Life in the Barns

[Bob Heine]

LaineO, I don't know what position you were in when you fired up the chainsaw but I imagined straddling the bar top. Gave me a little groin twitch when I saw it. That is going to be an awesome bar!

 

[Homebody]

LaineO, I don't know what position you were iin when you fired up the chainsaw but I imagined straddling the bar top. Gave me a little groin twitch when I saw it. That is going to be an awesome bar!

Close. I was standing on that milk crate you see on the floor. I just put a new blade in the saw so it was relatively quick and painless. [emoji6]
Thanks, I think it'll be pretty sweet also![emoji16]

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[lugnut71]

I think it’s awesome, your barn is soooo cool !

 

[Homebody]

I think it’s awesome, your barn is soooo cool !

Thank you sir!!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Jim Bud]

Nice work....just read your whole post.....it will be fun to see the pictures of the wedding!

 

[Homebody]

Nice work....just read your whole post.....it will be fun to see the pictures of the wedding!

Thanks! Sorry to hear you were so bored and had to read this...lol

 

[C_F]

Love the bar! That was a really cool idea.

 

[Homebody]

Love the bar! That was a really cool idea.

Thanks!
Have a 4 day weekend coming up. Hope to wrap a lot of it up.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[rzims]

I just went through the entire thread.....We're actually looking at barns, barn-like structures and even metal buildings to do something with up in the foothills here.
Unfortunately, prices are really high and inventory is really low....
You've done an amazing job and all your hard work really shines through...

 

[Madone_si]

wow that is wonderful idea, wonder if the wife will allow me to do that to our dinning table? hehe

 

[Homebody]

I just went through the entire thread.....We're actually looking at barns, barn-like structures and even metal buildings to do something with up in the foothills here.
Unfortunately, prices are really high and inventory is really low....
You've done an amazing job and all your hard work really shines through...

Thanks for checking in, Good luck on your search! They're a whole lot of fun!

wow that is wonderful idea, wonder if the wife will allow me to do that to our dinning table? hehe

Better to seek forgiveness than ask permission right?!
Thanks!

 

[Homebody]

As if I didn't have enough to do, it's now getting nice out so the outdoor work can commence. Daughter wants to get married here along this fenceline which has been ignored for 10 years or so...lol

20180317_125413 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180317_125420 by Laine Olson, on Flickr


Once we get that cleared up I had planned to build an arbor, but lucky for me the chair and table rental place had one for sale - that was cheaper than renting one! Sold!
20180317_123905 by Laine Olson, on Flickr


Cleaned the barn up a bit and started stripping every inch of the wiring to prepare for the all new panel and conduit service.

Left myself one dual receptacle.
20180321_184833 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180321_184923 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180321_184931 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180321_185000 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180321_185802 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180321_185822 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180321_184846 by Laine Olson, on Flickr

 

[968944]

What a great place. Love what you have done and I know you will have a fun wedding party in there. Lots of memories to be made.

 

[Homebody]

What a great place. Love what you have done and I know you will have a fun wedding party in there. Lots of memories to be made.

Thanks! I hope so also!

 

[sgfarm]

Just amazing. I love what you have done. Nice that you did not have to do any foundation or much roof work. I am trying to decide now if it is worth the money and effort to save my old barn or if it should just come down. Valleys have been leaking, foundation heaved. beams moved and separated. But it cool old post and beam barn. Decisions.

Anyway thanks for the photos of what is possible.

Mike

 

[Homebody]

Just amazing. I love what you have done. Nice that you did not have to do any foundation or much roof work. I am trying to decide now if it is worth the money and effort to save my old barn or if it should just come down. Valleys have been leaking, foundation heaved. beams moved and separated. But it cool old post and beam barn. Decisions.

Anyway thanks for the photos of what is possible.

Mike

Thank You.

The roofs on the two barns were replaced after a storm in 04. Best money one can spend on these old things is an insurance policy.

The floor does leak when it pours so replacing that with a better drainage system beneath it is in the plan, but only if we can start making some money with it.

The big barn has 4' tall limestone walls that constantly require tuckpointing to repair loose crumbling mortar and many of the 8x8 beams that sit on the limestone have been replaced over the years due to water decay. Espacially under the windows.

