Hi all. On our homestead hunt we have seen a lot of junk! But we've also seen one house that is particularly cool. It's a good mix of victorian era farmhouse with a funky light filled addition. The house is good. The land is nice 5.5 acres.
The problem: The barn...
We're talking one of those big stone based barns with a two or three storey hay maw. With a big concrete silo attached. The silo is in fine shape. the barn isn't. The area next to the silo is giving way. it is still standing, but it will need reinforced. The hay maw has some junk in it right now. The livestock area is in fair shape. Though the wall where the silo is, is starting to buldge in.
Does anyone have any idea what work is involved in reinforcing the wall. Any notion about how much restoring an old barn is going to run? or would it be better to demolish it?
Ideas? Opinions? I just wanted to hear what you ladies have to say before we look into this property further.
Thanks
Argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours.
It is really odd that I read this today! We just had a carpenter (he has done other work for us, so well respected) come out and look at all three of our barns. I'm pretty sure when you are reinforcing a wall on a barn; you want to make sure that the rest of the barn will take it well. If the whole thing is falling apart (little by little) then it might do more damage.
We have a barn that is in a very similar situation and are up in the air on what to do. It will undoubtedly last a few more years, but can we trust putting our animals/hay in it?
We were told that a new metal barn can be built (in our area) for $8 a sq ft. The problem with that is I really don’t want a metal barn. I like the old barn; it is rich in history and smells like a barn and feels like a barn.... I'm a sucker for the past and the feeling connected to the old farmers who used to own and work our land.
Anyway, I have no idea what we are going to do and I probably didn’t help you at all. Good luck to you and your barns!!
~Ashley
"In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we have been taught." -Baba Dioum
Barns...
Posted - Jun 10 2010 : 6:48:55 PM
