How to tear down a chicken house?

[rodland]

I have access to a chicken house, one of those used to raise chickens for the market ( BIG and LONG). It is basicaly 4x4 post with 2x6 rafters with a ridge run, (not sure of my wording on these), not trusses. 1x4 strips across the 2x6 to nail tin onto. My question is,does anyone have experience at tearing down such a structure, and what sequence should be used to keep everything safe. Oh the tin has allready been removed and the rafters are approximately 16 feet each, with about a 10 foot brace from the 4x4 about 3 foot high up to the rafters about mid way and is about12 feet high in the center. I want to tear this down for the 2x6's to build a home workshop. I can build the shop but wondering if anyone has any tips on teardown.

Thanks for any help!

 

[rockwithjason]

are you looking to save the material for another job or just looking to demolish?

 

[SuperKid]

Can you post a picture? A picture may make it easier for people to visualize the structure and therefor make a better suggestion of how to tear it down.

Of course, the easiest way (and the most fun IMO) would be to get the biggest, baddest truck you can, hook a chain around the main support beams and pull. Although that may damage some of the lumber. lol.

 

[Bull]

I did this last year to an old chicken shed on my property. I just used a sledgehammer, a crowbar, a Silverado, and a chain. Knocked away as many of the exterior boards as possible, then started attacking the posts, working from the outside, obviously. A section of roof would fall down, I'd remove that, and then go and attack some more posts. Used the chain and truck a couple of times to speed along the process. It was fun.

 

[RAYJAY]

personally I would not use any of the wood in that barn. to many problems with the dust from the chicken's feathers ,and the dust from there droppings,

was there ever a problem with the health of the flock in that barn???

to me the wood there is only good for a bon fire ( a really hot one )

Jeff

 

[rodland]

Yes I am looking to save the 2x6's to build a workshop.

No pics. maby I can get some next week when I go back out there, about 20 miles from me.

Yea, I thought just pull it down, then salvage what I could. Some would crack and bust but there should still be some good from a 200 foot house.

What I would like is to detatch the rafters first but I don't want this thing to fall on me. I can work from inside on a 8 foot step ladder and reach the center of the rafters to detatch them. Oh well I will try to get pics next week and give that a try at explaining better than I can. Thanks all. Keep sugestions comming I am listening.

 

[Stuart in MN]

personally I would not use any of the wood in that barn. to many problems with the dust from the chicken's feathers ,and the dust from there droppings,

was there ever a problem with the health of the flock in that barn???

to me the wood there is only good for a bon fire ( a really hot one )

Jeff

I was thinking more about the smell...I worked in those chicken barns when I was a teenager, and they can be pretty nasty. When I came home from work I stunk so bad I had to change out of my work clothes on the back porch.

 

[Satatic]

You are probably gonna have to use explosives.

 

[PAToyota]

My grandfather let the local fire department use his chicken barn as a "practice session" when he wanted it removed. As noted above, chicken sh*t can be some bad stuff. At the very least wear a good respirator while tearing it down and pressure wash anything you decide to use for another structure.

 

[RAYJAY]

My grandfather let the local fire department use his chicken barn as a "practice session" when he wanted it removed. As noted above, chicken sh*t can be some bad stuff. At the very least wear a good respirator while tearing it down and pressure wash anything you decide to use for another structure.

use lots of bleach also...........

 

[iiibdsiil]

Make friends with this guy:

 

[wilbilt]

If the roof is already off, you can just go at it board by board. Start at the top and work down. Knock it loose and then knock it down.

Work in manageable sections, drop the lumber and pull the nails. Load it up and take it home, then repeat. You don't want to leave cleaned salvage lumber onsite, because someone will take it and benefit from your labor.

Will

 

[stepsideclyde]

About 30 or 35 years ago, in the town that I live, Noel Paul Stookey, of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame, converted a chicken house to a 3 story recording studio, and it once housed a radio station. To my knowledge, there was never any health issues with it. Also worked in a chicken house in my youth and yes, it was a really unpleasant odor, and it did not pay all that well either!


Tim

 

[duke182]

health concerns should be non existant. its been years since any grower has used wooden truss structures to raise chickens.
also if the tin has been off for any lenght of time, mother nature and father time have probably cleaned the boards many times over.
as far as deconstruction goes; start at the top and remove one board at a time,unless you are in a hurry. if you are in a hurry cut every post at the bottom, working carefully, then pull it down and salvage what you can from the groung.
i have torn down chicken houses, wood and steel, as well as hotels and houses and have always been able to salvage large amounts of materials.
what ever you decide to do just rember safety first. good luck.

 

[millemg]

I did mine in 3 Simple steps !!!!!!

 

[bigdogrider99]

Start at the top with a ladder tall enough that you are standing through the roof. Divide the building up and work on about 30 feet at the time. Work your way to the ground, purlins, then rafters, then the walls. About all you need is a couple of sledges, and some kids in the neighborhood to pull the nails for you. Get several 5 gallon buckets for the old nails so you can set the truck close for loading the lumber.

 

[MAINIAC]

There is no reason that the rafters couldn't be pressure cleaned and reused, the floor joists might be another issue. If the tin roof is gone, then the rafters are not a structural portion. Take a nail puller and have at it, or pound away with a sledge until they come loose. I would work from one side to another so to keep the ridge pressue the same. Then tackle the walls. Work from the top down, pick up the debris often and if it looks questionable then get the C4 and stand back.