Barn to workshop

[Larstan]

Besides a mess, this picture shows the south bay (with forklift-one of my bargains I couldn't pass up $700) and the sub panel install, I am running 3/4 conduit throughout. You can see the floor is down to soil and fairly level and pier under SE corner post.

I just put the benches up a couple of days ago, I was going crazy with the mess. At least I can walk now...

 

[Larstan]

Nothing else worth posting tonight, I will try to take some better detail shots Wed. See ya All ..........

 

[EddieWalker]

Larry,

Very impressive. Looks like you got a good project that is turning into something to be proud of. Thanks for posting the picks, the new ones really show some impressive improvements over what you started out with.

Eddie

 

[Wiens]

Larstan,

WOW! I am jealous of your barn. I see no problem in what you are repairing/restoring in your barn. You are taking a building that had a ton of deferred maintainence and bringing it "up to snuff" so it can be used for your intended purpose. I would love to have an old barn/shed on my property for exactly the same purpose you are planning for yours.

Best wishes and keep us posted on the progress with pictures. In case you haven't noticed TBNer's are very visual people!

Kevin in Kansas

 

[Larstan]

Eddie, Thanks for the support. I'm trying to do the best I can with the available resources, I have boxes of stuff from a home depot type store that went out of business and we purchased a sealed container of it. The 3/4 conduit I have rolls and rolls of, I think you can see it in that overhead shot I posted last night. So go easy on me, I'm a doin my best. Sorry about your electrical problems, I know the feeling when that stuff blindsides you.

Cheers,

 

[Larstan]

Wiens, Thanks that's a great quote "ton of deferred maintainance" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif but that's pretty much how I see it. If you can't go out plop 30 or 40 grand for a new structure having an existing structure even one that needs work is absolutely the next best thing. I don't know if you actively looking for an inexpensive way to put something up, but I ran across another members website (Harvey Lacey) really talented guy, anyway he is putting together a kit that looks pretty interesting. His site is harveylacey.com click on projects and look for 'Garage-barn-shelter building built my way' anyway his site is worth checking out just for the great projects he does. Thanks again......

 

[Larstan]

Evening everyone, I did not manage to get back to working on the BarnShop today but I did get a couple of pics. Had forklift issues and had to fix them as I needed move all the lumber I pulled out. Don't have pallet forks for the 2615 (working on it) so had to go with O'l Yeller /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Larstan]

This is my new "Toy" not even going to mince words, I know it, the wife knows it, and anyone seeing me use it knows it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Check out my new freedom hitch on 3pt. awesome time saver.

 

[Larstan]

The only problems I found with the interior vertical supports was 2 in the north row, the center and east posts were splitting right down the center. I welded up some brackets, 1/4" plate with 1/8" sides bolted thru center with a 5/8" Bolt. They pulled right back together and I have been giving them a turn on the nut every 4 or 5 days.

 

[Larstan]

Other post side view.

 

[Larstan]

This is a good (and I mean good condition) example of what the perimeter base beams that I replaced looked like. Some were so rotten as to be non-existant, basically a pile of sawdust where the beam used to be. I have this one and one more that absolutely have to be replaced, but I have not decided whether to put a 16' back in or leave the pass thru. That will probably depend on what I decide to do with the floor.

 

[Larstan]

This is an exterior shot of the trees that were encroaching the east wall. The closest had deformed the wall about a 1 1/2 feet inwword, so sometime in the past someone cut the beam to take the pressure off. They did not bother to resupport the vertical studs so there was alot of deformation in the roof line and eves. I trimmed the trees as far up as I could, between 15 and 20 feet using the forklift. I knocked off some major weight 40 plus foot branches, had to tie them off to the truck and make some careful calculations. Had approximately a 35 degree window to drop the limbs without taking out the barn or house. Did it by myself, so to say I was nervous is an understatement. I posted this picture before but it will help to see the before and after. Also if you look in this picture you can see the house in relation to the barn, I went North East with all the tall limbs as that was the only direction with enough space for them to fall. Just for reference North is a few degrees right of the direction this picture was taken.

