Fixing an Old Barn

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Unfortunately my property didn't come with much in the way of storage buildings. Now I've got a new tractor on the way, and soon some horses will be on the way. So this is what I want/need:

Horse barn (I want this new and in a sunnier location)
Place to store hay (insurance company says store in a separate building)
Covered storage for the tractor (the cars sleep outside)
Place to maintain/work on tractors and other equipment

I realize tractors/implements can sleep outside. However, I find myself neglecting maintenance on my current equipment because I don't have a clean, dry, level, covered place to do it.

So here's what I have now in the way of an existing building:



Roof and sheathing is rotten. Fascias rotten. Bottoms of vertical wood siding, you guessed it, rotten. Some rafters sketchy. Posts seem very solid. Full of mice and spiders. (Also this is my only decent sized piece of flat ground) I've never renovated one of these old barns. Do I fix it, torch it, dismantle it, or what?

If I build new, one large building or several specialized ones?

 

[EddieWalker]

If you have no emotional attachment to the building, it is always cheaper to tear it down and build new.

If you remove the building, be sure to remove all the trees around it too!!!!

Old wood is in demand, so you might make a buck if there are people in your area who are looking for old wood. Old wood is not good for new buildings!!!

Determine how big of an area you will have once the building is gone and the trees are removed. You do not have to build as big as possible, but you should plan on being able to add on to the building in the future.

Budget and time are all that matter. Nothing is better then concrete for a floor, but sometimes it's better to put money into building the shell to protect everything from the elements first, and then coming back and pouring concrete. What type of roof do you want? Metal or shingles? Pros and cons to both. What type of walls do you want? Metal, wood, Hardie or 4x8 sheets?

I would build it as big as space allowed and have all my equipment, implements and tools all under one roof. Hay barn somewhere else.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

If you have no emotional attachment to the building, it is always cheaper to tear it down and build new.

If you remove the building, be sure to remove all the trees around it too!!!!

Old wood is in demand, so you might make a buck if there are people in your area who are looking for old wood. Old wood is not good for new buildings!!!

Determine how big of an area you will have once the building is gone and the trees are removed. You do not have to build as big as possible, but you should plan on being able to add on to the building in the future.

Budget and time are all that matter. Nothing is better then concrete for a floor, but sometimes it's better to put money into building the shell to protect everything from the elements first, and then coming back and pouring concrete. What type of roof do you want? Metal or shingles? Pros and cons to both. What type of walls do you want? Metal, wood, Hardie or 4x8 sheets?

I would build it as big as space allowed and have all my equipment, implements and tools all under one roof. Hay barn somewhere else.

Attached to it? I HATE the thing! We draw straws to see who has to go in there.....dark, dirty, spidery.
Old wood is a dime a dozen around here. I couldn't give it away, but might be able to saw off the rotten ends and use it for.....something.
Tree removal not practical. The heavier wooded side drops off like a cliff, and on the other side there's another large rise that contains our buried electrical. Space is always TIGHT on this property, with small useable areas carved out of dense hilly woods.

Was thinking if I kept the barn, would strip it down to poles and rafters, throw on a metal roof, and it could provide open storage for....something.

Oh, and here's the barn I want. Ain't she purty?

 

[MossRoad]

Attached to it? I HATE the thing!

Well, that eliminates the sentimental attachment portion of our quiz....

 

[EddieWalker]

Odds are that the existing posts are not where you want them, and adjusting a plan to save a few old posts doesn't make sense.

That's a very nice barn. Nothing complicated about it, you could easily build something very similar for a lot less then what they paid for it with different finish materials.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

That's a very nice barn. Nothing complicated about it, you could easily build something very similar for a lot less then what they paid for it with different finish materials.

Yes! That's what I'm thinking: simple to build but very attractive. I plan to have a local guy build it; I can do all the finishing carpentry. Should be less than the "kit" costs. Wood is pretty cheap around here.

 

[EddieWalker]

Go with the dream and you will never regret it. Try to fix that old building and you will never be happy.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Sorry I wasn't clear. I wasn't thinking of making that old thing into the horse barn. No way. I want the horse barn to be new, and I have another location for that. I was thinking about stripping the old barn down, new tin roof, and just using it for storage. OR buying a new building for storage. I mean, I need 3 buildings in total. Trying to figure out if this thing can be one of them.

 

[Budweiser John]

Any dry storage is better than no dry storage. As long as the building is somewhat weather tight and in no immediate danger of collapse I’de be inclined to us it as is for the Madrid of farm stuff that lives better under cover regardless of the seasonable weather conditions.
I would challenge your insurance guy regarding hay storage in a separate building from your horses as that concept creates a huge extra labor factor. For 46 years we’ve stored hay on a loft above our horse stalls and aside from the once a year Labor to load the deck it’s all down hill every day from that point on.
Regarding shop space, build what you can afford with an eye to future expansion. There are hundreds of posts out there on what constitutes a dream shop/tractor/implement storage building(s).
I wouldn’ Spend any
money on the old building until it’s time to tear it down
B. John

 

[Stimw]

You don't say what your budget is.
It all starts and stops there!