Little texas barn build

[whitezw]

Started a new project last june (2011) and am finally able to see the light at the end of the tunnel... You may have seen my last build thread (http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103650) where I build a mancave above my current shop.

So, to start off I'll give some project background. I made a promise to my wife that after I had finished my upstairs mancave that I would build her a barn for the horses as we started a horse boarding and training facility (http://www.starlightfarms.us). I started off looking at pole barn kits and prefab structures, but they were a little outside my budget. I caught an amazing deal on craigslist and bought a 36'x36' pole barn that I would have to take down and re-erect at our location.

And this is how our story begins...

 

[whitezw]

Here is what the barn looked like before we started dis-assembly.

This is after the first day of teardown. We removed all the stall partitions and bracing.

This was our next day, we removed half the roof and most of the gable ends.

 

[whitezw]

Next day of work... The rest of the roof was removed and all but the tack room side gable was removed.
So, you know how sometimes you think that cheaper is better... This was definitely not one of those cases!!!
We were working on tearing this thing down during June and July in the South and we were in the middle of a heat spell (95-100 during the peak of the day).

Next up removing the trusses... Didn't get any pictures of this as I was driving the tractor and loading them on the trailer. But if I had they would have been exciting as we didn't use an approved method to remove them.

First load of roofing and stall parts.

 

[whitezw]

Well the teardown started June 28th and we finished getting everything down and moved by Sept 4th. It was a long, hot, scary, and stinky process that looking back I would not have done again even with the **** ton of money it saved.

Trusses

Roofing and gables

Now flash forward... October 18th

Site prep and layout started...

Made some reusable batter boards out of rebar and stand-offs

Corner posts go in and we decide to add another 12' on to the length of the barn making for a grand total of 36' x 48'

Got the rest of the pole in and braced. Ready for the trusses to be mounted

 

[whitezw]

Excited as the first truss goes into place!!!!

More truss action...

What barn wouldn't be complete without a cupola?

 

[whitezw]

Ready for some roofing... was unhappy with our steel supplier as the extra truss we had custom made to match the existing trusses didn't even come close to lining up to the cups on the other trusses. We made it work though and only has two boards that run funny across the span.

Half yellow wood and half PT... Grrrr

Here's the new truss that didn't line up with the cups on the other trusses

 

[whitezw]

Roof and cupola installed

Built a wash rack for the horses with the leftover posts

Trim and ridge cap installed

Scored another craigslist find!!!!
Eight Priefert 12' stall fronts for the barn!!!!


More to come!!!

 

[930dreamer]

Nice work.

 

[64dragnwagon]

Nice looking project! Did you buy all new posts and purlins? Also it looks like there is no bracing on the posts for lateral rigitity.

 

[whitezw]

Nice looking project! Did you buy all new posts and purlins? Also it looks like there is no bracing on the posts for lateral rigitity.

Yep, all new wood as the old stuff was dry and brittle. We are banding the posts now to stiffen them up a little...

 

[whitezw]

One side down, one to go... and the dividers for the middle.

Setting the inner posts for the 4 horse stalls.

Do any of you guys/gals have any tips on accurately setting posts. It seems like I can spend hours laying out a string layout and then marking with plumb bob and I still wind up with posts that are off by 1-2"...
Any tips would be appreciated.

Posts in and banding starting to go up

Banding in place and front stalls mounted

Shot of the stalls. They are 11'x12' interior dimensions (had originally planned on them being 10'x12' and I measured our draft horse only to find that his big **** wouldn't be able to turn around in the stall)

Big guy here made me lose a foot of alleyway space... Grrr

 

[whitezw]

Big jump in time, I started framing the tackroom (12'x18') and forgot to take pictures as I went. So, here's the tackroom with 2 walls up and the floor framed and finished.
Still having problems with posts, I have one post in the center of then framing that is terribly twisted as I'm trying to frame off of it....

One more wall and mockup of windows and doors for test fit.

Siding up on the front and sides

Water line trenched and ready to tie into the existing well pump supply

Electrical trenched and ready for subpanel

Main panel and ready to pull the wire. Went with 6awg/4 conductor and a 50Amp breaker to my subpanel.

Subpanel mounted and wire pulled... Yeah I have power now!!!!

 

[whitezw]

Didn't like how the conduit was about 4" into the alley way so I re-routed the wiring and was able to get it flush with the wall of the tackroom.

Electrical getting roughed in

Trim boards going up on the outside. All the windows and doors are installed and chalked.

Got some lights run down the alleyway and added a power outlet to run some tools

Ceiling joists going in... Getting close to drying this place in.