 

[Larstan]

Here is the after on the trees. There was not any way for me to bring these trees down by myself, so my goal for the time being was to relieve the pressure on the barn at the roofline (which was pushing the whole roof west) and at the base where the trunk was deforming the base of the East wall for about 24 feet. It is really hard sometimes to get scale in pictures but in this picture if you look in the barn opening you see the back of OJ (that is a Clark 4000 lb warehouse forklift) the tree pretty much dwarfs it.

 

[Larstan]

This is the South tree closeup after I back cut it and replaced the base beam. It had moved the base so far inward that I misjudged how far to back cut it. I need to take another 4 or 5 inches. Once I get the structure sound I will take the trees all the way down.

 

[Larstan]

This is the North tree closeup. I got the correct clearance on this one first time around. I spent a good week getting these trees trimmed down and then cut back. I burned up a buddys logging saw doing the back cuts. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I payed him back by spending a couple days leveling the land around his business, he brought in a JD 750 CAT so I was pretty miserable driving that around for a couple of days /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I got some pics but they are film, I will post em when developed.

 

[EddieWalker]

Larry

Isn't it amazing how some people can let a tree get so big that is begins to destroy buildings. I feel your pain on taking them out. Nothing easy about it.

How are the walls tied into the ground? It looks like everything is just resting on those cement blocks.

Eddie

 

[Farwell]

If you ever need to destroy some tree stumps that you don't want to spend the time or energy digging out, bury them in some of that sheep manure, cover that with soil and add moisture once in a while. The manure accelerates the decomposition of the wood by a bunch. Probably similar to the beams in your barn.
After looking at your photos of your project I too would have spent the time and money fixing the barn up instead of tearing it down and starting over. Great work. Keep the photos coming.
Farwell

 

[Larstan]

Morning Eddie,

Yeah, it's amazing to me when I see things like this. I don't understand if its lack of forsight or just plain laziness. Its a problem that has grown to epic proportions /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif that I have to deal with. I love to fly, but getting up in the air that high on a ladder or platform and trying use a chainsaw is not fun.

You are absolutely correct, the structure is floating on those piers. I have not found anything (foundation, pylons) or any indication that this thing has ever been tied down. I dug out 15 to 20 large boulders that had been set under the supports over the years. This has been my big dilemma from day one of starting this project. My first goal was to get it out of the mud and stop the lateral loads on the structure from doing anymore damage(done). I have spent a significant amount of time pondering the options ie: concrete slab, concrete piers etc. There are the obvious issues of supporting it while trying to apply whatever permanent fix I (we) can come up with. I am quite open for suggestions from the (collective knowledge) of you guys. I have pondered sinking holes at 45 deg. angle with the PHD and pouring a reinforced pier with some kind of jack-stand. I don't know if that is doable or not. Obviously digging a complete perimeter foundation would be impossible as I don't see any reasonable way to support the structure all at once. If you have any ideas I would love to hear them.

 

[Larstan]

Thanks Farwell,

The tearer downers came out in force when I first started posting this, but the salvagers are coming on strong /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I think it was the right way to go for my situation. As for the decomp process you are absolutely right, that is the witches brew that just gobbles wood right up. But I have a feeling those 2 trees and I are going to be having a death match Mano el Mano.

 

[BillCroasmun]

Although I have no personal experience here I'll throw out my crazy ideas. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

If you can get some I-beams on loan maybe you could run them slightly out of parallel with the current edge boards. (1 end about 1ft inside the building the other 1 ft outside the building) Maybe this could supply enough continuous support along the walls and allow you to dig full footers as well.

Might be a really crazy idea... Like I said I have no (zilch, zero, notta) experience in this area... just brain storming (or maybe it's just a slight sprinkle). /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Bill