Barn Renovation Project

AndyR · Aug 6, 2002

Re: Canted Queenpost timber frame. From what I could see in your picutres, you have common rafters supported by a canted purlin plate (that being the long plate, holding up the rafters mid-span,held by short angled beams. Take a look at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tfguild.org/workshops/gouldfarm/barnjuly29e.html>pictures of the Gould Farm barn raising</A> to see one of those plates being placed and how it sits in a completed frame. To the best of my (still learning) knowledge, this type of construction was not uncommon. Hope this helps.

rancar · Aug 7, 2002

Thanks Andy for the pics. I'd say you're right. My barn's framework is just like this new one being erected. Thanks for improving my knowledge base a bit more on what I have.

Bob

RichZ · Aug 7, 2002

Bob, I don't know how I missed this thread until now. What a great job! I'm proud that you're a Cambridge neighbor, and you saved all those buildings. I'm proud to have just my two old barns, but yours are spectacular!!!

rancar · Aug 7, 2002

Thanks Rich. I know what you mean about missing threads...miss a few days at TBN and it's tough catching up with everything. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif You've got a couple of treasures there yourself. They just don't make them the way they used to and they're well worth saving. I look upon them also as an investment...sort of like antiques. The older they are....the more valuable they become.

Enjoy Empire Farm Days!!!! Wish I could have joined you, but I'm taking this week off from work to...guess what....painting my barn. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Maybe, next year.

Bob

RichZ · Aug 7, 2002

Bob, I agree with you about old buildings. I'm sure glad you saved yours, it makes our town that much richer!

Take a day off from painting and meet us at Empire Farm Days!! I'm sure we'll all have a great time!

bmabe · Aug 21, 2002

Bob,
I wanted to add my congratulations on the fine restoration work and a few comments of my own. When I bought my property about 4 or 5 miles north of you, one of the major selling features was a 30'x40' bank barn of roughly the same vintage and construction as yours. The house was long gone (bulldozed to reduce the taxes, I heard) and the barn was in questionable condition.

I had plans and hoped to convert it to a house as my freind had done a mile away. But several contractors told me it was too far gone and not safe enough to even jack up. The sills were totally rotted away, the up hill side had a field stone wall that was bowed in 2 feet and collapsing. But the worst and best part of it was the slate roof. As you know, there are quite a few barns and utility buildings in our area with slate roofs. They look great but, literally, weigh a ton (or about 600 lbs per square).

That and gravity won the the race to rebuild my barn. Got a call from my neighbor - "Good news / Bad news - Your taxes are going down because your barn came down in a storm last night." Most of the beams and posts fractured under the weight of the slate and everything salvageable was buried under the roof except for some of the vertical pine boards.

Anyway, mine was very similar in design to yours, but not as fancy and never painted. I thank you for sharing the photos and can say with certainty that no one can imagine how much work it must have taken to bring your structures to the stage they're at today. A beautiful story.

Barry Mabery
Colfax Mountain
Cambridge, NY

rancar · Aug 21, 2002

Thanks for your kind remarks Barry. I'm sorry to hear that you lost your barn. It's possible that some of the timbers may be salvageable and worth saving if you're thinking of re-building a smaller building. I too lost a hog barn up my way in 1985 in the same similar way that you lost yours. The roof was rusting out and too much rain water had seaped in and rotted many of the posts and beams. I came home one day and half the barn had fallen over. I had hoped to save this barn as it had many unique features to it, but there was also an incredible amount of time needed to necessitate repairs, time I really didn't have.

I trust you're enjoying the lovely summer we've been having in the Cambridge Valley. Look forward to meeting you sometime. Stop by if and when you have extra time during one of your trips up here.

Bob

Fireman_dcb · Aug 27, 2002

rancar,

congratulations! Outstanding job on the renovation! My wife and I are looking at renovating a small 20'x40' 2 story barn with a lean-to attached, all built in the early 1800's. Siding, flooring and roof all have to be replaced - the hand cut beams and pegs are all in great shape. What did you use for siding? did you have any problems with the main beams near the exterior of the building being rotted out? How long did your project take to complete? Did you do all/most/ some of the work? Thanks in advance... Doug

rancar · Aug 27, 2002

Hi Doug....

Thanks for your kind remarks. To answer your queries......

What did you use for siding?

Some of the siding is the original...primarily that which is on the north side, away from the sun and driven rain. That siding which I did replace I did so with used clapboard that I had or new 1"x8" clapboard that I purchased from the local lumber yard.

Did you have any problems with the main beams near the exterior of the building being rotted out?

No real problems with the beams except for the front of the barn that was razed due to fact most of the posts were leaning precariously. This part of the barn was replaced by the new 2-car garage. In the back of the barn some of the posts and sill plates had to be replaced due to rot.

How long did your project take to complete?

The renovation work was done in 1984-85. Continuing repair and maintenance is on-going whenever I need to replace a clapboard here and there or when I need to rebuild a window or two. Some of this is done everytime I paint the barn....every 7-8 years.

Did you do all/most/ some of the work?

The post and sill work was done in 1984-85 and contracted out to a specialist in old barn renovation. Much of the roof I replaced myself except for the main barn where I hired a roofer to do this work since I lacked the equipment and skills working at this height. The cupola roof was replaced in 2001, again by a roofer that had the equipment and skills working at this height. The remainder of the roofs I replaced myself. All the on-going maintenance I do myself whenever conditions warrant it. All the barn buildings are on a 7-8 year paint cycle. I normally can't get it done in a single season and spread it out over two summers. I just started painting again. Many of the AFTER pictures you see were just taken after I painted these smaller buildings during the summer of 2001. I'm now finishing up the main barn and should be finished with the entire job by the end of next month.

Hope this helps.

Bob

rancar · Mar 4, 2003

From an older USA Today story....here's a call to save those old barn structures..... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

American Landscape Losing It's Old Barns