I must confess that I had been waiting to write another post until I had enough time to download some pictures from my phone. I wanted to be able to show you all how the barn project had gone. Unfortunately, I have not been able to accomplish this yet. It may be the beginning of next week before I have the time to get it done. I apologize for the lack of pictures in this update.
As I had shared with you, we had two weeks to tear down a barn that had been built in the 1800's. Karen was concerned that I was going to be fatally injured during this attempt. Praise the Lord, none of my injuries ended up being fatal. I am living proof!
The owner of the barn (I never found out his last name-I just call him Mike the barn guy) was so happy to see us start on the project right away, that he never mentioned the time frame again. I started the project on a Saturday by delivering scaffolding and ladders to the site, and 13 days later (seven working days), the barn was on the ground. Mike the barn guy (see?) has said however, that since the barn is on the ground, he is not worried about how long it may take us to haul it away. He has a new building going up the second week of May in the same spot that the barn stood so he just wanted to make sure that the spot was cleared.
I have paid more attention to old barns the last few weeks. After all, there is little else to do during the 120 mile drive. Some barns are in good condition and some look like they haven't been maintained for the last 80 years. I have found it a pity to see the number that are in disrepair. Every old barn has some history attached to it, and it is fun to look at the type of construction and speculate on the original use of the structure. As I have discovered, barns were built for practical purposes. They were not intended to just be decorative objects in the backyard. The style of barn can vary greatly depending on it's intended use.
The barn that we chose to tear down was mainly built for storing grain and hay. The ground floor had several built in grain bins but the entire loft was designed to store loose hay. There was also a milking station built into the north end on the bottom floor. As neat as all of this was, it was of no practical use to Mike the barn guy. He wanted a place to store his tractors, his boats, and his camper. He needs a free span metal building.
For those that haven't heard, the new use of the barn (after it is erected) will be as a home. I am not sure when construction will start, but I am looking forward to it! There are endless possibilities for layout. I can imagine the beauty of the great room with it's 30 foot ceilings and post and beam construction. I can imagine the old pulley and track system hanging from the ceiling which will allow furniture to be hoisted to the lofts. I can even imagine kids (and adults) in harnesses using the pulley as a zip line from loft to loft, soaring across the great room, kitchen, and dining room ceilings. I see decks suspended 16' off the ground projecting out the old hay mow door. I see a two story master bedroom with a balcony overlooking the main living area. I see the old wood floors refurbished as wall and ceiling wood. I can imagine the original sliding interior barn doors as bathroom pocket doors and bedroom or closet doors.
Can you picture it?
Wow, I'm excited just writing about it!
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4 comments:
Wow, now I'm starting to understand why someone would want to take and move the old barn! :) Now the question is... who's going to do the work to build it into a house if you can manage to erect it?
Who better to put it up than the guy that took it down?
But where is it going? Is the barn yours?
Yes, I can see your vision! And I'm excited too! I'm also still just so astounded that you were able to do this with no lifts, cranes, or tractors! I wish someone had been there to video tape you lifting, moving and loading those incredibly heavy barn beams, etc. It puts new meaning to "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"!
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