FREE BARN (se wisconsin)

[jlckmj]

OK,
After reading some of the building and garage saving threads on this board, I am wondering if there is anyone out there that wants a free barn. I have an old dairy barn that is about 32x74x26 high (approximately) in the center. The barn needs to go, the roof is starting to leak and I do not want to repair it because the property is worth more without it than with it. It is in too good of shape to let the fire department practice on it.

The upper part of the barn is the good part, it is made out of laminated trusses and is clear span on the inside. The whole upper part could be rebuilt on concrete footings so it would be similar to a quansit hut when finished. The trusses could be cut down to lower the height if you did not want or need all of the height.

About 95% of the roof boards (1x12's) are still good and the two end walls are still good, and the trusses are in great shape so it is definitely worth rebuilding if someone has the time to take it down and put it back up.

This upper part of the barn was built in the late 40's, the original blew down. That means that there is not any cedar shakes under the asphalt shingles and it only has 2 layers of roofing. Actually only about 1 1/2 layers, I lost a ton of them in a wind storm.

Chances of someone near me wanting it or needing it are slim, but I though I would offer it anyway just in case. Give me a call if interested.


EDIT:
Folks, please read all the threads on this, I do not want to just burn it up, or tear it down, I have been trying for about 2 years to get someone to take it without luck. That is the reason I am putting it on here for the taking, I have exhausted all of the possibilities I can think of, the fact is, it has to go one way or the other.

Jim
2six2.441.0533

 

[Bull]

Oh, my God. If I were a man of means and lived near you, I would be trembling as I dialed your number right now.

This is mega-awesome. I hope someone on here can get this and transplant it on their property!!

 

[dladcock]

Oh, my God. If I were a man of means and lived near you, I would be trembling as I dialed your number right now.

This is mega-awesome. I hope someone on here can get this and transplant it on their property!!

Tis a work of art!!

 

[HookWorse]

I've got a soft spot for barns, and that one is in better shape than mine. But...moving it or tearing it down to salvage are monumental tasks.

It saddens me to see these old beauties disappear. I hope somehow someone can utilize it.

 

[willy3486]

Advertise it locally in your paper or craigslist. After I built my house I wanted a shop but since I had just built the house I had no money for a shop. I advertised for a barn like that I could tear down. I found a couple and I had some lumber already. I later on tore down a old house for a eldery lady my wife and I try to help out and added a section to it with that. So I now have a 30x52 building that has a concrete floor,heat,ceiling,insulated,water,electric. I have only 2200 in the entire building. So anyone who is short of money ,close to you and wants a building it is a way to get one. Its a lot of work but worth it if you want a shop bad enough. I have tore down at least 6 buildings but if you luck up its well worth it.

 

[jlckmj]

Willy,
I did advertise it on Craigs list, all I got were people that I did not trust to do the job.

I do have it listed on a barn for sale board, but so far they do not seem to want it because it is clear span and not hand hewed beams. It seems that the beams (and siding) are what brings the money on the re-sale market.

Like I said in the original post, it was a slim chance someone here would want it, but I thought it was well worth the time to type the post to find out.

Jim

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

Shipping cost to FL?

 

[dladcock]

How far are you from Union Grove Wi?

 

[ihredo4]

I wouldn't mind getting it. I live less than 100 miles from you. Unfortunately broke my back a few years ago and have lots of problems with it. I will have to check with a couple friends and see if they would be interested.

 

[jlckmj]

Dladcock,
I am about an hour from Union Grove, I live almost exactly half way between Milwaukee and Madison, about 3 miles off of Interstate 94
Jim

 

[jake00]

If someone takes it and if there are any beams left over, I'd be interested in those

 

[ishiboo]

OK,
After reading some of the building and garage saving threads on this board, I am wondering if there is anyone out there that wants a free barn. I have an old dairy barn that is about 32x74x26 high (approximately) in the center. The barn needs to go, the roof is starting to leak and I do not want to repair it because the property is worth more without it than with it. It is in too good of shape to let the fire department practice on it.