Got one of the lights for the stalls in place. I really like these lights!!!! They are shock and waterproof. Perfect for a location that may have crazy horses

At this point I am waiting on the stall dividers I ordered from tractor supply to arrive and the rain to stop long enough for me to put up the gable ends. Then I can put the ceiling panels, insulation and interior wall panels in place.

Will post some more updates after the weekend. We are hoping to get the gables in place if the weather holds sunday.




Here's a rendering from sketchup of what the barn was suppose to look like...

I've stayed pretty close to the original design, with the only major change being that I didn't do builtin stalls and instead went with prefab units so that the barn can be changed later if needed. Wifey wants a "REAL" barn later... Real - meaning 40'x120', 13 stall, Post and beam construction with an upstairs 4bed/2bath guest suite... and a indoor riding arena. I need a beer

 

[robarosa]

Real nice barn. Help a fellow build a horse barn before. More work than one would think.

 

[whitezw]

Real nice barn. Help a fellow build a horse barn before. More work than one would think.

Yep it has been a chore that's for sure. I was surprised at how specific somethings have to be as far as the design and layout was concerned.
I found this site pretty helpful with information http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/ub033.pdf

 

[ehaines]

I feel your pain whitezw. In the past five years I have built three separate 12'x20' lean-to's in the pastures and a 12'x78' shed row for the show horses. We have three halter show horses so they each get a 12'x20' stall being that they get to be about 16.2 hands and 1700 pounds.

Now that they all have nice homes, it's my turn to build a garage/shop so my tools get out of a storage sea crate.

 

[64dragnwagon]

Yep, all new wood as the old stuff was dry and brittle. We are banding the posts now to stiffen them up a little...

You have really done a great job. Was it really worth all that work for just some trusses and roofing metal?

 

[Nighttrain]

Glad I am not they only one here that built a barn for horses. I ended up doing a post frame with steel siding to match my garage. Theres a couple of pictures of the build in my garage build thread. It's good to see you re-use the old barn.

 

[NUTTSGT]

That is working out to be a nice liitle horse barn. Keep up the good work, we'll enjoy the future build of the 40x120.

 

[whitezw]

Updates:

Picked up the stall dividers from Tractor Supply and got 3 out 5 hung and ready for the lumber inserts

Finally got all the freeze proof hydrants installed

Got the rest of the ceiling boxes installed

And got some #57 stone spread on the driveway... Got another load coming in the morning to finish it off

My Cami dog helped spread and even out the gravel with the 4wheeler and a drag harrow

More to come as they are hauling in another load of gravel (26.5tons) tomorrow bright and early!!!!

Maybe the weather will cooperate this weekend and I'll get the gables up as well!!

 

[razor524]

Great work on this, very nice!!!

 

[whitezw]

More gravel!!! I think that I'm still gonna need another load and then at least 2 loads of crush and run...

Ran out here and this is where the next load is going

Got the stall lights mounted

Really like these lights. They are super easy to mount and are water/shock proof.

Will post more after the weekend

-Zeb

 

[whitezw]

Great work on this, very nice!!!

I really appreciate all the positive comments thus far. They are really helping me push through and try to finish this thing up so I can move on to the other projects...

I anyone is interested I can post some pictures of the jumps I made for the arena.

Thanks,
Zeb

 

[whitezw]

Well the gables didn't get done this weekend, but I did get the stalls finished and some more jumps built.

The stalls were installed using 2x6 and 2x8 rough cut oak and they are heavy!!!!

Also made some flower boxes for the jumps

That's it for now...
_Zeb

 

[Bib Overalls]

Sweet home Alabama. I used to drive through Tuskegee on my way to and from Ft Benning. That was before the Interstate. A long time ago. Looks like you have a nice "place" in the country. Great way to live.

 

[whitezw]

Finally got some of the gable in place on the tack room side.

Also got some of the feed room put together.

And finally made a welcome sign out of some old horse shoes we had lying around.

Hoping to get the ceiling and insulation up in the tack room this weekend.

More to come !!!!
-Zeb

 

[whitezw]

Well after much delay, I have some updates on the barn!!!

Drywall up and taped

Ceiling textured

More mud and taping

Big jump in time here... Got the walls and ceiling primed and then painted the ceiling and walls. Lastly got the trim primed and placed.

Finished cutting in the color and touched up the trim and any paint mistakes

Didn't get a picture of it, but I had to add another layer of 3/8" plywood over the subfloor as it was a little on the bouncy side. Then I went about laying down the 11mm laminate wood flooring.

Last this was to finish up the electrical and lighting

With the new barn about 98% complete I decided to start the demo of the old stalls in plans for converting the space into a small indoor arena.

Almost done on this project!!!!


Thanks for all your comments and support!!!!!