siding on 75 yr old barn

michaelr

Member
Have a 40X40 corn crib, horizontal boards with one inch spacing, and a 60X60 hay barn, with vertical boards, with metal flashing between boards to seal it. Now, at a decision point what to do, what to do. They need attention. I don't think painting them is a solution, the boards are not horrible conditions, but kinda bad. So... I read that one guy put up metal siding right over the top of his old old barn. Just put the metal up against the side of his barn, and fastened it on. Done. Well, is it that easy or what can I learn about that. Should one put TYVEK on first? Or no, do not put TYVEK on first as that would be bad. Etc. Another option, though seems like going backwards, would be to rip all the boards off and put all new boards on. Could be cheaper than metal? Maybe? I don't know. I want to get the siding of those old barns fixed, but am not a construction person, and want to learn some successful options.
 
If the boards are not too rotten or warped, and securely fastened, I think you could put steel on right over it, either horizontal or vertical, without tyvek. Some other brands of housewrap might have a little insulation value that would reduce condensation on the inside of the steel. What I used on my shop was like a thin foam, and came in a roll. I would be careful with the screws so as to not buckle the steel if the screw is in a low spot.
 
Here's an old corn crib, 40x26 that was leaning. I pulled it straight again, brace the inside, renailed outside and installed tin on 3 sides. Was going to be a roll up door on the front and a small door but never got it done.
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I have used vinyl siding on barns before that I picked up super cheap from a take off job and used it on barns and that worked well and very cheap. Or you can go with the metal siding that looks like the vinyl siding. If you really want to seal it up I would use some of the house wrap insulation board then the siding. Now as for taking the old off I sure would not try it maybe the only thing that is really holding the buildings up
 
I did something similar to what you are thinking. I nail 1x4 boards over the original siding boards into the main support structure that the original siding boards are nailed to. Used long nails to really anchor the 1x4 into the structure. The metal siding got screwed into the 1x4. On the very bottom edge the siding boards where rotten so I cut 4 inches off the siding boards and nailed treated 2x4s into the sill plate.
 
wow, that corn crib is almost identical to mine. Same window up top and door tracks and all. I see you left the upper part the original wood siding.
 
ok, appreciate all this feedback. I like the idea of the 1X4 strips. Yeah was curious if TYVEK would be needed, sounds like not.
 

2X on the 1x4 strips, assumed being horizontal. I think that I would screw them in though with a 1/4 impact driver. this will enable you to pull in a fair amount of mis-alignment,
 
What's sad is there's a barn not to far from me that was resided with metal siding, however about half of that is now gone-- I could get a picture.
 
We resided our 120 yo barn with poplar 1 bys we sawed on the farm. Left a little gap between the boards and when the lumber dried we had a half inch gap that allows the hay to breathe.
 
If you carefully remove that 70-year-old wood you might be lucky to sell it for enough to pursue one of your other alternatives.
 
A few years ago a guy posted that he had an old tobacco barn on a farm that had been in the family for quite some time. He didn't need the barn any more and it was getting in bad shape, so he took some lumber from it and used to finish the inside of his office in a rustic way. Then took down the old barn.
 
If your walls are flat without much waving I screw the steel on horizontal. If the wall is wavy, then the 1x4 or 2x4 furring strips put on horizontal with the steel vertical works better. If 1x4 furring strips is used it should be good hard lumber or the screws will be working loose in 20 or 30 years.
 

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