i have the ugliest barn

[sid79]

im closing on a new property, and there is this barn... i just dont know what to do with it, i will need a barn, but it should look nice... the barn now looks bad:

soo, question is, build a new barn? which would be expensive

would you think i can turn this heep into something that looks like a barn? my biggest issue is the shape, i cant stand the roof...

what would you do?

 

[C4Ranch]

Yikes. If the structure is sound and you're good with the dimensions, I'd just reskin it.

 

[Tractorrr]

I would keep it for a while and see if you have uses for it. Who cares if it's ugly if it is functional.

 

[farmall 55a case]

Better than no barn! Maybe fix the metal that needs repair and paint until you get money for a new one?

 

[Wnc3]

Something is better than nothing. Don't tear it down until you have the new one built.
I promise you don't have to put it back in the same place.

I have seen people tear down structures with grand plans of rebuilding and it never happens and then they have nothing.

 

[dragoneggs]

Something is better than nothing. Don't tear it down until you have the new one built.
I promise you don't have to put it back in the same place.

I have seen people tear down structures with grand plans of rebuilding and it never happens and then they have nothing.

Wise advice unless you are convinced this heap is in the ideal place. Never can have enough covered space. Who knows but some cover is better than no cover, even temporarily. Think about ideal layout before any demo.

 

[Woody65]

I agree with all of the above. If you do not like the roof, and I assume it's the pitch that bothers you, you can, after making sure the structure is solid, disassemble the roof and purchase new trusses with a different pitch and re skin it with metal or asphalt.

 

[sid79]

i really dont just want to tear it down and end up with nothing, i had hoped i could redo it, or atleast the roof, it need some pitch as it looks to industrial.. the 2 leanto's are newer than the middle section.

the good thing is, it has water and electricity

would it be possible to remove the roof and put new trusses on there to change the roofline?

 

[ace10]

Yeah, that's one ugly structure.

Take some more pics. Specifically of the posts and where the lean-to's meet the central structure.

Adding something as low as even a 3:12 roof is going to really turn that into a tall, imposing building. And that will not be an easy job. Reskinning it with some fresh tins won't be too bad a job.

I think structural integrity would be your first concern in this decision process. If the bones are good, then work with what you got.

$0.02

 

[ace10]

Yeah, that's one ugly structure.

Take some more pics. Specifically of the posts and where the lean-to's meet the central structure.

Adding something as low as even a 3:12 roof is going to really turn that into a tall, imposing building. And that will not be an easy job. Reskinning it with some fresh tins won't be too bad a job.

I think structural integrity would be your first concern in this decision process. If the bones are good, then work with what you got.

$0.02

 

[Woody65]

i really dont just want to tear it down and end up with nothing, i had hoped i could redo it, or atleast the roof, it need some pitch as it looks to industrial.. the 2 leanto's are newer than the middle section. the good thing is, it has water and electricity would it be possible to remove the roof and put new trusses on there to change the roofline?

Yes, see my post just before yours. Not a difficult project. As long as the rest of the structure is in decent shape. And with the water and electricity already there, it would be worth saving.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

If the poles are good, the tall center section would be good to convert to a monitor style barn, with new sides, new center roofline.

 

[EddieWalker]

All good advice, but I would seriously run the numbers and probably tear it down and start fresh. It always takes a lot more time then you think possible to undo something and make it right. Then there is the question of your skills at being able to do it. Can you install trusses at that height? install metal on the roof? If you are going to hire it out, then it's a no brainer, burn it down and build what you can afford.

Eddie

 

[suzy]

Looks like you have room to get a tractor with a cab in there and is that a loft on top to store lumber? The colored fiberglass on the side to let light in could probably get swapped out for some clear stuff, but it was probably recycled so is ok for now.

Personally, I really like the look of partially rusted metal roofing- on a steep pitched actual roof. Using it on the front of your barn again, would have been a case of recycling. If your goal is to fancy it up some, then I think you could start with just ripping off that front bit of recycled roofing and sheet it with something you like. Looks like an amazing amount of storage/ workspace in that structure. You can never have too much storage space on a farm...

 

[brin]

I would not tear it down if the bones are good....It is not that big a deal to use trusses to change the pitch of the roof and the whole look of the barn...sure is cheaper than building a brand new one...and tearing down is not cheap....You will never have enough covered space....Take your time and look for deals on trusses , labor etc. what you need to make it work....Good Luck.

