit. My plates which are about two years old seem the same as when they were brand new. But it's true, even the coursest plates are pretty fine, so if a chisel is nicked, I first use a grinder to file away the damage. Sandpaper works fine too, but I like the plates beacuse they're so light and portable. Carrying around a piece of glass or granite seems inconvenient to me. Do you travel with your sharpening setup? Do you use a honing guide?

The press release didn't say what they were fixing, OKD, maybe because the engineers at Festool are a little embarassed. Perhaps they've had numerous failures with the European version that's already on the market?

Great stuff, Larry

Thanks

You're right, BobboMax. I should have said eccentric. And for those of you who might be wondering: it is the same word as the one used to describe somebody who's a little unusual. I just looked it up.

Thanks for the catch.

Greengiant,
Thanks for the input. That transition has been the most difficult part of the design. Here are the two problems I've identified. And Yes, I'm a firm believer in roof overhangs so I don't think I'm willing to eliminate them altogther, but I'd love to see some options.

Here are another couple reasons for the design.

1. The shed roof needs to have enough pitch for a conventional asphalt shingle roof. Although you can go lower than 4/12 if you hand seal the shingles, I don't really want to. I think 4/12 is the pitch shown.

2. I thought about dropping the shed roof (Matt even drew it in SketchUp)so it's below the main gable which would have eliminated that awkward transition altogether. Admittedly, this looks the best , but it means I'd have 24 ft.of additional overhang to build (and pay for) and it would be very hard to paint the soffit in the future.

If you send me the photos I'll be glad to post them on the Editor's Notebook Blog so others can weigh in.

Thanks again for the feedback! Keep it coming, please.

Good stuff, Larry. Thanks for sharing.

You shoul contact Ryobi Customer Service at (800) 597-9624 between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit their website at www.ryobitools.com

Hi Larry,

I loved this glimpse into America's recent past. It's great writing and a very good story. I'm looking forwad to the next installment.



Patrick McCombe

Thanks for the feedback, Chris. I'm very happy with my Husky chainsaw. Between this and the one I had previously, it's like night and day.

At 26 pounds and 69 decibels, this Thomas is tough to beat.

Of course it costs more than lesser tools, but I'm sure you can afford it, Justin.

http://www.thomasairpac.com/products/airpac/airpac_electric/T-635HD/t-635hd.jsp