New Barn Workshop - Ideas?

[sld961]

I'll be moving next week to a new house with 5.5 acres and an old bank barn. I currently have no garage, so my workshop is in my basement. The lower level of the barn already has a concrete floor, so I will be converting that to my workshop. Has anyone else made a workshop in their barn? What are some of the things you would recommend?

I am planning the following:

Enclose the open side of the workshop. There are barn doors there already that I assume were used for this before.

Put sheeting on the underside of the floorboards above, to keep debris from falling through.

Seal up any gaps in the stone and walls.

Run a subpanel down to the lower level. There is 50a run to the barn already.

Run copper air lines.

Eventually insulate the wooden walls and ceiling.

Eventually concrete and enclose the open part of the lower level to expand the workshop area.

Next spring replace worn boards, coat roof and refurb the outside of the barn a little.

Some pics:

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[TractorJeff]

Beautiful Barn!
Refurb from the outside in!
All of your items are valid but make sure you have a solid building to finish inward, not outward.
placing boards in as ceiling to block stuff from falling, should be laying a floor over the barn board floor upstairs.
If something hot ever fell through a crack into the ceiling you installed, you would never know till the barn burned down.

 

[Stuart in MN]

On a lower level built into the side of the hill like that, with a loose stone foundation, my big concern would be moisture.

 

[yeldogt]

Have refurbished a couple of barns -- made one into a residence. Think first how far you want to go and what do you want it to look like.

It may look like you have a lot to work with .. but, basically you don't. To make an actual conditioned space -- you have to build a building within the barn. Or strip the siding and put up rigid foam.

My point is it's time consuming and expensive -- not trying to be a downer. It's often cheaper and a lot less hassle to use the barn for great storage -- work in better weather and build another much smaller building for a shop.

The stone wall is going to introduce some moisture - but no more than an untreated concrete one unless water comes in -- barns are typically sited to avoid that .. being underground it's tempered from the weather.

 

[kbs2244]

yeldgot has the best idea.
Build modern inside pretty outside.

 

[sld961]

Thank you all for the feedback.

Beautiful Barn!
Refurb from the outside in!
All of your items are valid but make sure you have a solid building to finish inward, not outward.
placing boards in as ceiling to block stuff from falling, should be laying a floor over the barn board floor upstairs.
If something hot ever fell through a crack into the ceiling you installed, you would never know till the barn burned down.

Thank you. I had an Amish contractor come and look at it for structural integrity. He said it's good, but to replace some of the boards eventually.

I would love to lay a floor over the barn board floor upstairs, but that's not in my budget at this point. It will only be used for storage. The upstairs is basically a dirty old barn with bats and birds. I don't plan on doing anything up there, since it would take significant effort to seal it up.

On a lower level built into the side of the hill like that, with a loose stone foundation, my big concern would be moisture.

I had thought about this as well. I have considered parging the inside of the foundation with lime or framing and insulating the inside of the foundation walls. Either one will be a project for down the road.

Have refurbished a couple of barns -- made one into a residence. Think first how far you want to go and what do you want it to look like.

It may look like you have a lot to work with .. but, basically you don't. To make an actual conditioned space -- you have to build a building within the barn. Or strip the siding and put up rigid foam.

My point is it's time consuming and expensive -- not trying to be a downer. It's often cheaper and a lot less hassle to use the barn for great storage -- work in better weather and build another much smaller building for a shop.

The stone wall is going to introduce some moisture - but no more than an untreated concrete one unless water comes in -- barns are typically sited to avoid that .. being underground it's tempered from the weather.

I've come to the realization that the upstairs will always be a dirty old barn for storage. The lower level seems like it'll be easier to seal up and keep clean.

Very nice barn.
I'm jealous of the rock work

I would reconsider the airlines.
Unless you're spraying paint or sandblasting, airtools (fanaticism of them might get raised) are a bit old fashioned.
Battery has all but done away with any excuse to use air.