 

[MH8675309]

Assuming the bones are good it looks like some new or lightly used steel would dress it up. The large lean to looks like it would hold a decent tractor. You could do a one sided roof by building a wall on the right side and extending the wall up and then running rafters sloping down to the left onto the smaller lean to. Or you could make rafters (cheaper than trusses) for the top and put a steeper pitch on it. I've bought what they call "scratch" steel from the Amish. It's new but has been scratched and so is cheaper. I've bought a stack of several different colors and when it was put on it reminded me of a package of fruit stripe gum. Once it was all painted the same color though it looked good and didn't cost a fraction of what a new building would cost. Good luck with it.
P.S. Every building or run in shed I have has used lumber or steel on it to some degree. I take some pride in saving some money on these things and keeping costs down.

 

[Deere Dude]

I bought a place and was considering my 40x60 barn a tear down. It was shaped kind of like yours. I just added footing and gravel to make the floor better than dirt and to make it look better. The previous owner painted the roof and the walls were skinned. It still has crooked walls and leaks in the roof (for the time being). Now I park my camper and GN trailer in it along with my tractors and attachments. It ain't purdy, but it works good for that. I still plan on building a workshop nearer the house but it can be a whole lot smaller now that I have a monster barn to use for storage.

I wouldn't get in to big of a hurry to tear it down.

 

[kco]

As others have said the first question would be the structural integrity of the posts and footings. If they are OK I'd be inclined to modify it on those posts as much as possible. The centre section is much too high. I'd reduce it by adding a 4/12 or steeper roof starting at a lower point on the side walls. The right side wing is also out proportion but could maybe look OK if it were just a continuation of the redesigned top roof line:

or or

You could also break up the massive front wall by shortening one or both side sections similar to this:



Google barn images for ideas and play with designs on paper. I'd plan on new tin for the roof and paint and re-use the existing tin for the walls. Very rough or ugly material can be used on the back if it normally won't be seen. You could do the project in stages over a few years using some parts of the existing barn for storage during construction.

I modified a rough structure a few years ago. Actually, I didn't do much work as I hired a carpenter friend who knows what he's doing(unlike me):

BEFORE:



AFTER:



We added posts for the front extension. The existing, rusty galvanized roof had holes in it because it had been salvaged from another building. So we replaced it with new tin. Some of the salvaged tin was reused on the back wall and painted. We used cedar siding(good price on a private deal) for the rest of the shed so it matches the house.

As Eddie Waler says, it may be just as easy to tear down and rebuild new. But we were able to reuse most materials and to use the shed for storing materials during construction (much of which was in winter).

Since my shed was close to the house I tried to blend it in as much as possible and to not make it look too massive. That is why I opted to waste some space with just an open covered area for one half of the front extension. Designing it was the most fun.

 

[newbury]

i really dont just want to tear it down and end up with nothing, i had hoped i could redo it, or atleast the roof, it need some pitch as it looks to industrial.. the 2 leanto's are newer than the middle section.

the good thing is, it has water and electricity

would it be possible to remove the roof and put new trusses on there to change the roofline?

Yes, I had that done on a 40 x 60 in Northeast Mississippi 2 years ago. The roof was essentially flat (flatter than yours) and they bumped it up to a decent slope. Cost was about $13K, they added beams on top of the trusses for more slope, all new roof, 26 gauge, insulated to prevent condensation. Took 3 guys 3 days. If I had it to do over I would have gone with Lowes for about 18K with all new steel trusses.

Yes, see my post just before yours. Not a difficult project. As long as the rest of the structure is in decent shape. And with the water and electricity already there, it would be worth saving.

Did any one mention construction permits, taxes, etc. for a new building? Not needed for existing usually.

All good advice, but I would seriously run the numbers and probably tear it down and start fresh. It always takes a lot more time then you think possible to undo something and make it right. Then there is the question of your skills at being able to do it. Can you install trusses at that height? install metal on the roof? If you are going to hire it out, then it's a no brainer, burn it down and build what you can afford.

Eddie

If I had torn mine down and replaced it it would be a NEW building with NEW taxes.

Remember - ugly may only be skin deep, but at least in NE Mississippi the tax assessor usually only sees the skin. Anything I do behind the exterior walls goes unnoticed.

Whatever you do, get the ceiling insulated, or it will rain inside due to condensation.

 

[aczlan]

If the frame is good, try a coat of paint on the door/roof (or the whole barn if it has rust all over) and replace the see through panels on the side so that they all match...
You are in TN, so snowload wont be an issue and as such, I wouldnt worry about the roof pitch.

Aaron Z