Renovating Barns, Sheds & Outbuildings

by Engler, Nick

• ISBN13: 9781580172165
• ISBN10: 1580172164
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-03-15
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC

Summary

From the foundation up, author/craftsman Nick Engler takes the reader through the process of renovating existing outbuildings. Step-by-step advice on how to square and strengthen the structure, enlarge or modify the building, repair or replace the roofing and siding, install new windows and doors, even add electricity and plumbing. Covers complete restoration techniques for frame, pole, post-and-beam, and masonry structures.

Author Biography

Building is a passion that author Nick Engler pursues fully. He holds several patents on woodworking tools that he developed. He also likes to share his how-to knowledge with other builders. Engler has authored many articles on woodworking, construction, and home improvements. He is the author of Renovating Barns, Sheds & Outbuildings. Engler is also a pilot, and is building his own 1902 Wright Glider replica.

Table of Contents

Why renovate?	1	(22)
Saving history	2	(2)
Saving architecture	4	(1)
HOW-To Guide: A barn architecture primer	5	(10)
Saving money	15	(1)
The costs of renovation	16	(4)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Restored outbuilding gallery	20	(3)
Evaluating the structure	23	(28)
Type of structure	24	(10)
Post-and-beam structure	26	(2)
Frame construction	28	(2)
Pole construction	30	(2)
Log construction	32	(1)
Masonry construction	33	(1)
HOW-TO GUIDE: A barn dictionary	34	(5)
End use	39	(7)
Humans, full time	39	(1)
Humans, part time	40	(1)
Animals	41	(4)
Automobiles and machinery	45	(1)
Storage	46	(1)
Building codes, permits, and inspections	46	(2)
Building codes	46	(1)
Building permits	47	(1)
Preliminary inspection	47	(1)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Sample building permit application	48	(3)
Foundations	51	(18)
Minor repairs - fixing what's already in place	52	(2)
The mortar is crumbling	52	(1)
The concrete is crumbling	53	(1)
The stones or blocks are loose	54	(1)
A portion must be reinforced or replaced	54	(6)
The foundation has settled unevenly	55	(5)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Raising a building	60	(4)
The structure is slipping off its foundation	62	(1)
The poles are rotting in the ground	62	(1)
The building is slipping down a hillside	63	(1)
Major repairs - replacing the foundation	64	(5)
A foundation primer	65	(2)
Marrying the building to the foundation	67	(2)
Floors	69	(32)
Finding and fixing floor problems	70	(7)
The floor is weak, uneven, sagging, or sloped	71	(6)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Framing fasteners	77	(18)
Leveling a concrete floor	78	(1)
The flooring is cracked or deteriorating	79	(6)
The floor must support additional weight	85	(1)
Installing a new floor	86	(9)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Finishing floors	95	(6)
Structure and framing	101	(32)
Fixing structural problems	102	(5)
Gussets and cleats	102	(2)
Splices	104	(1)
The structure is leaning	104	(3)
HOW-TO GUIDE: A bracework primer	107	(7)
Sagging walls	108	(2)
Rotted sill	110	(1)
Rotted sill log	111	(3)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Hewing logs and beams	114	(3)
Bowed walls	116	(1)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Cable tools	117	(1)
Adding to or modifying a structure	118	(8)
Removing a post	118	(2)
Removing a wall	120	(1)
Cutting or enlarging an opening	121	(5)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Spans and loads	126	(7)
Adding room to a structure	129	(4)
Siding and painting	133	(22)
Common types of siding	135	(4)
Vertical siding	135	(1)
Horizontal siding	136	(2)
Sheet siding	138	(1)
Finding and fixing siding problems	139	(6)
Inspecting the siding	139	(2)
Caulking cracked and split boards	141	(1)
Replacing rotted wood with fiberglass	141	(1)
Replacing missing battens and trim	141	(1)
Replacing rotten or missing siding boards	142	(3)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Using a clapboard gauge	145	(1)
Installing new siding	146	(3)
Installing sheathing	146	(1)
Installing a vapor barrier	147	(1)
Installing vertical boards	147	(1)
Installing lapped boards and clapboards	148	(1)
Painting	149	(3)
Repainting old wood siding	149	(3)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Choosing exterior paints and coatings	152	(2)
Painting new wood	153	(1)
Painting aluminum and vinyl	153	(1)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Painting tools	154	(1)
Interior walls	155	(30)
Adding partitions	156	(2)
Joining partitions to existing walls	158	(2)
Framing partitions	160	(2)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Toenailing	162	(2)
Insulation, condensation, and ventilation	164	(3)
Condensation	164	(1)
How condensation works	165	(1)
Ventilation	166	(1)
Insulation	167	(1)
Batts	167	(1)
Loose fill	168	(1)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Installing fiberglass insulation	168	(3)
Rigid foam	169	(2)
Installing gypsum wallboard	171	(3)
Installing paneling	174	(2)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Planning partitions	176	(3)
Fitting walls in post-and-beam structures	179	(1)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Fitting drywall	180	(1)
Fitting walls in pole barns	181	(1)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Converting a barn to a living space	182	(2)
Attaching to masonry	184	(1)
Roofing	185	(20)
Fixing roofing problems	186	(1)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Getting to the job site	186	(4)
Replacing shingles and slates	187	(2)
Replacing parts of the deck	189	(1)
Replacing flashing and valley liners	190	(1)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Installing flashing against vertical surfaces	190	(2)
Installing new roofs	192	(10)
Roof sheathing	195	(3)
Roll roofing	198	(1)
Asphalt shingles	199	(3)
Metal roofing	202	(3)
Doors and windows	205	(16)
Fixing door and window problems	206	(4)
Doors in crooked buildings	206	(2)
Windows in crooked buildings	208	(1)
Rot	208	(2)
Installing manufactured doors and windows	210	(2)
Installing windows	210	(2)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Making your own windows	212	(5)
Hanging doors	215	(1)
Board and batten doors	216	(1)
Making and installing barn doors	217	(1)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Making a door to match an old barn	218	(2)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Using old hardware	220	(1)
Utilities	221	(17)
Electricity	222	(3)
Outdated wiring	222	(1)
Inadequate lighting	222	(2)
Adequate wiring	224	(1)
Wire sizes and types	225	(1)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Rules of thumb	225	(7)
Installing new electrical runs and lighting	226	(2)
Burying a branch circuit	228	(2)
Running an overhead branch	230	(1)
Installing the branch box	231	(1)
HOW-TO GUIDE: Wiring switches and outlets	232	(3)
Installing individual circuits	234	(1)
Water	235	(3)
Four-season water	235	(1)
Warm-season water	236	(1)
Water for occasionally heated buildings	237	(1)
Metric Conversion Chart	238	(1)
Index	239

