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Discussion on Old Barn or New Barn?
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - 12:37 am:
I'm looking for input from folks who have faced the decision of remodeling an old barn with structural problems vs. putting up a new barn.
The barn that we want to use for our horse barn has a back wall that is bowing out and the rafters are not sitting on the sill. Also, part of the back wall by the entry way is slipping from the foundation. There is a large run-in built onto the back wall, and that is what seems to be supporting the back wall for now. The roof is old, corrugated metal and lacks a cap.
The barn is empty, so we will have to design the interior anyway . . . whether we build some stalls and run-in stalls or have prefabricated ones put in.
If any of you have had a similar choice or experience, please share your wisdom with me. We want to use our money and time wisely . . . and we want to have a place that is efficient and comfortable for people and horses.
Thanks.
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Member:
Ajudson1
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Posted on Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - 9:36 am:
Holly,
Welcome back online!!
Can you post a picture or two of the barn? I'll have Brian look at it, and read your post and get his input. Right up his alley you know.
Right off the top of my head, I think it would be alot of work to get it stabilzed, but it can be done. Lots of these older barns are just classics and it's a shame to tear them down.
With the cost of building materials these days, if you can avoid going new it would save on the ca$h.
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - 10:02 am:
Hey, Ange,
I'll do my best. We put plywood on the lower wall of the side that is bowing out. It had broken boards in some places, and I didn't want a horse's foot getting stuck or have one of the horses kick through the already weakened wood. I'm afraid we may have boarded up part of what Brian would need to see, but I will try to get some photos as I am going out there to finish anchoring the plywood now. Mark was kidnapped this a.m. by our farmer neighbor, Art, who has been a great help and who wanted Mark to drive tractor for him in one of is fields . . . so I'm on my own today.
Gotta run.
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Member:
Qh4me
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Posted on Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - 12:39 pm:
Hi Holly,
I think you have a big task on your hands. To decide wether to use an exisiting barn or build new.?!?
We faced this decision a few years ago. And in the end, we ended up using an existing barn, as the structure was there...so we figured it would be cheaper to do it up the way we want than build a new one right!?!?
Well, we aren't so sure. First off, I would be concerned in the cost it would be to get your barn stablilized and get the rafters and walls put back into place.
We had 3 barns on our property, and of course, I thought, lets do the old one, with the hay mow etc. But when we had a contractor out to look at it, he suggested against it. Old barns are have that old charm and likely built better than the new ones, but if they are shifting out, it is a pile of work to get them back in place.
So we converted one of the freestyle standing barn that was beside it into the horse barn.
Issues we faced:
1. Floor were concrete and cracked and heaved, and uneven. So we had to decide - take out the concrete and have dirt floors, or just use matts? We ended up using mats, as the cost to remove the concrete, and the time it would take if we did it, just wasn't worth it.
2. Electrical. That was my main concern. Old barns mean old wiring, so we decided to put in all new wiring. Better to be safe than sorry, however, it was a huge cost, as we had to convert the old box with the old fuses and bring in higher amp service.
3. Stalls. We built in stalls, but you have to work around the barns existing braces, beams etc.
4. Doors. I wanted a big door so I can drive the gator in and out, so we had to make all new doors. I also wanted the dutch doors at the back of each stall so with the existing shell, we needed to frame in new doors/widows etc.
5. Water...the water in the old barn used to come from the house, but the plumbing was ruined, so we had to run all new plumbing, which meant tearing up the driveway and from the house. In the end, we decided to drill a new well.
6. Roof. Our barn too had an old roof. So we attempted to patch it and make it last, however in the end, we needed to put a new roof on.
7. Exteriour/interior. Our barn was pretty well just a shell, covered in Tin. It is very drafty and cold in the winter. We are putting up with that for now, but hope to have it closed in in the next year or so, to make it a bit more comfortable.
So our experience, it was almost as costly to rebuild the old barn, and you will have to "put up" with some of the crooked floors, bowed walls, etc.
All in all, it depends on what exactly you want. I just wanted an appropriate and useful shelter for my babies. I still nit pick at the little things that urk me (floors/drafts etc.) but I am glad that I have a shelter, so don't want to be picky.
Best of luck with your decision. It will be lots of work no matter what you decide. But how exciting getting your new "digs" all setup.