Other than a decision I had to make regarding running air line.

I do have add battery impact and it works great, but there are some things that I still use air for, like blowing off machines, air hammer, inflating tires, etc. I don't use air much, but I'm still going to put up my two reels.

yeldgot has the best idea.
Build modern inside pretty outside.

That's somewhat what I'm thinking in the lower level.

Here's a pic of the upstairs.

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[NUTTSGT]

First off, make sure the roof is good to go, probably already down by the Amish guy that stopped by.

Make sure to control the water run off so you're not getting rain off the roof or down the bank coming in your space.

 

[sld961]

First off, make sure the roof is good to go, probably already down by the Amish guy that stopped by.

Make sure to control the water run off so you're not getting rain off the roof or down the bank coming in your space.

Yep, we already checked out the roof and I plan to monitor water runoff to make sure it doesn't come in.

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[That1Guy]

Very nice barn.
I would reconsider the airlines.
Unless you're spraying paint or sandblasting, airtools (fanaticism of them might get raised) are a bit old fashioned.
Battery has all but done away with any excuse to use air..

I have used both air tools and battery powered tools for decades. I remember when the "upgrade" to 12 volts was a big deal - lol. And I've been happy with all of my cordless tools - while they've lasted. Even the 20/60v Flex Volt stuff from DeWalt - very impressive!. But still - they just don't live up to the punishment that a similar air tool will take. Not in my experience anyway. Battery powered cordless tools have their place - no doubt - but I don't see battery powered tools "replacing" air tools any time soon. They're great for the guy who doesn't have room for a compressor or doesn't want to carry a portable compressor around the job site, and the convenience of not having to drag a hose around is nice - really nice - but cordless technology just isn't there yet. Maybe some day. Unless of course the bunny hugger hippies shut that industry down for all the toxic batteries that end up in the landfills.
Just sayin...

 

[yeldogt]

It's not just the upstairs that's a problem ... my point in the earlier post is overall cost and results. What ends up happening is you have to build a compromised space inside of the barn .. and since this space includes all the parts of a building. It would have been easier to just build a building. You spend more and get less -- and don't have the barn space

The typical way to convert a barn is often to strip it ---- skin it and replace the roof. And this is only if the internal structure is adequate ... more often not with todays building codes.

I have a weekend place with many barns -- in fact two were just built one farm over. most are now taken apart and installed in SIP building .. it's cheaper and better vs thing to work with the structure.

 

[VT JD]

sld961,

You may want to check out this thread.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=283881

Techie 1961 did quite a nice job with a similar structure

 

[sld961]

sld961,

You may want to check out this thread.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=283881

Techie 1961 did quite a nice job with a similar structure

I'll check it out. Thanks.

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[zcar751]

Sounds like a plan. When you say work shop you leave it open to a wide interpretation. Shops on this site range from wood working primitive to nuclear weapons clean room. So you can expect a wide range of comments. At this point all I can say is sweet. The possibilities are unlimited. In a barn like that I probably wouldn't go home for weeks.

 

[sld961]

Sounds like a plan. When you say work shop you leave it open to a wide interpretation. Shops on this site range from wood working primitive to nuclear weapons clean room. So you can expect a wide range of comments. At this point all I can say is sweet. The possibilities are unlimited. In a barn like that I probably wouldn't go home for weeks.

Thanks. It'll be about 1/2 automotive/small engine, 1/4 wood working and 1/4 metal working.

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[Hot Rod Grampa]

Love that barn. I would trade that for a modern pole structure in a heart beat. When you enclose the metal work area do it in steel. Walls and ceiling. One little spark in the wrong place could be a disaster. I speak from experience on that one. Run your wiring exposed in conduit so the space can adjust to your needs as they evolve. LED lights and you sir have an awesome space.

 

[ard]

I grew up in PA. Around old barns like that....restored a few.