Excerpts

Why renovate? Every time I start out to renovate a barn or an outbuilding, someone asks me, "Why don't you just tear it down and start over?" It's a good question. In many cases, it's easier to start from scratch. The building techniques and materials available nowadays enable you to put up a building quicker and more easily than you can do a full-fledged renovation, in many cases. But quicker and easier aren't the only considerations. When you renovate a building, you can save three things: money, history, and architecture. The money you save, the historical value of the building, and the building's unique architecture often make a renovation much more attractive than building from scratch. So before you call in the wrecking crew, give some thought to what you might gain by letting the structure stand. Saving history Whether or not your farm or your home is on the Historic Register, there may be some history to your outbuildings. I've rebuilt log cabins and covered bridges that oozed history from every board. I've also helped to save structures with family and personal history. Memories - whether they belong to the general public or just you alone - are precious things. Your barn or outbuilding may be listed on the National Register of Historic Places - or it may be worthy of listing. To determine its historical value, browse the local history section of your library. There are usually publications related to your area and its buildings. You may find early photos, deeds, and sometimes even original drawings of your structure.I once found an early volunteer fire department book containing layout drawings of every building in my town that existed when the book was made. This proved invaluable in tracing the various additions and renovations done to my property, and it helped me determine when the outbuildings were built and whether they had historical value. Your decision to save the history of your structure may be based purely on self-interest if the building is part of a family history. Near where I live, there is a collection of cabins and outbuildings belonging to a family who helped settle the area. They have so much pride in their heritage that they buy dilapidated buildings that have played some part in their personal pioneer history, move them to a single location, and restore them. They have a wonderful place to hold their family reunions. And they share this treasure with the general public by holding historical festivals and similar events - it's like stepping back in time to a pioneer village. Even if your family never owned a particular structure, you may be related to the craftsman who constructed it. My three-times-great grandfather was part of a construction crew that roamed southern Ohio in the early part of the 19th century putting up public works. I've often wondered if some of the covered bridges that I've helped restore in that area weren't built by him and his friends. Saving architecture Many outbuildings have a unique architecture that is worth saving. In my neck of the woods, there are several round and octagonal barns. Other outbuildings work with the other homestead buildings like a matched set of salt and pepper shakers. Behind my Queen Anne Victorian home, for example, is a carriage barn that I am rebuilding. I wouldn't think of tearing it down and putting a modern garage in its place. Victorian homes and carriage barns just go together. Your barn may represent a unique building technique or style. Many barns that I have worked on have contained a level of craftsmanship and style that is inspiring, and this is worth saving not just for you, but for the future. Also consider the character of the barn, as defined by its architecture. Could it be copied for a reasonable cost in a new structure? Could you match the details on your old building in a new one? Chances are that you can't, or that doing so will be prohibitively expensive. Saving money The most common reason for restoring an outbuilding is that it just costs so much to put up a new one. More to the point, if you tear down the old building and put up a new one, you have to absorb the demolition and construction expenses all at once. Even if restoring an older building costs you as much (or more) than building a new one, you can perform the restoration a little at a time, stretching the cost out over a longer period. Often, this prevents you from having to borrow money and saves the interest you would have paid on the loan. Saving and restoring an existing building might cost you more in labor than building new, but it will save you big time in material costs. As long as the structure isn't too dilapidated, a restoration will require only a fraction of the materials that would be necessary to create a new building. And if you are providing most of the labor as "sweat equity," the cash outlay for a restored building will be far less than that for a new one. Of course, some barns really aren't worth saving, and sometimes the reason isn't immediately apparent. I was once called out to evaluate a big three-end barn. Once there, I discovered that it was an early 20th-century feeder barn, all framed in rough, green oak and nailed together. The former owner had covered the roof in asphalt shingles - a bad choice for barns because they blow off so easily. As he lost shingles, he hadn't kept up with roofing repairs, so the weather had begun to rot the wooden frame. Much of the barn was sound, but two corner posts and much