The upper part of the barn is the good part, it is made out of laminated trusses and is clear span on the inside. The whole upper part could be rebuilt on concrete footings so it would be similar to a quansit hut when finished. The trusses could be cut down to lower the height if you did not want or need all of the height.

About 95% of the roof boards (1x12's) are still good and the two end walls are still good, and the trusses are in great shape so it is definitely worth rebuilding if someone has the time to take it down and put it back up.

This upper part of the barn was built in the late 40's, the original blew down. That means that there is not any cedar shakes under the asphalt shingles and it only has 2 layers of roofing. Actually only about 1 1/2 layers, I lost a ton of them in a wind storm.

Chances of someone near me wanting it or needing it are slim, but I though I would offer it anyway just in case. Give me a call if interested.

Jim
2six2.441.0533

Jim,

I'll talk to a friend of mine and see if he is willing to do the tear down for me. Couple questions:

1. How much time would you allow, and would we also have to remove the small building?

2. Being built in the 40s, it's not really an era of barn I'm familiar with or one the collectors are interested in for anything other than the wood and round trusses. (I'm not a collector, I just would love a round barn.) How is everything attached? I'm assuming all nails, but just want to make sure. Obviously the older barns had a lot of wood joinery to hold things together.

The round barns are fairly rare, there are some around here that look REALLY nice with the original flagstone foundation in such good shape as yours. I'd really consider making some minor repairs versus having some random Joe tear it down, unless it's just completely out of place in your neighborhood. Tear town the small building and fix it up and it'd likely add value. 99% either use it for firewood and dump the asphalt in a field, or it sits outside and rots while they try to get money to put it back up

You're correct; the pirates want the barn boards (they're big $$ right now) and the hand hewn beams... you'll see a lot of single beams on Craigslist for $300-400 a beam. They usually sit for a long time as its a dream

 

[dladcock]

Dladcock,
I am about an hour from Union Grove, I live almost exactly half way between Milwaukee and Madison, about 3 miles off of Interstate 94
Jim

Jim, I have a good friend in Union Grove. I will be certain to pass this info to Jon. He may or may not have an interest, you never know. Thanks, Lynn

 

[colt zantop]

wow...wish I was closer....great opportunity for someone!

 

[bczygan]

I absolutely HATE it when I hear that these barns are being demolished. I understand that they don't serve a useful purpose the way they originally did. I understand the economics and the property tax equation. I know that metal buildings store modern farm tractors and equipment better than re-purposed wood barns. I know that the costs to cover wood barns with metal siding and roofs is prohibitive...............but still I grieve for each one. We will never build their like again. I have a brother with a farm, the second farmhouse is crumbling into the ground when a roof or even a tarp would have saved it 10 years ago. A rough storage building is leaning and will be pulled down......but still!!! There are organizations devoted to saving these fast disappearing structures. OP, please reconsider the idea of at least protecting it for a while longer. We are all just temporary stewards of what we have. Look for one of these organizations on the net. I see you have concerns too, or you would just have demolished it. Are there uses it could be put to by you, or others in your community, that would justify investment in improving it? A space like that is invaluable. I would be wanting to properly roof it and side it and insulate it and heat and ventilate it and floor it and make use of it for shop space and meeting space and office space and............

Bill
Arch. Designer in Detroit

 

[jlckmj]

ishiboo,

The laminated trusses are held together at the ridge beam and at the base with metal plates or angle iron, I have not looked real close but I think they are just lag screwed to the plates.

There are no old beams in the upper part, but the floor sits on the original hand cut 6x6's or 6x8's, some 3X8's, the main beams downstairs are probably white oak hand cut 12x12's? or 10x10's. The floor is all 1 1/2" tongue and groove, I think it is pine, I am not really sure.

The small round roofed shed or lean to closest in the picture is the old milk house, I have to keep that because my well pump for the house is in there. It is not attached to the barn with anything other than flashing.

