OLD BARN: Salvage or Burn..?

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Often the beams in that style are southern yellow pine, but could be something local. Old growth, nice wood.

Shame, it needed a roof a few years ago, the siding could be added whenever, but without the roof, things fall apart quickly.

Paul

I was thinking either pine or cedar as well. Would account for their good condition. Those rounded beams look like elm or pecan almost.

I don't think that barn is that old though. Not old in the sense that we usually think of when we say old barn. I'd say it was put up in the 70's or 80's?

1880's is pretty old?

They haven't done the wood peg joints around here since WWI so I'd think it is about 100 years old? Obviously it was reroofed at some point, perhaps the 1970s, one small portion is the old roof boards, most is the new purlins. If we can call them new....

Can be several sets of siding and roofing, its just a shame they didnt get good tin roof on all of it in time. The structure might be mostly good yet, but I'd think the roof structure is a mess by now, and costs a terrible lot to retro fit roof structure, then roofing itself, on an old building that likely,is the wrong size/ shape/ location for modern uses. How long has it sat without metal on it in places? After 5 years or so, the purlins go bad, and the new design with dimentional lumber tends to be weaker, no margin for the accumulated rot. As well, the post supports are obviously settling, with the big posts pulling out of the cross beams, would take a lot of work to jack everything back straight and pin it together proper.

Lot of old buildings will stand another 30 years with those post problems, but would not pay to put money into a complete new roof and siding and leave those problems exist - if it only had a good roof, one could keep it limping along many more decades.....

Those big beams are sought after and worth a lot; but as mentioned, the time and labor to get them out is equally expensive. Dealing with heights, heavy beams, and trying to salvage them whole, its a big big task. Seems a shame to bulldoze and burn, but that is what happens to most.

Paul

1880's I'd consider old, but looking at some of those photos it looks like I see Home Depot nails. Might be wrong there. A photo is hard to tell and you might have some repairs that were done through the multiple generations.

I know for a fact I'd love to go through that old barn and just see things.

The structure of that barn actually looks intact. From the photos it doesn't appear that it is leaning or anything. I'd rebuild it if it were on my property. Heck, it might even make a very fine frame for a new house.

Picture 21 shows it leaned quite a bit to the right, while it might be just the camera held at an angle, the joints in that photo as well as 21 and others those beams are heaved and twisted to show it got a heck of a wind to lean it. Or a foundation problem on the right side...

I have a similar barn, we tinned it in the 1980s - am afraid of heights, and I did 3/4 of the roof tinning while dad watched from the ground - the siding is getting old, some of the beams are moving a bit as in these pictures, the siding is whole but the nails are rusting out, wood is just wearing away.

I agree with saving a barn, but the person should know it is a lot of work and expense, at least one of the 2, to bring something like that back.

I see a lot of issues.

Mine, I need to deal with the siding, and I got one corner the beam is getting spongy. Mine is sitting in a side hill, the 8 foot high rock foundation was giving away, and the hill has leaned that rock foundation over a few inches over the years.... I had the foundation plastered with concrete a couple years ago on the outside for $2500, need to do the inside too soon. In a couple years that 1980s tin is going to need paint, or the rust will start forming and it goes downhill....

It does become a money pit. Worth it for me, still have cattle and hay and straw in mine, but mine was kept up better along the way and I use what it is.

Paul

I just looked up my barn, was built in 1905, it is very similar looking wood posts and beams, similar looking wood, and has those wood peg and notches to hold things together.

Likewise, we have modern nails holding some of the newer siding on, and of course rubber washer nails (dang dad was too cheap to use screws...) holding the tin roof down. It was originally wood shingles, then a layer of tab lock shingles were put over, then in the 1980s I scraped all the old tar off, pulled the nails, and we put the tin roof on.

Paul

I'd sure have a couple people out to look at the reclaimed wood value. From what I'm seeing you've got some pretty good sized oak timbers. Reclaimed wood brings big money for flooring, and interiors. Some even used exterior on restaurants I've seen. Mortise and tenon framing would date it from 1900 on back.

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Per my post in the other forum, it looks like you have poplar framing and oak planking in that barn.You're going to have a hard time keeping it salvageable once you let the timber become exposed to the full weather elements. Pre planning your storage is key to ensuring any value (both from a usability or resale standpoint) of that wood.

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I agree with Tom, it does look like some of the wood is oak. It is hard to tell what the rest is. I restored an ole antique home in West Tennessee dated back to 1822 that had floor joists made from whole trees like in your barn. Most ole barns were made out of what ever they could get their hands on.

It would be an utter shame to see that barn destroyed.

The structure looks solid. It just needs siding and a roof.

We are taking it down piece by piece and salvaging it all to rubuild at another location on the farm. The foundation was destroyed, and the previous owner didnt repair the roof in time... Leaning bad...

My biggest concern is how to store the wood until I rubuild in September...? Should we pressure wash / Treat the wood now...? What to treat it with to seal, protect, keep out moisture/bugs, and also to keep it looking natural...

Thx for all the replies....