of the top plate needed to be replaced. I told the folks who had recently acquired the farm that they should raze the barn and build new. They were surprised - the barn wasn't falling down. Why couldn't they simply replace the rotted frame members? The problem, I told them, had more to do with the construction than the rot. As green oak dries, it grips the nails like a vise and makes them almost impossible to remove. If the barn were a post-and-beam structure and all I had to do was knock out a few pegs to remove a rotted member, it would have been feasible to save the structure. Siding and painting If you have an older building, you probably have siding problems. The first surface on a barn or other outbuilding to show a little wear is typically the siding. It's constantly exposed to the elements and has nothing but a thin coat of paint to protect it. It shrinks and swells with each change in the weather, causing the nails to loosen. From the moment you spot the first bit of peeling paint or a loose board, it becomes a constant chore to keep the siding in good repair. Unfortunately, this is a chore that many of us fall behind on. Paint and siding problems seem minor compared to all the other repairs we have to do around a property, and so we put it off. The trouble is, while the siding problems are minor, they will lead to extensive structural damage if neglected for too long. The purpose of siding isn't just to enclose the building. It also covers the frame and protects it from excessive moisture. If the rain blows in through a hole in the siding and soaks frame timbers, they may start to rot. This is especially dangerous if the rain soaks an area where two or more timbers join together. The moisture will collect in the joints, the wood will rot, and the joints will be weakened. Siding also keeps the wind out of a building. Wind can be more destructive than water. If the structure is missing siding boards on the windward side (the side that faces the prevailing winds in your location), the building will "fill with air" on a windy day, raising the air pressure inside. This trapped air presses out, putting stress on all the surfaces of the building, eventually weakening the entire structure. The air pressure may also blow off shingles and additional siding boards from the inside. (See Figure 6-1.) It is not uncommon for a strong wind to take a side or a roof off a building when there is a large hole in the siding. Years ago, I was part of a crew that was replacing the siding on a dairy barn. We stripped most of the old siding off the first day, then went home for the evening. That night, a front with high winds moved through the area. When we arrived at the site the next day, the wind had peeled off the barn roof and laid it back like the lid of a box. Fortunately, fixing a siding problem is relatively simple - much simpler than repairing structural problems. Fixing siding is just a "search and replace" chore: Find the loose, rotted, or missing boards and replace them. Every few years, it becomes a "scrape and paint" chore to forestall the deterioration of the siding. How you replace a siding board will depend on the siding materials and the manner in which the siding is attached to the structure. How you paint or stain it will depend on how it was painted before and how long it's been since the last coat of paint was applied. Finding and fixing siding problems As a young man, I once served under several experienced barn builders on a construction crew resurrecting an old Shaker barn. The first step to any barn restoration is identifying the problems, so when it came time to inspect the siding, the crew trooped inside. "What are we looking for?" I asked one taciturn old foreman. "Daylight," he replied. When properly sided, the wall of a barn or an outbuilding should be relatively weatherproof. Unless you're working in a tobacco barn or a corn crib, which require ventilation, if you can see daylight through the siding, you'll soon have a siding problem. You might have one already. Inspecting the siding Actually, inspecting the siding is a little more complicated than looking for daylight. But just a little. Here's what to look for: Rotting ends - Siding boards with rotten ends is one of the most common problems you will encounter on any board-sided barn. (See Figure 6-14.) The ends of a board act like sponges when moisture is present. Unless painted, the ends of boards will soak up moisture. The moisture creates a fertile environment for decay-causing bacteria, and the wood begins to rot. Look hard at the boards around windows. Where the rotted end of a board meets a sill, chances are the sill is damaged, too. Plan on replacing any rotted wood you find.Cracks and splits - Cracks and splits in wood siding collect moisture. The cracks will grow and the wood will begin to rot if these are not repaired. (See Figure 6-15.) The simple solution is to caulk any crack and paint it. Where the wood has actually cupped away from the crack, you may have to cut out a section of the board and replace the wood. If a crack near a structural member is left unrepaired, it may lead to interior rot of the member. When cracks and splits are found in rabbet-and-groove siding, you may have to cut out a section of that siding to replace a damaged piece.

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Excerpted from Renovating Barns, Sheds and Outbuildings by Nick Engler
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.