The small round roofed shed at the back of the barn does not have to go, (it could go with it) I can get rid of that. I will take care of the foundation all I need is the wood and shingles taken away and a reasonable clean up done.

Time wise I would like it done in the next few months so I have time this summer to cave in the foundation, fill the hole, and do the grading.So basically I just need the barn gone.

I am only a mile or so from city limits, the owner of the the farm land around me is trying to sell to a developer so the barn will be out of place where it sits with new homes all around it. Also, I am thinking of selling to downsize and most people will look at the barn as a negative, not a positive.

I hate to see it torn down also.

DLADCOCK,
Thanks,

Jim

 

[jlckmj]

Bill,

I agree with you, that is why I am trying so hard to have it removed and rebuilt somewhere. This barn would make a hell of a shed / garage. I have tried ad's on all the save a barn type of web sites and no one wants it because it is not filled with the premo type beams that bring big money. Most of those guys are just profiteers selling the wood at a very high price to the people trying to go green anyway.

Unfortunately it was in disrepair when I bought the property, I patched the roof several times but I lost about a third of the roof in a wind storm a while back and then the leaks really started. My insurance company had already told me that they were not going to insure it prior to that so I have been faced with the hard decision.

You are right, they have outlived their usefulness, it is a shame, but true.

Jim

 

[slopecarver]

That would be a really interesting house if someone were interested in taking on the (monumental) task, maybe try advertising on dome home design/builders forums. In another life I would love well worn pine tongue and groove floors and laminated clear span trusses for the structure of a home. I'd probably build a loft at one end for bedrooms and to cover the kitchen/utility spaces. Heck with that much space, throw in a game room/theater too. I'd probbaly use slab construction with in floor heating below the T&G while preserving the look of the beams by insulating on the outside of the structure (shingles>tarpaper>sheeting>insulation+spacers>roof boards>trusses) much like what can be seen here (church conversions actually): http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=convert+church+to+home&cp=0&safe=off&bav=on.1,or.&ion=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=675
Example:

 

[noonehas]

Jim, very interested and will be calling you tomorrow. I live in janesville so not that far. thanks

 

[bazzateer]

Really hope someone can save that. Over here there are so few affordable places with acreage, I can only dream of a space like that.

 

[wornoutoldman]

Is your building on North Ave/State Line RD by any chance? It looks familiar.

 

[Kevin54]

IIRC there is a company out of possibly Wisconsin, that takes down old barns and resurrects them. But for the life of me I can;t remember the name. Lot's of help there huh? I do know that they travel all over the USofA and dismantle old barns.

Check this in Wisconsin, this might be the one I am thinking of http://www.old-barn-wood.com/old_barns_for_sale.htm

Maybe this: http://www.reclaimedlumberproducts.com/aboutus.html

 

[Bull]

If anyone here gets it, I will be expecting a long thread with pics of the dismantling and the reassembly!

 

[JC23]

What Bull said...

Also, with that height, could it be used for a small hangar?

 

[jlckmj]

Kevin

I have an ad on that barn for sale site, it has not produced any serious takers, just tire kickers. Most want the siding and would leave everything else. I have also contacted every barn preservation company that I have found with no luck. I have been at this for almost 2 years.

JC
Yes, the end walls could be removed if your wing span was less that 34-35 feet it would work.

Slopecarver
What you were talking about was what I had in mind for a shop building for someone. Put it on concrete, put a balcony at one end as large as you like for storage on top, put an office or clean room under it, save the rest for a shop.
OR,
put a second floor in the whole thing and double the capacity, it could be done with conventional lumber and a lvl beam down the center. It would still have two 15 - 17 foot plus bays on each side.

The possibilities are endless, all it is going to take is someone with time.

Jim

 

[Nighttrain]

Have you thought about all those new houses being built needing a place to store their boats/rvs etc? How about renting out covered storage inside that barn? You could probably bring in $1000 a month or more and use it to re-hab the barn. I would care less that the barn will not fit into the new area. Hey it was there 60 years before everything else. Just a thought.

