would you take down a decent old barn and move it?

ErinP · #21 04/02/10, 12:08 PM

I've dismantled several old buildings, the largest of which was a small, 2story barn. It's plenty of work, to be sure, just to tear it down.

I would never want to have to actually rebuild one though!

michiganfarmer · #22 04/02/10, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by where I want to

. To re-build, you need the thing intact- you have to pull nails a lot- sometimeds you can cut the nails from the studs and beams but mostly, you pull and pry.

thats what we did. What a job!

Pony · #23 04/03/10, 08:13 PM

Nick is in the process of tearing down an old outbuilding at a neighbor's. They're not in a hurry, neither is he.

We won't be reconstructing the building, just using the materials for a different building here.

It's worth it to us, as we can take our time, and the materials will only cost our labor. We have more time than money.

ronbre · #24 04/04/10, 08:27 AM

when i was 5 my dad and girls took down a cafeteria from a school..for the lumber..and built a garage, dining room and porch on our house with the lumber..so yes

ErinP · #25 04/04/10, 12:52 PM

Personally, I think if the question were simply "would you tear down an old barn for the lumber?" everyone would be saying "YES!"

It's the rebuilding the same structure part that's making so many of us think that's way more work than it's probably worth.

Veronica · #26 04/04/10, 02:36 PM

We live in a barn that was made into a house. We didn't do the initial conversion, but it's a work in progress still. It wasn't moved though. We have salvaged an older barn or two to fix up both our house and the outbuildings.

**Ross** · #27 04/04/10, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Personally, I think if the question were simply "would you tear down an old barn for the lumber?" everyone would be saying "YES!"

I'm sorry but no I wouldn't. Besides the energy used to raise the barn and drop it again only to build something else is all kind of wasted considering the barn in usable as is; there is something rather sad about undoing a small peice of our past, because it inconveniences us today. I know its just a barn and our plans are every bit as important as those who came before us. It just seems a little disrespectful to undo a done job somebody was likely pretty proud of. Might not be the best words to describe the sentiment or the situation.
I can't see the place, maybe moving the barn intact is impossible and the site really is best used for a house. I am glad to read the plan is to preserve the barn as something useful.

ErinP · #28 04/04/10, 04:06 PM

interesting thoughts, Ross.

I guess I've just known entirely too many scavengers.

When I see an old building just dozed in, it does indeed seem a huge waste.
But to tear it down and repurpose the lumber? No, I know for a fact most of my ancestors would have been quite happy to see their handiwork go for another needed use, rather than left to rot, unused, in the weather.

But then, I spent much of my growing-up years in the house my dad built almost entirely from an old barn. I might be biased.

(That said, I agree that the above barn would probably be better used just being put back to work, where it is. I would happily give my eye teeth for such a nice, old structure on our land. But I'm getting the impression that's not what its owner wants to do. )