I actually have a pretty big project coming up shortly in the big barn replacing a 10' horizontal sill beam and the lower 3' of a vertical beam that rests upon the horizontal one. Stay tuned for those pics next month.

Thanks for checking in and good luck with whatever decision you make!

 

[1Garageman]

I bet you could rent that barn out for weddings and stuff in the future if you wanted to. It is looking really nice! Great job(s)!!

 

[Homebody]

I bet you could rent that barn out for weddings and stuff in the future if you wanted to. It is looking really nice! Great job(s)!!

That's been the plan all along.

Our daughters wedding in June will be a great test run for it. After that, it's time to apply for Special Use permits, etc.

 

[1Garageman]

Ya that barn will be busy!!!

 

[Homebody]

My son started pressure washing the lower level a couple weeks ago. That old milk paint comes off pretty easy! Gonna look weird seeing brown wood when it's been grey/white my whole existence!
20180325_144422 by
[url=https://flic.kr/p/25PvEA2]20180325_144102 by

Also started finishing up this big ol wall that used to be the double sliding doors on one side. Wasn't sure what we were gonna do with it but wanted something different as it was such a vast area to look at. Just covering it with wood would have been boring.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/234whz5]20180324_095440 by
[url=https://flic.kr/p/25KyCzs]20180324_095515 by

I've always had these posts sitting around that are the original ones off the house. Never new what I would use them for but knew I would some day - and then it came to my wife and I....
Let's build a porch - in the barn!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/25PTTA7]20180404_171132 by

So I rounded up an old screen door, that's also been in the "project waiting to happen" pile.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/25THKN8]20180404_184458 by

And an old window from the same pile..
[url=https://flic.kr/p/238N143]20180405_072701 by

Covered the top 1/3 with barn wood.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/24NBNEJ]20180404_171112 by

Built a wood "porch"..
[url=https://flic.kr/p/25KyunA]20180330_172452 by

And then a roof...
[url=https://flic.kr/p/24NBN3w]20180404_171122 by

And shingled it...
[url=https://flic.kr/p/GexSWX]20180404_180851 by

Hang tight, more to come!!

 

[yaidunno]

Your barn and the work you've done to it is really spectacular. Thanks for documenting and sharing your progress!

 

[MNSam]

That'll be a cool place or an entertainer or buffet line. Great looking work!

We loved our barn wedding up here in MN, and this will be a killer venue from the looks of it.

 

[Bears Fan]

Awesome progress! Love the porch

 

[Homebody]

Your barn and the work you've done to it is really spectacular. Thanks for documenting and sharing your progress!

You're welcome, Thank You for checking in and the comments!

That'll be a cool place or an entertainer or buffet line. Great looking work!

We loved our barn wedding up here in MN, and this will be a killer venue from the looks of it.

Thanks, Kinda looking forward to the buffet line myself!!

Awesome progress! Love the porch

Thanks!

 

[PlumGarage6]

Awesome, very creative! I love seeing the updates, keep up the good work.

 

[Homebody]

Well, here we are about 4 weeks from the wedding and just now this past weekend tackling a big project...

The West end of the barn gets the most wind, water, storm related stuff so it stands to reason that it rots the fastest. The upper floor in the SW corner of the barn sloped 3" down about 10' from the South wall.
This was due to the fact that one of 4 vertical beams and virtually the whole horizontal beam that sits on the limestone "foundation" had rotted to the point where one was sinking over the other.

If you look here you can see a bit of both that I'm talking about. The vertical 8x8 with the 2x4 scabbed to it is rotted out and hollow a foot up and the horizontal one it's resting on is rotted 2/3 of the way through from the outside in.
20180429_130555 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180429_080914 by Laine Olson, on Flickr

The sheet metal patch you see is where a window was and what they did 40 years ago to fix the rotted wood. That metal patch method was used on almost all the lower windows of the barn. There are 4 on this wall and will be replaced by just two. Here's some more of the rotted 8x8.
20180429_130546 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180429_130610 by Laine Olson, on Flickr

Here you can see the post jacks we set up straddling under a horizontal that was pinned into the rotted out vertical. In essence, we're trying to raise everything at once - the vertical, the upper horizontal and about 12 2x8 upper floor joists that rest on that upper horizontal.
20180429_121321 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180429_130606 by Laine Olson, on Flickr