When I moved to CA, met my wife, we were shopping for a fixer upper. I had this idea of finding an old 100+ year old stone barn. Future wife thought I was out of my mind, but just went along and kept quiet. After a few weeks, I can to the sad realization that anything older than 1960 in CA was a historic building already.

Love old barns. Personally Id turn your barn into living space, office, guest- and build a new shop w 12+ ft ceilings, etc. But whatever you do, keep it in the back of your mind that the next owner may value something other than a 'shop', so as you make improvements think about how they can be marketed in the future.

 

[FTWingRiders]

Not much to add that hasn’t been brought up, but wanted to say Beautiful barn! Even the right color!! Haha With unlimited budget and a barn like that.. oh I’d be in heaven. However since that’s never the case, with a smart plan and realistic goals you can have a great shop in a wonderful old barn. I couldn’t find an old one, so I built a new one for my shop and besides maybe a few feet bigger, I couldn’t ask for more. Enjoy, and I’ll be subscribed in for the updates! Take lots of pictures..

 

[dfiler2]

^^^Very well said!^^^

 

[AreYaSerious]

Beautiful barn, refurbish and keep us updated with pics.

 

[yeldogt]

sld961,

You may want to check out this thread.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=283881

Techie 1961 did quite a nice job with a similar structure

The OP has a bank barn ... it's bigger with two levels and a loft area (hay). The linked thread is a different type of building ... and his insulation idea would eliminate using most of the OP's barn as the second level could not be used. It also looks like more headroom. I don't know what the OP has in head room ....many back barns are not high as they were designed for animals in the winter.

Also -- as you can see ... the linked barn was no easy project.


The best way to utilize the OP space would be to build his own SIP out of plywood and foam sheets and ripped 2x material for the sides. These panels are then placed upright and connected together making the walls -- you can use foundation foam that comes in rolls between the panels floor and top. Bolt the panels together -- you can also make doors the same way. There is no need for typical framing as it's not needed to hold up the structure. You are making insulated partitions. The ceilings are always a challenge in an old barn -- if the floor above is reasonably flat -- foam sheets can be inserted between the old beams.

 

[ScottsGT]

Copper for airlines?? Is that safe? Galvanized pipe is cheaper and stronger.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Copper for airlines? Is that safe? Galvanized pipe is cheaper and stronger.

Copper is used all the time for compressed air, both in home and commercial applications.

 

[sld961]

A couple updates. I finally got some time to work on the workshop. I backed the first load of stuff into the workshop and closed off the open side with a plank wall and a sliding barn door. I put three doors that were left in the barn together to make one 12 foot door.

Next step is to replace the fuse box in the upper level with a sub panel, then a new sub panel in the workshop, then I can wire it up. There are a couple lights and receptacles there, but not enough.

I also ordered a 16" exhaust fan/louver to help with the humidity. There is a lot of moisture that comes though the rubble walls, as mentioned.

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[sld961]

Got some more stuff moved in today. Not organized, but at least moved in.

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[NUTTSGT]

You're getting a good start but I can imagine that will be quite drafty this Winter.


While the haters may dislike the thought, I'd be covering the outside with red metal siding. It'd be the easiest way to preserve the barn and keep it weather tight.

 

[sld961]

Haven't done as much as I would have liked, but I got some stuff accomplished. I got more lighting installed. Got most of my stuff put away. I replaced the original fuse box in the upper level with a new panel, then ran a sub panel down to the workshop. Still need to wire up the compressor, welder and more outlets.

The moisture is definitely a problem. I started to put Johnson's Paste Wax on everything when I started to rust. I bought an exhaust fan and humidistat, but still need to wire it up. It's not bad now that it's mostly cold weather.

I started building a work bench today. I've been working off of saw horses.

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[sld961]

Pics of the fuse box and new sub panel.

Pulled the car in and changed the oil and rotated the tires.

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[sld961]

It's really muddy getting down to the workshop when it's wet. I'll be cutting out the grass and topsoil and putting a proper driveway down in the spring.

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