Barn Renovaion

[brycez28]

I just bought a 5 acre hobby farm on Friday! The barn needs a little attention and I was hoping to get some advice.


Some of the upper flooring needs to be replaced. PO put sheets of plywood over the floor. I have to go around and lift each sheet to see which ones are covering holes and which were just there to distribute weight. The flooring in the center of the barn, where the doors are, looks to be actual 1.5" thick T&G planks. On either end, actual 1" thick T&G planks. None of the boards that I've found yet were rotten. My wife thinks I should just replace the entire floor. I just want to replace the broken planks and put 5/8 osb over the entire floor, except in front of the doors I would do plywood as it might get wet from rain if I have the doors open moving stuff in/out. My heavier equipment that would go in the barn, at times, consists of a 14' tandem axle (1400 lbs, plus load), 19' dovetail trailer (4500 lbs, plus load), truck (8200 lbs) and hopefully soon a tractor (4000 lbs).


I'm also planning for additional shop space. Looking at doing a lean-to on the front of the barn, so that the length of it goes along with width of the barn. In my picture, the area highlighted yellow is in rough shape. Most of the mortar between the blocks is gone. Instead of redoing it with blocks, I was wondering if I could remove the blocks (except the bottom course) and frame it out with 2"x6" on 12" centers? This would be done for the entire front side.

 

[skyhook]

What a beautiful barn. Can't give you any advice but well worth your efforts.

 

[strum456]

Very nice old barn!

I can understand why you would want to add some thickness to the floor. It would be a shame to cover up the origonal boards with osb though. I assume you checked that it was not already double thickness.

As for taking out the block wall, the only reason I would consider that is if the block wall itself is beyond repair. With our barn, the same exact wall, running the length of the barn needed to be replaced. Origonally, the posts went down to a poured foundation. Years later, the bottoms of the posts must have rotted, so someone halfhazardly built a block wall. That is the wall that I had to redo. One thing I have learned with these old barns: don't mess with the origonal construction unless you absolutely have to. If you can repoint and keep that wall, that is what I would do. I have a good idea of what it would take to jack everything up so you can remove that block wall. IMO, you will be so much better off to put up a pole building away from the barn.

 

[fried1765]

I just bought a 5 acre hobby farm on Friday! The barn needs a little attention and I was hoping to get some advice.


Some of the upper flooring needs to be replaced. PO put sheets of plywood over the floor. I have to go around and lift each sheet to see which ones are covering holes and which were just there to distribute weight. The flooring in the center of the barn, where the doors are, looks to be actual 1.5" thick T&G planks. On either end, actual 1" thick T&G planks. None of the boards that I've found yet were rotten. My wife thinks I should just replace the entire floor. I just want to replace the broken planks and put 5/8 osb over the entire floor, except in front of the doors I would do plywood as it might get wet from rain if I have the doors open moving stuff in/out. My heavier equipment that would go in the barn, at times, consists of a 14' tandem axle (1400 lbs, plus load), 19' dovetail trailer (4500 lbs, plus load), truck (8200 lbs) and hopefully soon a tractor (4000 lbs).


I'm also planning for additional shop space. Looking at doing a lean-to on the front of the barn, so that the length of it goes along with width of the barn. In my picture, the area highlighted yellow is in rough shape. Most of the mortar between the blocks is gone. Instead of redoing it with blocks, I was wondering if I could remove the blocks (except the bottom course) and frame it out with 2"x6" on 12" centers? This would be done for the entire front side.

Since you live in WI. why not find a small sawmill somewhere, and have as many 1-1/2" T&G planks as you need made for replacements, or as your wife (wise woman) rightly suggested, have enough made for a complete floor replacement.

That barn is DEFINITELY worth a completely new floor!
DO NOT hack it up by using junk OSB anywhere!

If the concrete blocks are cracked/broken/leaning etc. I see no problem with building a wood replacement on that corner.
Be certain to use GROUND CONTACT PT lumber for that new corner sill.

As another here has suggested: Build a small detached pole building for a shop!

 

[hawkeye08]

Sometimes there are "preserve historical barns" funds available. A few years ago, my BIL was going to apply for funds (Washington State) to save big old barn, but fire took it... It was a state program, but would not be surprised if there are programs in other states.. It did not have to be a classed as historical site or anything, it was just a program to help save some of these old barns.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I wouldn't mess around with osb at all. Another thing, if you layer materials down on the floor, how quickly are they going to dry out if they do get wet? I think a big secret to those old barns standing so long is the large quantity of air movement keeping everything dry. That scissor support for the roof is very unique. Here in PA its all post and beam. I would have no problem parking anything in the old barns around here that could fit in the doorway as long as it wasn't on tracks. I have stacked hay from floor to roof peak in them with no issues.

Get a local saw mill to cut you some lumber and fix it more like the original. You should be able to support and rebuild that old block wall if you want it to be block. I'm not so sure that I would put 2" lumber back in for support, It may be on the light side of things depending on what you want to store in there in the future.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Wow, nice barn.

 

[cat fever]

I love those old barns. It's hard to imagine how much work/effort went into building a barn like that. Just think how proud the original owner must have felt when it was complete.

 

[kthompson]

No expert here, but if your concern on the blocks is they may not be stable with the motor that is missing could you pour the inside of the blocks for strength? As a person who has a work shop with OSB siding on it covered with rolled roofing for covering on the outside walls please do not use OSB, would be an insult to this barn. I do think the thought on air movement holds a good bit of truth. Barns by nature had wet spots if they had animals in there feeding or stabled.

 

[smokinmad]

5 acres is small....That barn and it's Needs is Nowhere Near Small......BUT....she will be worth it, when your done...

As for the concrete block wall, tuck and remortar it. Dig the old mortar out on oneside and put in new, when it is good and set up, do the other side.

Those old barns use to be sided with Board and Slat.. You have the 12" wide boards, what is missing is the slats. Slats were 3" boards that were nailed over the seams of the 12" upright boards and there was a space behind the Slat that let the barn "Breathe", like KTHOMPSON said.

AND NO....OSB....that would be like repainting your truck with a Paint Brush......You just Wouldn't do it......would you?

Make us Proud, Son