Building with used / salvaged materials?

[Farmall 1066]

Would like to put up a 40 X 40 ish sized building in the next few years, and really don't want to go into debt for it. With the Ag economy in the ******* for the foreseeable future, I'm just not comfortable taking on and debt. Between myself and several friends who do concrete and pole building construction, I could handle most of the work myself, as time & finances permit.

No zoning to deal with, and while I want the finished building to look decent, im far more concerned with function vs appearance.

I can get salvaged poultry barn trusses and tin for around $800 per 40X10' section, and looking at this doesn't seem too bad of a way to go. I'm not entirely sold on this idea, but it looks decent and is affordable and adaptable to my needs.

Just wondering whose built with used / salvaged materials and what problems and solutions you encountered?

 

[lukedwag]

Sounds OK price wise. It's the getting them down and moving them that can get pricey but if you can do it your self it could be worth while. I worked for a guy in college and all we built was with used materials.

 

[KDXSR5]

I helped a friend build an equipment storage shed at his family's ranch using trusses from a garage we tore down in town. The trusses were in ok shape aside from rotten tails. When installed on the "new" building, we just cut the tails back until no more rot was found. We then cut all of the tails to the same length as the shortest one.

One thing to watch out for is old, dry wood splits easily. This wasn't a problem for the trusses we used, but was a problem for some old 2x we tried to use.

As long as the trusses are sound, I wouldn't be afraid to use them.

 

[Farmall 1066]

These are steel trusses with 2x4 nailers. The buildings are already disassembled and marked and numbered to be reassembled.

 

[Fishn1]

My buddy built a big storage building using trusses and tin from chicken house. Biggest problem was old screw holes needed to be filled. He used some sort of caulk on each hole. Great storage barn though.

 

[Roddyo]

That is pretty popular around here for hay sheds. Most of my friends have one 60 to 100 feet long

There's no way in hell I would use one as a shop and 800 a section is to high IMO. I'm thinking they are costing very little over that put up around here. How much is a pole barn building package?

 

[VocaTexas]

Most of the shop I'm building is used material. I-beam from a trailer house frame, purlins and panels from several old hog buildings I took down. I am buying new sheets for the roof, though. For several years I built buildings around here for a living, and saved any left-overs, seconds, etc. and am using some of that, too. I have built barns with used tin on the roof, but after a few years the silicone in the old screw holes starts peeling up and you get drips.

 

[Mustang1167]

A member built a 20x32 shop built with Craigslist material...
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=335318

 

[theoldwizard1]

These are steel trusses with 2x4 nailers. The buildings are already disassembled and marked and numbered to be reassembled.

Check the welds closely for signs of rust through. If they meet you size requirements, I would buy them. You might want to wire brush them and paint them with a rust inhibitor primer.

Finding used tin for either the roof or the sides, that isn't beat up will be a challenge. Plugging existing holes will be a real pain.

 

[Jon_E]

It all depends on what the materials are. I salvaged over 3000 square feet of 2" polyiso insulation from a contractor who was going to trash it, and used it all in my garage. I'd be cool with using salvaged materials as long as it was appropriate for the use. Trusses, for your example, would be fine, but you would obviously have to size the building to fit the trusses. I would not consider used metal roofing for an occupied space - maybe a wood shed or lean-to. There are people out there who manage to use 100% recycled or salvaged materials to build their structures, and while I commend their effort, it usually takes a huge amount of time, extra labor, and careful planning to make it all work.

 

[MBfreak]

Since you certainly have the skills and patience I would say go for it.

I grew up in a half-rural community, our next door (500 ft) neighbor was a building worker who lived in a rather poor house. Over 5 years he collected old brick from demolition sites, cleaned them up. He then had a foundation cast and built a brick house with hollow brick walls and insulation. Finished it in two years with help from friends. That was 55 years ago. Cost was probably 10% of what it was worth. The house looked perfect then and still does. His daughter and her family lives there now.

