WWGJD? Residing/roofing old building

[jollygreengiant]

So we have just bought a country property with an old derelict building that we would like to save. Now I know many will say to just tear it down but it has some interesting historical aspects; basically it's been around since 1870, and up until 1970 it was a one room schoolhouse. It even had the original belltower on it and the original wood ceiling. The other reason we want to keep it is we desperately need outside storage and we are young and cheap (and jollygreengiant someday wants a shop )

The most pressing issue is we need to make it watertight. The roof is currently steel over top of what looks to be wood shingles. The current steel is very rusty and has 4 bad spots. One is in the peak for the old chimney opening, one is about a baseball sized hole halfway down the roof, and there are two corners where the steel has been ripped off. I'm wondering what the best way to go about this is? Could I patch the damaged areas and paint it? I haven't had a chance to look at the nails/screws to see what shape they are in yet. Either way I'm not sure if I will attempt this part or hire it done; I'm not a fan of heights....

The second part is the siding. It is timber framed, with board and batten as the original layer. Overtop of that someone put vinyl siding. Now the only place the vinyl is still present is the back; the other three sides it's pretty much fallen off. Most of the B&B is in good shape but some is rotten. I had thought of simply repairing the B&B and painting but then I'll likely be painting every few years? So I was thinking steel sheets or vinyl. I like steel for the better durability but thinking vinyl will be easier to install. The building is out of square by a few inches.

Basically I have a lot of thoughts/ideas running through my mind and I need to narrow down my options. What would GJ do???

 

[Stuart in MN]

I'd strip the roof and start over fresh, patching a roof rarely works for very long. It's your choice on whether you use shingles or metal. On the other hand I'd repair the board and batten siding, then properly prepare it and repaint. If done well, it should last a number of years before it needs repainting.

 

[jetnow1]

I'd strip the roof and start over fresh, patching a roof rarely works for very long. It's your choice on whether you use shingles or metal. On the other hand I'd repair the board and batten siding, then properly prepare it and repaint. If done well, it should last a number of years before it needs repainting.

this is your best cheap approach, you can always put vinyl siding on later.
Some osb and shingles on the roof and it will last 25 years till it needs more
attention.

 

[jollygreengiant]

So, re keeping the board and batten. When they put the vinyl siding on the nailed furring strips on so they had a flat surface to nail the vinyl to. Some of those nails are in the boards of the B&B siding. I'm assuming those would have to be replaced? or is there a good sealant type product that would close up those holes?

 

[yeldogt]

OH -- talk to me old building. !!! What state are you.

How big? ... Mine was one story w/ raised floor in PA. Stove in middle back about 1/3 ... stove gone when I bought. Steep roof. Stone/wood

If it's a timber frame -- it will have purlins. for wall and over the roof truss. What's on the inside?

Before you do anything with the roof -- it's best to do some general poking around. Better to do a quick temp patch on the roof .. using anything. looks don't matter. The goal is to stop any further damage. Even if you have to coat again in a year or two.

After the roof fix, make sure the foundation is sound and that any wall damage that could cause the out of square is fixed .. I'm not talking about the small amount that happens in any building of that age .. that's fine. But you don't want to fix a roof that's out of square and then work on the wall .. you want to fix what's reasonable .. then replace the roof.

Most people place the roof too soon in the process. The roof is out and then you can't true up the building .... making the roof look "true" is what will make the building shine.

If the walls are original -- depending on location. You don't want to cover. It will all be old growth lumber. Mine was all hemlock ... in fact my current building rehab is all hemlock. Old growth hemlock cleaned up will take paint ... and hold very well. Use Ben Moore 049 and a good BM latex topcoat. Don't worry about the nail holes --- putty or glazing putty.. nothing hard .. just press it into the hole. All the modern caulk and fillers -- leave them in the Home Depo.

The roof should be what you can afford and what's best -- again ...maybe take some of the bad metal off and see what really going on. It very well could have been wood originally ... many were slate ... but, my guess is if it was slate -- it would still be there.

It's not uncommon for old growth wood roofs to last 60-70- years. That's 1940 -- starting to go and someone puts a metal utility roof. The time line works for wood .... I took off my original slate roof two years ago .. it lasted over 140 years

I have done a wood roof ... it takes time ... but, it's rewarding if it's not too big. Steep -- may be best to do plywood and better asphalt.

Go slow

We used ours as a weekend place in the country -- it was set up as a big studio apartment. All open with the timber frame roof exposed. We sold it to another weekender --- it was eventually sold to a couple who designed another modern matching building and connected them together with a third structure ...

 

[HotrodHR]

Pics would be nice...

