Barn to shop remodel

Anonymous-0 · Jul 11, 2010

Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone has transformed their old barn into a farm shop. One hurdle we're trying to overcome in the planning stage is how to get the ceiling up as high as we'd like. The side walls of the barn are 12', and then the roof goes up steeply over the hay mow from there. We'd like the ceiling at 18', so we need to take out the hay loft floor, and figure out how to brace the barn properly. Anyone have advice, and pictures?

Goose · Jul 11, 2010

Unless you take the entire roof off, add to the height of the side walls, and put the roof back on, it doesn't sound like you will have a very large area with an 18' ceiling.

My own shop started life as a pole type hay barn. It had a 12' ceiling, and I was OK with that. I nailed 4x8 sheets of 1" insulation board under the trusses and put 3 1/2" fiberglass roll insulation on top of that.

I once fixed a C60 Chevy farm truck that had been dumped on its side, and the ceiling was high enough that I was able to use the truck's hoist to raise the front of the box high enough to paint the back of the cab, along with the rest of it. (And I did block the box so there was no way it could come down while I was working).

For the side walls, I put in upright studs spaced on 24", put in roll insulation, and wall boarded it. Obviously this was all after I'd poured a concrete floor. I did put particle board on one wall so I could screw stuff to it without having to locate the studs.

This was my experience. Hope it helps.

senoj · Jul 11, 2010

Each barn will have to be evaluated first on how it is to be done. Every barn was constucted differently. I converted part of my barn into a
30X3020 high. 2oX16 high bifold up door. I have been very satisfied with it. Yes I raised the mow floor up. Used 12 inch STEEL I beams purchased FREE for the taking and transportation was a very nominal. Board flooring was removed then replaced with steel on the bottom side of 3X
12 joists that fit perfectly at the next higher set of beams, 10 feet higher. Mine was easy. SDD

JDseller · Jul 11, 2010

You will have to build a super structure to replace the wood one you will have to remove. Would you be able to live with the 18 foot part just being in the middle??? If you can then you build a arched truss that follows the roof out wide then when you get to the tall part faltens out and creats your cieling. I am not sure if you can picture what I mean. I helped a friend make his and we used 8" I beems.

showcrop · Jul 11, 2010

It sounds to me like you will essentially be building trusses in place. Which of course you need someone to design, which of course would be very high liability, which of course would mean very high price unless you have a friend that could just sketch it out for you with no stamp. You may look into some design software to enable you to do it yourself. Like has already been said since every barn is different every restructuring would be different though it can certainly be done so that you end up with a structure that is stronger than before.

kyhayman · Jul 11, 2010

I cant help you on the roof but I converted one barn into a shop. Its 48x60x18 at the peak with 14 foot walls. When I bought the place it had been an old school farrowing barn with a poured concrete floor. I stacked square bales in it for years and used one shed for cattle working. Left the cattle chute in place and made the center 36 feet for shop. Its metal on the outside, I put OSB on the inside walls, painted it white and hung some string lights. Cheap and effective.

MarkB_MI · Jul 12, 2010

My brother-in-law raised the ceiling/loft floor in his barn so he had room for a car lift. He had help from someone with barn repair experience. He only removed about half the loft floor. Collar ties were added to replace the joists. The loft is now pretty much unusable, but he didn't care about it anyway.

Barn to shop remodel

Anonymous-0

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Goose

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senoj

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JDseller

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showcrop

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kyhayman

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MarkB_MI

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