Those 4 post jacks worked for a bit and raised it about 5/8 of an inch. They weren't having anymore of it! Unknown weight were dealing with here!
We then used an 11 ton jack and things went much faster - and creakier!
That jack would raise the thing a 1/2" at a time! And boy did that barn creak with every one of em!
20180429_142537 by Laine Olson, on Flickr

In the end, we prevailed and replaced those rotted out 8x8's with nice new (old) one's. Floor sits perfectly level now.
20180429_121255 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180429_175915 by Laine Olson, on Flickr

 

[Homebody]

Got the faux porch about wrapped up. I have an 8 pane window and the original wood screen door to place in those framed areas. The rest will get lap siding.
20180410_172757 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180405_072701 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180404_184458 by Laine Olson, on Flickr

My steed at it's home away from home...
20180408_131025 by Laine Olson, on Flickr

 

[Homebody]

A few weeks ago I built the doors for the new main entrance and got those hung. Got some fine tuning to do yet on them and install latches and such but glad that's done also.
20180412_071826 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180412_071839 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180412_174440 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180412_181653 by Laine Olson, on Flickr

The back/inside of them.
20180415_112228 by Laine Olson, on Flickr

 

[Homebody]

Hang tight guys, I've got 30 days to wrap this project up before the June 2 wedding! Oh, did I mention I still have only ONE outlet and ZERO lights in the barn still?
Gotta hang 9 chandaliers, 20 jar lights, 3 pendant lights, and 3-12 swag type lights yet. Not to mention all the conduit, wire and main panel for those lights. And finish that whole West wall. Right on schedule!!

 

[C_F]

Wow, busy, busy, busy!! Those doors turned out pretty cool, I likey.

 

[YJ4000]

Just AWESOME! I like the way all the different projects come together under one roof. Looking forward to more. I may use your porch idea.

Ryan.

 

[Bears Fan]

Wow! Nice job on the beam replacement and getting the thing back to level the whole barn has a really high cool factor now! I think it will make for some of the coolest wedding pictures

You will need a vacation after the wedding is over

 

[Homebody]

Wow, busy, busy, busy!! Those doors turned out pretty cool, I likey.

And how!! Thanks!

Just AWESOME! I like the way all the different projects come together under one roof. Looking forward to more. I may use your porch idea.

Ryan.

Thanks, it just kinda worked out that way. With such a big space, there's enough room to have features within it where in a picture it will look like a totally different place. Couple that in with the various outdoor picture spots and it should be a photographers dream. I hope..

Wow! Nice job on the beam replacement and getting the thing back to level the whole barn has a really high cool factor now! I think it will make for some of the coolest wedding pictures

You will need a vacation after the wedding is over

Thanks, can't afford a vacation now!
And we've got another big event coming up.... See next post.

 

[Homebody]

In other exciting news, we received word last month that our barn was chosen as 1 of 40 across the nation to have the Certified Angus Beef logo/mural painted on it in honor of their 40th Anniversary!

While we're not a producer of beef like most of the ones they chose, and more of an end user, they did like our love of barns and preserving them story. They also liked the fact that it may be a venue in the very near future and the potential that brings to their marketing campaign.

They'll have a 3 day event in early August with media, etc while it's being painted. This should be pretty cool!!

Here's the logo they'll paint - very large...
2018-05-07_12-21-30 by Laine Olson, on Flickr

 

[C_F]

Wow, how cool is that? Your barn is going to look great wearing that mural.

 

[356vintage]

Nice barn!

 

[Homebody]

Nice barn!

Thanks!

Wow, how cool is that? Your barn is going to look great wearing that mural.

Thanks, Should be a pretty neat thing when it takes place!

 

[Bears Fan]

Well how did the wedding go?

 

[Homebody]

Well how did the wedding go?

Absolutely incredible!! I've got a lot of catching up to do here but yes, the wedding was great and people were wowed by the barn! I could have rented it 8 times now in the last 5 days since the wedding.

Here's a couple of teaser pics... I'll be back with more.
20180602_193403 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
20180530_083949 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
FB_IMG_1528113335494 by Laine Olson, on Flickr
2018-06-07_01-00-18 by Laine Olson, on Flickr

 

[XJSuperman]

Very nice. Just remember, the faster you clean up, the faster you can have someone else in there making you money.