In the meantime slap some roofing repair on the leaky spots while you wait around thinking about what you want to do.

 

[jollygreengiant]

I think this is the only outside pic I have. Dont have any inside pics. Basically it was used as a house from 1970 up until the mid 1980's. After that the former owner put the sliding door on the front and used it for a workshop space for his semi trucks.

When we bought the property it was an estate sale. Understandably when the previous owner got up in years he didn't pay much attention to the old building so it's fairly neglected. Some of the old house construction is still there, along with a lot of junk from his trucks. Basically spare truck parts everywhere.

The structure itself seems ok for the most part. I have found one part in the front wall where the sill timber is rotted, so will need replacing. After that the biggest damage is to the floor inside the front man door. It sat for years with no door in place so it's all rotted out.

 

[Stuart in MN]

That could be a handsome building with a little fixing up. In the picture at least, it still looks structurally sound and straight.

 

[matt_i]

You can go pretty far if you just use 100% silicone and use it to glue in new patch panels. Could even be cut out of 24ga ductwork or trim coil would be better than what you have Best is to remove loose rust. That's steep enough for most of the water to slide off anyway. Could use sheetmetal screws and bury the heads in silicone....the idea is to get it dried up and work on a better plan later.

Where it might make more sense with your time is to bend some metal flashing to deal with the chimney. Too often those areas are "black-jacked" with a thick layer of roofing cement which dries, cracks, leaks. Bending some fresh metal just to get drips flowing the right way can work wonders.

Long term you could always consider removing the chimney and bell tower (?). I'm not trying to steer you either way but just the pure functional recommendation that a single pitch roof both sides is easier to build and greater potential for water-tightness.

The board-and-batten is timeless but nobody has time to paint buildings anymore. Not sure how to advise you but modern vinyl siding in the "better" grades don't shatter like that early generation stuff. If you went that route you could work on air sealing it as well. Much of it depends on your appetite and budget for preservation.

 

[jollygreengiant]

Well the chimney will be going. We would like to keep the belltower but if we do it will be constructed over a watertight roof. How it's built now there is a large piece of metal on the top which covers most of the opening except the 4 corners where the wooden posts where, so not too much coming in there right now.

I would like to make this into a workshop someday, and would like to have it heated. Would keeping the original B&B with no housewrap behind it pose a problem? I'm fairly certain I would need to use sprayfoam; would likely be very difficult to do with fibreglass batts.

 

[Bert_]

Well the chimney will be going. We would like to keep the belltower but if we do it will be constructed over a watertight roof. How it's built now there is a large piece of metal on the top which covers most of the opening except the 4 corners where the wooden posts where, so not too much coming in there right now.

I would like to make this into a workshop someday, and would like to have it heated. Would keeping the original B&B with no housewrap behind it pose a problem? I'm fairly certain I would need to use sprayfoam; would likely be very difficult to do with fibreglass batts.

At this point the roof should be your concern. Doesn't mean it needs to be new even some pieces of tin spliced into what's there will work.

I can understand your concerns about insulation and keeping the siding. My garage has vinyl siding over clapboard over the original tongue and groove drop siding. None of it has any water barrier. The inside of mine is also lined with tongue and groove 1x6's. It makes it a challenge to insulate correctly. I would like to blow either fiberglass or cellulose insulation in the walls but I worry about trapping moisture.

Chimney and belltower aren't that big a deal if they get flashed correctly. Nobody wants to replace flashing, when they do it just gets slapped up next to the wall and tar slobbered over it. I'm a firm believer that everything should be waterproof without any caulk or tar. Unfortunately it seems like a good portion of the roofers don't have a freaking clue.

 

[jollygreengiant]

Started cleaning it out, and got some pics of the inside.

 

[Norcal]

Vinyl siding *****, the only solution for a building with vinyl siding is call the fire dept for a practice burn, another method of urban renewal.

Board and batt siding when taken care of looks good, and fits that building well.

 

[HotrodHR]

Check the foundation especially where there's debris piled up close to it. Repair the rot and as already said replace any of the damaged metal roof pieces, or redo roof with new metal roofing. Repair/replace wood siding where needed and paint.

I would not use vinyl, aluminum or hardy plank siding. Keep it looking original!

 

[510ebl]

As others have said, patch the roof for now, then start at the foundation and work your way up with repairs. A new roof on a rotting foundation and walls will need repair over and over again.

I there were a vote, I'd vote to "restore" the exterior as closely to original as practical. Including the bell tower if $ allows.

But then I like the look of old schoolhouses (and churches).

 

[jamesDC]

I roofed for years and I would 10/10 get that old roof off asap, especially if it's on top of old wood shakes. The roof is the #1 most important thing to protecting your investment