Go for it

Ola

 

[kbs2244]

Go for it, but check all joints for corrosion.
Chicken poop is corrosive.

$3200 for a 40 x 40 doesn't sound bad.

 

[engineer2]

I hear poultry barns smell bad after a few years, not sure if you can fix that. Maybe it's only at ground level?

 

[nterry1957]

I m nearing completion of a 40x40 that I built from salvaged chicken barn materials.

here is the build thread.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=329478

I would be glad to answer any questions you have.

So far, I really like it. I went with new metal for the outside per my wife's request (it's close to the house) and I didn't want to have to try to line up and re-use the old nail holes in the original metal.

 

[nterry1957]

The only thing I don't like so far.. I went with a black roof and the 1-1/2 insulation pops as it expands in the roof as the sun gets high and then it pops as it retracts and cools down as the sun goes down.

I power washed all the insulation and there is no poultry smell in the building at all.

 

[nterry1957]

I paid $1900 for the trusses, purlins/girts and insulation. Then I bought new metal.

 

[bgarrett]

I have built barns with used tin on the roof, but after a few years the silicone in the old screw holes starts peeling up and you get drips.

Wipe the metal roof clean at each hole, silicone a circle around each hole, insert a roofing tack and silicone over the head of the roofing tack.

 

[Finky198]

Its taken quite a few years to build our current shop aprox 60'X60' 12'H and it is almost 100% used and salvaged materials. Our last build was 30x30 cost around $300 in roofing materials, caulk/glue, and a few other odds and end... Other than that its all been FREE or Craigslist... from the beams, lumber, electric, Concrete Block, Cement, 1/2 and 3/4 ply... you name it we some how got when we needed it... ( all legally I might add).

It helps to be friendly with local contractor and builders make friends most don't care what you take out of a dumpster It's Free for the taking. Our last haul was from a condo build we got 75+ 3/4 sheets of 1/2 osb. I Haven't even dipped into that pile yet....

One of our local construction companies delivered #24 25ft 2x10s that came off a job and could not be Reused as company policy. That roofed our entire new addition.

Our Beams came from a lager HOOTERS that was torn down.
They were FREE on CL 16"X12"x30' glue lams... There were 6 we took 3,
2 were used as beams the other was cut into posts..

So yes, I think if your on the lookout and willing to wait a little it could be done....

.

 

[Farmall 1066]

Thanks for all the ideas guys!
Please keep them coming.

 

[krcoomer]

Rather than using silicone to cover your nail holes, get some NP-1 from a supply house or look online. It is the absolute best sealant I have ever seen and comes in about 10 different colors. I believe BASF is the manufacturer.

 

[gungatim]

search for pallet sheds...lots of ideas. I built a 10x10 garden shed almost entirely from salvaged pallet and shipping crates. floor is used 2x12 treated picnic table lumber from a couple rusted table frames. all the 2x4's were from shipping crates (12' long) when we got new packaging lines at the shop, plywood from other crates, the nails I pulled apart from the short air nailer strips the guys toss out of the gun with 4 or 5 nails left. I did it just to see how cheap I could build a shed. I did buy the paint though. still standing almost 20 yrs. now....pic is when it was new, the bottom of door is starting to rot and a couple hinges rusted off but other than that it's probably better than the box store builds.

 

[Finky198]

I Framed in a 12' long 36" deep shelf above our main doors with a used 2"x10" and some 2"x4"s from the scrap pile... It went pretty quick with the miter saw set up and a charged nail gun... Going to screw down some osb (also free) tomorrow and start filling the shelf up... Thought I'd post this here I'll try and take some pics tomorrow.

 

[stihlntime]

In our area they are advertising 40x100 building kits for around 5500.00 all reclaimed poultry house materials, they were listing the trusses only at 100.00 a truss 40' span. Alto of farmers are driving 10' long 3" pipe four feet in the ground and welding the truss leg to the pipe to get sidewall height.