This is going to be one of those threadss in which everyone asks for pictures. . . Probably will, eventually. But right now it’s dark out, and I have my thinking cap on.
I’ve got an old barn which was in existence at least as early as 1875. This is cool, seeing as we live downtown, and many of our neighbors don’t really have yards, let alone barns. I highly doubt I could get a permit to rebuild it if I tore it down.
The barn is a 1.5 storey structure with a gambrel roof. It’s sided with T&G planks that also serve (kind of) as sheathing. It’s out of plumb every which way, and the soffits and rafter tails have pretty much rotted away.
I won’t be fixing it up any time soon – it’s a low priority. It’s just: if I’m never going to repair it, I’ll get cracking on tearing it down. Right now, it’s an eyesore. And kind of hazardous, really, if you want to walk around in the loft – the floorboards are hit ‘n’ miss. It’s also a great habitat for wildlife such as skunks.
I’m not sure how I’d crank the thing back into plumb, or close enough. The rafters are spreading pretty well too, so the roof is sway-backed. I’d have to jack up the middle of the structure to get them straight, too. Not precisely sure what the method is, there.
If I can get the thing un-discombobulated, I can sheath it properly, sister whatever’s rotted, and put a deck of 3/4″ premium OSB down in the loft. I’m not quite sure how to get it to that point.
Replies
I think I'd try to support it inside at the loft level, with some beams on posts or A-frames.
Kinda like beams and cribbing under the floor joists of a house lifting/moving, but at the loft joist level, so the walls were kind of hanging from the supported loft, as opposed to vice versa.
You would want to make sure they didn't drop away from the top plate, maybe add some straps or hurricane ties at the stud/loft connection, depending on the framing.
Then you could push the walls around to wherever they needed to go, add studs as necessary, probably plywood on the inside and claps on the outside. After you got those walls sturdy and true, you could reinforce the loft and go to town on the roof.
k
here's some inspiration ...
before and after.View Image
View Image
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Edited 4/17/2009 11:44 pm ET by JeffBuck
Edited 4/17/2009 11:45 pm ET by JeffBuck
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Edited 4/17/2009 11:47 pm ET by JeffBuck
Edited 4/17/2009 11:47 pm ET by JeffBuck
View Image Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Jeff,
I've hardly ever seen anyone use " pics " for roofing planks .
I see theres a hoist in the backround . Nice restoration. Did you do it all ?
did all but the roof.
they lived next door to the county slater.
had to explain that if his dog chased my electrician one more time I'd show the dog why I carry a framing hammer ... after that everyone got along great!
and he did do a nice job with reclaimed slates.
that old pig barn was in the low spot of about 100 acres ...
we decided to bust out the old floor, dig down for a thickened edge slab, then epoxy pin in 1" rebar ... tie the existing little foundation to the new ... and have everything "float" above the muck. Poured it 18" deep on the edges and around a foot in the middle. Little bit of rebar but mostly rely on fiber in the mix. I forget the specifics but the psi was real high mix.
it's been a coupla years and more important we've had some real wet seasons and so far as I know there's not one crack. The slab supports the whole barn. Added some drains to keep the floor dry too ... but the big problem was the underground water at that one spot. I called it Noah's Barn.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
""I'm not quite sure how to get it to that point."'
Brace what you have .
Then start from the ground up.
Foundation, then straighten walls and re-brace, then roof.
Think 1/2" steel cables plus eyebolts and turnbuckles.
Draw a diagram of the barn structure - pretty sure BossHog can tell you where to put the cables to reinforce tension members.
Cousin did this to an 1890's barn in ND, pulled it right back into shape. A cable under a beam with a 6x8 block at center span will pull a sagging 6x12 20 foot beam back into straight with a few hefty turns on a big turnbuckle. (gotta leave the cable and tb there permanently, no part of the structure.
After diagonal cables pulled the ends back into plumb, plywood shear panels nailed on the inside kept it straight. Can then re-use the cable on the sides and other end, ending up as beam reinforcement.
Biff
Barn restorers (you'll find them in rural areas) can straighten up the barn and make it safe and secure less expensively than you can tear down and replace.. I've seen them take some pretty horrible places and turn them into show places for a extremely modest amounts..
You are probably correct about not getting a permit to tear down and replace but maintinace (which something like this would be considered as) should be a simple permit process..
Do not plan on using wood from a lumberyard.. Most likely all the wood is actaul demensions and not the nominal demensions so it will look goofy and cause a lot of extra work trying to make things right..
If you want to do it yourself buy a really heavy duty come along, actaully several and some 50 ton hydraulic jacks..
I'll talk you through the process but it's really a judgement thing as to where to start and how to go about it..