Moving a Pole Barn

JDgreen227 · Jan 16, 2004

You don't mention if you have a trailer and vehicle to transport the materials to the new location, I assume you do. If the tin and doors are in good shape I think it's worth your time to do this project. Just be sure to label everything you take apart so you know where it goes back together. I speak from experience !!!

twabscs · Jan 17, 2004

I stopped by the barn this afternoon. Yes, the nails are ring shank and (nearly) impossible to extract. The sawzall approach will be the best method. Also, the barn is actually 64x44 and ~15' to the bottom of the trusses. Quite a bit larger than I first thought and will hold a lot of hay. I'm going to get some prices on what it would take to put up a similar one new and then decide. I'm guessing in the $25K range...

Thanks everyone for the help,

Chechnya · Jan 17, 2004

If you plan to replant it somewhere, youll lose alot of headroom due cementing the poles into the ground. I suggest keeping it there and using it.

JASTN70D · Jan 17, 2004

A Pole Barn of that size could go as low as $11,000 where I am from if you build it yourself. And that is fairly good quality 25 year warranty steel shed . I think you will be surprised. Good luck in your decision. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Glenn9643 · Jan 17, 2004

The bottom line is that you should be able to save some money with this project at the cost of a little work if the metal sheeting and trusses are OK. If so, be sure you mark each metal panel, maybe on the inside with a permament marker, in such a way that you know where it came from. When you rebuild, be sure you put your lathing down in such a way that you can put screws in the old holes. The vinyl or whatever washers under the screw heads will seal just as well on used metal as new if you're using the same screw or nail holes. Even if you have to replace the poles, the trusses and lathing should be good. You may not can use everything, but everything that you can use will save you some money. BE SURE TO SPACE YOUR LATHING ON EACH FACE TO MATCH THE SCREWHOLES IN THE METAL THAT YOU REMOVED to eliminate leaks, or trying to patch holes. Good luck from this point. You're already lucky to have this opportunity I think.

arkydog · Jan 17, 2004

a can of spraypaint is also good for marking the spaces of the lathing and trusses

arkydog

mopacman · Jan 18, 2004

When I am trying to save the metal and lumber I use a four inch grinder and grind the head off of the nail. I also grind the nail off if I can not pull it out of the lumber.

cowboydoc · Jan 18, 2004

We've done quite a few of these building moves. I will tell you it is incredibly labor intensive. For that building you can figure 300-400 man hours to disassemble and move it. That is if you have the right tools. You can pull the ring shanks. There is a special tool that does this that does not damage the tin. You will damage the tin if you use a sawzall and it will take twice as long to do it this way. Fort he posts, girts, purlins, etc. you will need to use the sawzall. It is nearly impossible to pull those long ring shanks out. You also will not pull the posts out with your tractor. Likely they are 4' deep and I don't evne know if I could pull one with my big tractors. We always used an excavator. Even on some of those we had to dig them out. As someone else mentioned get a sharpie and start a diagram. Label every piece exactly as you took it out. You will need to put everything back in place exactly. If you get off a little bit it will mess it all up. You have to have the tin match exactly right. To do this the same girts, poles, everything has to go up the exact same way. Because of this figure it will take you at least 50% longer to put this builiding up. It's alot of work and everything has to be exact. There's a reason those buidling are free. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

twabscs · Jan 18, 2004

CowboyDoc, Thanks for the insight. It's good to hear from someone that has actually done it.

After hearing from everyone and investigating what it would cost to purchase the supplies to build a new one, I've come to the following conclusion.

I'm going to build a 30x50 at my place. The material costs will be <$5K. I'll leave the barn up at the other place and will use it for "overflow" if I fill up both of my barns.

JSDK55 was right, I can get the materials for a 40x60x14 for around $11K, and a 30x50x14 for $5K. The 3-400 hours of takedown / rebuild time is just too much.

Thanks everyone!

JDgreen227 · Jan 18, 2004

This is a perfect example of how the TBN members share their knowledge with others---WHERE ELSE could you possibly have obtained all this information so quickly, at no cost?
I certainly wish I had discovered TBN sooner than I did.