 

[bczygan]

I have seen high end residential communities built where they took the farmhouse and used it for the construction and then sales office. The barn and outbuildings for storage of materials and equipment and later for maintenance equipment and supplies. Everything was prettied up and made to look more quaint. This gave the development a theme and increased the value of the properties. You might reconsider the whole idea that the barn is a liability. That is in your way of thinking only.

Bill
Builder and developer

 

[Dntouch]

Not that i'm not interested in this (quite the opposite really) but a few years back a local news station TMJ4 or Fox 6 here in Milwaukee did a story to help rid a couple of a barn and it worked. It was during construction along 94 by Waukesha, and it sounds like they were having the exact same issue... I dont have the acreage but if i did i wouldnt hesitate at all.. I'm working with a guy who may have some interest so i'll ask tomorrow.

Either way good luck..

 

[woodbutch]

A few years back a county musuem moved a barn a lot bigger than your's in Thomas Co. Ks. (flat land USA) to use as part of their displays. Have you talked to any local, not so local musuems? Hobby Lobby uses lots of used wood for picture frames and bric-a-brac,looks like an opportunity for you to stay busy. Just remember how to eat an elephant.

 

[ksdaoski]

what town are you in? I'm in Germantown-

 

[jlckmj]

ksdaoski
I'm on the west side of Oconomowoc
Jim

 

[Dntouch]

what town are you in? I'm in Germantown-

Me too...

You need help building a barn. just let me know and give me a corner for the hassle.

 

[oldturnednew]

Jim,

I'll talk to a friend of mine and see if he is willing to do the tear down for me. Couple questions:

1. How much time would you allow, and would we also have to remove the small building?

2. Being built in the 40s, it's not really an era of barn I'm familiar with or one the collectors are interested in for anything other than the wood and round trusses. (I'm not a collector, I just would love a round barn.) How is everything attached? I'm assuming all nails, but just want to make sure. Obviously the older barns had a lot of wood joinery to hold things together.

The round barns are fairly rare, there are some around here that look REALLY nice with the original flagstone foundation in such good shape as yours. I'd really consider making some minor repairs versus having some random Joe tear it down, unless it's just completely out of place in your neighborhood. Tear town the small building and fix it up and it'd likely add value. 99% either use it for firewood and dump the asphalt in a field, or it sits outside and rots while they try to get money to put it back up

You're correct; the pirates want the barn boards (they're big $$ right now) and the hand hewn beams... you'll see a lot of single beams on Craigslist for $300-400 a beam. They usually sit for a long time as its a dream

Do you happened to still have the barn ? I am able to dismantle barns here in Wisconsin and always looking for potential barns. Call 561-401-3699. Thanks Gabe.

 

[oldturnednew]

Always looking for potential barns to take down in Central Wisconsin. Please call (561)401-3699. Thanks Gabe.

 

[Buford T. Justice]

Dladcock,
I am about an hour from Union Grove, I live almost exactly half way between Milwaukee and Madison, about 3 miles off of Interstate 94
Jim

I too would just LOVE to be closer and take it off your hands. And just to think, I've travelled within 3 miles of you numerous times to visit my 'sis in Milwaukee driving I94. My dad in law even moved barns his whole life before retirement! Good luck, I truly hope someone takes on the project.

 

[oldturnednew]

where is this barn located at and is it still there for the dismantle?? Contact Gabe @ 561-401-3699. Thanks..

 

[coljar]

I don't know anything about dairy barns, but I hope someone takes you up on this beauty because it is well worth saving.

 

[b7labelle]

Contact the Gilmore Car museum. They save old barns. Not sure if this is something they would tackle, but it's a shot.
http://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org/html/content_page.php?content_id=58&nav_id=2

 

[jlckmj]

Gabe,
The barn is still available give me a call at;

2six2.441.0333

Jim

 

[camarotoolman]

I built one of those back in the 70s. Very easy to put up so it should be easy to take down. To bad someone couldn't make a house and garage out of it where it is.