Round roof barn converted into shop question

Alan K · Mar 1, 2016

Have a neighbor that wants to turn his older round roof barn into a shop but not sure about how to go about it. I havent looked at it but being there isnt much support if any to hold the sides from going outward when you take the haymow out, how would one brace it properly? Has anyone done that, that you know of or have done yourself? I would guess bracing from near the bottom upward closest to the wall would be a possibility and putting some small rafter braces high up. You would lose a little width but might have to be that way. I think it is about a 30 X 60 barn.

RayP(MI) · Mar 1, 2016

We have a round roof barn. Rafters are laminated and curved. They are braced at the bottom 4 feet or so, with angle braces to the floor. Ends also have angle braces to floor, but there's no internal "mow" structure. Inside it looks like the inside hull of a ship, upside down of course. Suggest you go down and have a look-see on neighbor's barn.

db4600 · Mar 1, 2016

Round roof rafter can be pretty solid. If the rafters are not currently sagging you stand a chance to put collar ties across at a desired ceiling height and than take the mow floor out. If the foundation is in good shape it will help your attempt. What I've seen in rafter fail is when the box joist deteriorates and the framing under the rafter seat no longer supports the rafter causing it to role. Once the floor is out you will probably see that you want to add a filler block under the old rafter and even cripple next to that block running vertical tying the bottom plate, shoring block, and rafter together.

Geo-TH,In · Mar 1, 2016

Every time we went passed a round barn, my dad would tell us kids some one died in the barn because he couldn't find a corner to pee in. So look for bodies in round barns.

farmerwithmutt · Mar 1, 2016

Google barn again and check out website

Russ from MN · Mar 1, 2016

I think it's called knee-braces when you brace from midpoint on the wall up to the rafters, like others have said.
Our machine shed on the farm had a round roof, the plate under the rafters set on a poured concrete wall about 2 feet high. That made the roof high enough that the header on the combine could be right next to the wall, and you could drive a truck almost until the bumper touched the wall. We used every square foot, about 32 x 72.
Our friends took their old family barn and jacked up the hay mow and removed everything underneath, and then lowered the floor down on the foundation. They have a dozen siblings, so it's there dining hall/party room when they have their 4th of July annual get-together.

Dick2 · Mar 2, 2016

Lots of those old barns were "lowered" by removing the first floor and lowering the round roof to convert them to shops or machine sheds. Used to be carpenter crews that made a business of lowering old barns for several years until the barn supply dried up.

Round roof barn converted into shop question

Alan K

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RayP(MI)

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db4600

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Geo-TH,In

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farmerwithmutt

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Russ from MN

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Dick2

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