OT: barn renovation/repurpose

Kirk Affeldt · Jul 11, 2014

I have been toying with the idea of taking the old dairy barn and turning it into a farm shop. The barn is 36x66 with about a 8'-9' ft ceiling and an very large hay mow. Overall, the barn is in good shape. I realize it would be easier and maybe less expensive to tear it down and build a new one, but I don't think I can do that. Has anyone done this before? What pitfalls are there? What resources are out there to aid in this? ANY advice or direction would be greatly appreciated!!

FBH44 · Jul 12, 2014

Just my opinion, what a good old barn. I sure wuoldnt tear it donw, unless I had money.
If it was mine, I'd fix any and all roof leaks, maybe even screw down a new steel roof.
I would not remove any posts, I'd replace any rotted posts, with big 8x8 pressure-treated posts, sitting on concrete pads. Lights, electrical, some plumbing, some heat depending on what seasons are like, and get to work.

Bruce from Can. · Jul 12, 2014

Very nice old barn. Looks like a hay track up in the roof, so that tells us the barn was built in the pre-baler time, when all hay was still handled loose. To make this barn into a work shop, you would have to ask your self , how much ceiling height do I need? If need 14-16 foot ceiling, then removing some or all of the loft floor would have to be done. I have seen barns were the entire upstairs floor has been removed, a large entrance door cut into the wall, and used to store big bales of hay, or farm equipment. This is a big job as the super structure of the barn still has to be supported. Not a job for the faint of heart, or weak of finance. This might sound goofy, but a new lean-to built on the side of the barn , might be more user friendly, and cost effective. Bruce

jennifer408 · Jul 12, 2014

i'd keep it, i love old barns and i just hate to see them in disrepair. if you started with the support post and beams and then put a new roof on it, that would be less of an initial cost wouldn't it ? could you put the new building adjacent to the existing one. just saying.

Glen SW Wi · Jul 12, 2014

Lookup Wisconsin barn preservation project. They have plenty of information.

Dick2 · Jul 12, 2014

Used to be people in the business in the 50's & 60's of lowering old barns for machine sheds or shops. My uncle did that to his old barn; it is still being used to store machinery.

GVSII · Jul 12, 2014

Geo-TH,In · Jul 13, 2014

Kirk,
This may sound like a crazy idea. I knew of a place where the second floor, a wood floor, was where a fire house parked their fire trucks.

The loft floor of your barn looks strong enough it may support tractors.

Make a ramp to the loft, cut in an opening, install an overhead garage door.
george

showcrop · Jul 13, 2014

My shop building was not a barn, it was built as a warehouse for my business and is clear span, 40x50x17. The big thing that I did was to partition off a 16x22x10 room which is where I do most of my work in the winter. I keep it at 50 degrees and bump it up when I go in. The heat lost from this room keeps the rest at about 40 degrees except for maybe the four coldest nights. You could plan what you would be doing and with what and what you need for space, and make the needed alterations in just specific areas. A few partitions with insulation to keep the heat where you need it will make it possible to work there in the winter. I would do it.

OT: barn renovation/repurpose

Kirk Affeldt

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FBH44

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Bruce from Can.

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jennifer408

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Glen SW Wi

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Dick2

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GVSII

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Geo-TH,In

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showcrop

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