Help me save my nostalgic shed

[MrMagoo]

When we bought our house 12 years ago, it came with an old half fallen down shed we affectionately named the "nostalgic" shed. I found out from the previous owners that it was built in the late 40s or early 50s and had survived hurricane Camille and since hurricane Katrina. It leans hard to one side and has only ever had junk from days gone by piled up inside.

A couple of years ago, I asked my dad (who is a carpenter) what I should do to preserve the shed and make it more usable. He looked at it quietly for a minute and told me I should rent a dozer and push the whole thing in a pile and burn it. He was worried about my kiddos getting on a rusty nail or snake playing inside of the shed.

We've taken quite a few "rustic" pictures of the kiddos in front of the old shed and for some reason I can't bring myself to tear it down.

Anyone on here have any ideas as to how to preserve the shed and maybe even make it usable for a few hundred dollars?

 

[KennyG]

I'm with your Dad. If you tear it down you can build a "rustic style" shed that is safer and more functional.

 

[s219]

Salvage whatever materials you can, then knock down the rest and start over with a nice new square frame. Reuse those salvaged materials to give the new shed an old look.

 

[bcp]

Clean it out, inspect the framing, and if not mostly rotten, repair and use it. Otherwise, follow the other comments.

Bruce

 

[hslogger]

For a few hundred dollars? nope. I can't see or tell what the dimensions are and how it was built. Dad's a carpenter,right? He sez knock it down. What would an Amishman say? It all really boils down to what do YOU want and how much sweat equity and money are you willing to Invest in it.
"Different strokes for Different folks"........Sylvester Stone

 

[Deere Dude]

It looks like it would cost more to fix it than starting anew and with a whole lot less headaches. What your dad says!

 

[Ed of all trades]

My Dad had an old small barn that had a bad lean and he propped it up with a big ceder pole. Called it his pole barn. Can't see the framing in your shed but talk to the old time farmers in your area, the ones that know how to squeeze a penny so hard they make wire out of it, they can tell you best.

 

[EddieWalker]

Hard to see what's going on there, but what I can tell is that your posts are going in different direction, which means your rafters or trusses are no longer lined up or level. Once wood twists, it's impossible to straighten it in place. What you would have to do is build a brand new building inside of this one to support it. This is very doable for your budget, it also very time consuming. You will need to put new posts in the ground around the perimeter and attach beams to the tops of the posts to carry the load of the roof. How many will depend on the size of the building. Then attach the existing building to the new structure inside of it.

If it was mine, I would do as the others have suggested and tear it down piece by piece, saving the siding and larger beams, burning the rest and building something new and safe using what you where able to salvage to give it that old feel you want.

Eddie

 

[oosik]

Now I had a REALLY old barn - built 1895 - that I wanted to save. Those who knew a lot more, at the time, told me to tear it down and save what I could. I tore it down but was offered so much $$$$ for the old barn wood that I sold it and never rebuilt. The siding was 1 x 12 center sawed ponderosa pine. It ended up being used on the walls of a rec room in a very expensive custom built house.

 

[MacLawn]

Oh me Magoo, I'm with ye, I just hate to see old buildings torn down. Wha' part of Mississippi ye located? If not too far from me in columbus, I help ye. I do think ye might just have to try to salvage that one instead of repairing it in place. Reuse the wood.

 

[DrRod]

I had to learn a tough lesson on this -- you can't save everything. And believe me I am an ardent preservationist especially where my farm is concerned. But it would appear that you have to rebuild so much of this to make it safe that I suggest making drawing, building a new frame, and using as much siding and roofing as possible. It will still celebrate the old building but will offer a life of its own going forward.

 

[2458n]

Old carpenters have two answers. A bulldozer or a match. Your father is the real deal as he combined both.