First post! 1890 Barn restoration

[sprintveloce]

Hi All

First real post on the forum though I’ve been lurking for the last year. Have learned a lot here. Such a great community!

I’m in Upstate NY restoring an old barn (1890!) and am in up to my neck! Was going to post this in the Flooring section but as I started writing realized I needed help in a few areas….Some pictures attached.

The barn needed quite a bit of structural work so was jacked up, sills replaced, collar ties added, gutted, new slab (5.5 inches, 4,000psi with #5 rebar 16" grid), new water/waste/electric service. I also had the old slate roof repaired and am planning to spray the walls and roof with closed cell insulation (I suppose I’ll also install baffles in the roof for ventilation so the foam isn't tight against the roof decking?).

Unfortunately we didn’t put down a vapor barrier or insulation of any kind as I wasn’t planning to heat the whole space. Plans changed and now I’m planning to move into the barn and sell the house. The new slab we poured is ~1200 sq ft and there’s a loft space above that’s around 600 sq ft. I’m planning to live in the loft area and use the lower area for car storage/repair (found a used Mohawk lift I’ll be installing as well).

I’m kind of stuck on a few areas and was hoping to get some advice here because I really have very little idea what the hell I'm doing and have already made a ton of mistakes...

1. Heating/Cooling - I have access to LNG through the town (would need to connect to the main but the local utility provider covers the first 100 ft and I’d probably only have another 30ft or so to go). That said, I’d like to have as few utilities in the space as possible so was considering a heat pump (so I can have the bulk of it live outside) or infrared system. Not sure if anyone has any experience with either of these in a large space like mine? The loft area will be insulated and its own zone so I can heat that separately from the shop. I heat the upstairs of my house (1000 sq ft) with a heatpump and it's not a crazy expensive bill so I'm considering keeping everything in the barn electrical and not bothering with the gas.
   
   
2. Floor over slab - based on what I’ve read, tile is expensive but people seem to be generally happy with it. I was thinking some sort of underlayment (Ditra etc), a thinset with some sort of vapor barrier property, and then a PEI 4 or 5 rustic look tile to go with the age/style of the building. I was worried about moisture through the slab but saw someone suggest the Saran Wrap test which I did and it stayed dry (this was last month in August so I’m hoping would be a good indicator of whether moisture will or won't be an issue?) I ordered a sample of the New Age Luxury flooring which was nice, very heavy and seems durable, but I read about folks having issue with mold/moisture at the joints so am thinking tile will be the way to go. Alternatively, I thought about putting down a vapor barrier over the slab and then Dricore over that...not the best for leaky old cars but it would certainly be a lot cheaper. Perhaps I could look at sanding it and applying some sort of coating/sealer? The other idea I considered would be a floating floor of some kind so I could insulate between the slab and flooring? I've heard different opinions regarding heat loss through the slab...
   
   
3. Walls - I was going to do vertical pine shiplap but am debating whether to paint or stain it or just leave unfinished for now. Sheetrock didn't feel quite right for the space but I'm open to any other ideas. I figured the shiplap would be relatively easy to install (no need to add extra studs) and would keep with the rustic look of the barn.

Well I think that's it for now. Really appreciate any advice anyone has!

Thanks

 

[RoscoTom]

Awesome barn!

That's quite a project, Id live there.

Where do the stairs go?
I ask, because I just built my first stairway.
It takes up about 50 square feet.
I'm looking at ways to make the area under the stairs useful.

 

[sprintveloce]

Awesome barn!

That's quite a project, Id live there.

Where do the stairs go?
I ask, because I just built my first stairway.
It takes up about 50 square feet.
I'm looking at ways to make the area under the stairs useful.

Wow those are beautiful stairs. I am still deciding where mine will go but am considering hiding a compressor underneath and then making some built in shelving or long drawers so I don’t waste the space. I always need a place to put lengths of exhaust, rigid hose, or other long-ish items. Some drawers that run the width of your treads could be useful.

 

[kyrbz]

Nice Datsun!

 

[Zeke]

I think a wood interior is a good idea for a barn living space. Just so you know, there are some threads here about this sort of thing but may be hard to search. One involves an old firehouse so that should be easy. There are a few historic commercial buildings discussed and the granddaddy of them all is about an old garage/gas station workshop restored by a retired pilot, Thomas. I don't have the link but the next poster might remember that one and a few more.

All great reading!

 

[kbs2244]

I would first run your idea past the local building dept.
they may have some rules about a living space above a car service area

 

[sprintveloce]

I would first run your idea past the local building dept.
they may have some rules about a living space above a car service area

Yes! Good advice I made sure to do that. As long as I have fire rated walls btwn the living and work space and I have an egress, they said it was ok.

 

[sprintveloce]

I was also considering putting down a vapor barrier over the slab, sleepers in a tight-ish grid, insulating the empty spaces w foamcore or closed cell, and then putting down facenailed planks - 1.5 inch reclaimed wood I can get from a place nearby. Wouldn't need to be pretty like hardwood in a home, but can get the wood reasonably cheap and it would go with the aesthetic. Anyone have any experience with a wood floor? I think my main concern would be fluids leaking through the cracks and getting trapped under the planks. Also maybe critters nesting underneath? I'll also have to check to make sure a wood floor would be permitted in a shop.

 

[jollygreengiant]

I'm a bit confused here, are you going to be using the slab floor for living space or for workshop space?

If for workshop space, I would not use wood at all. Depending on what kind of work you plan to do I'd go with something like a sealant or epoxy. Garage tiles are an option too but I'm not familiar with them.

If for living space, I'd install the insulated dricore panels and then put your floor over that.

I love your barn though! I really like older buildings, you can see the one I'm working on in my link below. They are a lot of work but there's something to be said about keeping that history alive.

 

[sprintveloce]

Ha yeah it's rather confusing for me too. Plan is to use the lower space for a workshop and the upper loft for a living area. My biggest concern was what to do with the workshop floor as the concrete slab doesn't really fit with the aesthetic of the barn. Perhaps I will look to polish and seal as you suggested but was trying to see if there were other options I could consider.

I like to preserve old things when I can! Cars, buildings, myself...lots of work for sure

Thanks

 

[Jakemedic]

Ha yeah it's rather confusing for me too. Plan is to use the lower space for a workshop and the upper loft for a living area. My biggest concern was what to do with the workshop floor as the concrete slab doesn't really fit with the aesthetic of the barn. Perhaps I will look to polish and seal as you suggested but was trying to see if there were other options I could consider.

I like to preserve old things when I can! Cars, buildings, myself...lots of work for sure

Thanks

How about some of that tile that looks like wood? Not sure how well it would hold up but at least worth a look.

 

[sprintveloce]

How about some of that tile that looks like wood? Not sure how well it would hold up but at least worth a look.

Ah yes I actually ordered some samples that arrived today but most of it is rather uniform so hard to mimic the variations you get with real wood. It's the best I've seen so far though so may end up being what I do.

 

[Jakemedic]

Ah yes I actually ordered some samples that arrived today but most of it is rather uniform so hard to mimic the variations you get with real wood. It's the best I've seen so far though so may end up being what I do.

Have a look around. I have seen some with enough difference in it to be at least interesting. Maybe a classic example, you get what you pay for.

 

[jollygreengiant]

There's a process that they use on concrete patio slabs, that basically allows you to make the top of the slab look like flagstone. I have no idea what it's called but I've seen videos of the process and it looks really good. Maybe something like that to make the slab look like fieldstone to match the barn?