jomar215
Bronze Member
Weldershrek,
I've done lots of this kind of work and saved many barns in much worse shape than this one. Don't let the size of it discourage you. First things first, but that might be said bottom things first. The procedure I follow is just like felling trees: start by inspecting the area for any obvious hazards, i.e. large sections of open/crumbling roof that could fall on you as you work beneath it. All of that will have to be dealt with in some way, but it doesn't seem like you have much of that with this barn. Then plan your escape route, i.e. keep your alleys open just in case and don't clutter your feet. Then make calculated cuts and go slow.
I would start in one spot and work my way around recreating a foundation, usually pile-ons of some sort, adequate drainage, and sills. Around here we have access to tamarac, which is rot resistent, but you'll have to use what you can get. Temporarily support what's above as much as you can and jack a bit if necessary - but go slow and listen closely. I've had deadmen slip and they make all kinds of trouble in a hurry when they're under that much pressure and let go. Even if you have to cut the bottom of some posts away to bring your sill to level, the bottom of the post can be resupported with another section of post scarf jointed into place afterward.
Work your way up to the roof with sure footing underneath of you. A lot of the lean will come out of the building as you jack it. It is possible that some beams have been bent out of shape by gravity for so long that they won't straighten, so be practical and don't put things under too much pressure. If your jacking and nothing is moving, stop. Your just storing that potential energy somewhere and it will release at some point. A 12 ton hydraulic bottle jack will lift plenty of barn, so if it's not lifting it's because something is binding.
I prefer to not gut anything that I can't reach from sure footing with a small step ladder. I've stood on a perlin that looked sound as a nut only to find out that the center is completely rotten - mice jumped out, the lap seat failed, the perlin slipped, and I clung for dear life for about a half a second. It sure wasn't a lot of time, but it sure felt like it was! Go slow and don't trust what you see until you have verified that what you think you see is.
Enjoy the process. There's a lot of craftsmanship in these old barns that is well worth saving. Besides, it's way cheaper to fix than to build. Feel free to private message me with any questions, or reply here, or call, or whatever.
I've done lots of this kind of work and saved many barns in much worse shape than this one. Don't let the size of it discourage you. First things first, but that might be said bottom things first. The procedure I follow is just like felling trees: start by inspecting the area for any obvious hazards, i.e. large sections of open/crumbling roof that could fall on you as you work beneath it. All of that will have to be dealt with in some way, but it doesn't seem like you have much of that with this barn. Then plan your escape route, i.e. keep your alleys open just in case and don't clutter your feet. Then make calculated cuts and go slow.
I would start in one spot and work my way around recreating a foundation, usually pile-ons of some sort, adequate drainage, and sills. Around here we have access to tamarac, which is rot resistent, but you'll have to use what you can get. Temporarily support what's above as much as you can and jack a bit if necessary - but go slow and listen closely. I've had deadmen slip and they make all kinds of trouble in a hurry when they're under that much pressure and let go. Even if you have to cut the bottom of some posts away to bring your sill to level, the bottom of the post can be resupported with another section of post scarf jointed into place afterward.
Work your way up to the roof with sure footing underneath of you. A lot of the lean will come out of the building as you jack it. It is possible that some beams have been bent out of shape by gravity for so long that they won't straighten, so be practical and don't put things under too much pressure. If your jacking and nothing is moving, stop. Your just storing that potential energy somewhere and it will release at some point. A 12 ton hydraulic bottle jack will lift plenty of barn, so if it's not lifting it's because something is binding.
I prefer to not gut anything that I can't reach from sure footing with a small step ladder. I've stood on a perlin that looked sound as a nut only to find out that the center is completely rotten - mice jumped out, the lap seat failed, the perlin slipped, and I clung for dear life for about a half a second. It sure wasn't a lot of time, but it sure felt like it was! Go slow and don't trust what you see until you have verified that what you think you see is.
Enjoy the process. There's a lot of craftsmanship in these old barns that is well worth saving. Besides, it's way cheaper to fix than to build. Feel free to private message me with any questions, or reply here, or call, or whatever.