Congrats!
Shawna
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Member:
Erika
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Posted on Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - 2:56 pm:
Holly,
It is a shame not to keep it if it is a beautiful barn. But in my experience with construction, new is definitely cheaper.
If the structure is not sound, most likely you will put a lot into it just to begin the new stuff. If the roof isn't perfect, you will have rotten timbers.
Bowing brick wall needs to be reinforced or reassembled. Add the cost of disassembly to the reassembly. Reinforcing will change the look significantly.
We had a gorgeous old barn with huge hand-hewn beams and beautiful slate roof that we discussed fixing up. During a spring storm, the entire thing collapsed in a heap.
Upon removal of the rubble it was apparent that there was plenty of rot and termite damage that would have made refurbishing impossibly expensive.
Good luck with whatever method you choose. But as I said, USUALLY, fixing up an oldie is more expensive than starting from scratch.
Erika
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - 9:53 pm:
Hi, We too faced that decision. I remember the exact day as a matter of fact. We had a horrible storm, and my one horse then, would not go in the barn, I finally dragged him in out of the rain. cody and I both stood there watching the building sway, listening to it creak and crack. I then realized he had more sense than me, and hanging out in the old barn was not the best choice.
It was a charming old barn also, but we opted to have a hole dug, pushed her in, and had a barn burning. We put up a new pole building, and it was definately the less expensive way to go.
Feel better with the new wiring etc. also
Good luck
suz
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - 8:45 am:
Thank you, all, for your thoughtful suggestions and descriptions of your own experiences with past barns. Shawna, I really appreciate the step by step that you wrote.
I shared the posts with my husband, and we have pretty much decided to take down the old barn. We will make do with the present structure until we can get our pastures and shelters in order, and then we'll take down the old barn and put up a new structure. The barn isn't really very beautiful . . . just old . . . and not very well put together compared to the old dairy barns in the East. It is a pole barn that has been covered in metal siding. At one time, it had a hay floor, but when that was taken out, flimsy rafters were made and the rafters weren't sturdy enough to keep the barn together. At one time, two, thick, metal cables/rods were stretched from one sill to the other to keep the back wall from spreading, but both of the cables are popped through the wood on one side and are bent, twisted, and dangling to the floor . . . and if it weren't for the low run-in built off the back wall of the barn, I don't think the back wall would still be attached.
Thank you, again, for taking the time to share.
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Member:
Ajudson1
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - 9:22 am:
Sounds like you made the right choice. Brian said he'd tear down the old and build new just from my decription of your email. This way you will have what you want. Now comes the fun of planning the new barn!!!
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Member:
Warwick
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - 11:57 am:
Holly, another vote here for going with a new barn. We refurbished our old barn and it's been a big, expensive project and it's still not what I really want. We should have demolished it in the beginning and built new as it would have been cheaper and with a better layout.
You've made the right decision!
Sue
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Member:
Sonoita
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 26, 2006 - 9:35 am:
Holly,
I to will be in this situation soon and I am pretty sure I will go with new. I had a new roof put on last year and that will help for now. The wood on mine is dry rotting so my choice has been made. What I would like to do is keep the old barn for hay storage. But I would probably gut the inside and make it more of a shelter type. After all the roof is new. Good Luck!
Happy Trails,
Wanda
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Member:
Mwebster
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 27, 2006 - 12:56 am:
Holly, sounds like you have a good plan. We faced the same decision 4 years ago. Getting a couple of contractors over to give us an estimate sealed it: neither thought it was worth saving. We scavenged electrical gear, boards, hardware, etc. before letting them in to bulldoze and all it took was a nudge for the whole thing to crumple right over. Sure seemed like the right decision...! The new barn is a real joy.
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 27, 2006 - 3:27 pm:
Twice we've revamped old barns. In both cases the barns were sound, however, and just needed a lot of fixing up, re-working to be horse barns, and utilities upgraded. It was a lot of work in both cases and I'm not sure how much money was saved. Currently, we are adding on (again) to the barn we have, which came with the property but was a hay barn/storage shed/cow shelter when we moved here. Again, we've put a lot into it. I think it would be wonderful to have a real, brand new barn that was done just the way you wanted it from the start.
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