Need tear down old barn, dont know where to start?

widmn · Mar 20, 2005

I have an old pole barn that is broken and leaning and dangerous. Metal roof. I thought about wrapping a chain around the poles and pulling it down, but then what? Start tearing into it and dragging it away piecemeal? Burn the pieces?? Why not just burn the whole **** thing where it stands? What do you do with all those ashes and partly burned timbers if you want to build again in the same spot????

DocHeb · Mar 20, 2005

If any of the wood is pressure treated, it is probably CCA (chromium/copper/arsenic) and these metals will not burn away, but will remain in high levels in the ashes. Pretty toxic stuff when freed from the cellulose fibers of the wood.

wroughtn_harv · Mar 20, 2005

With the price of scrap so high (we're getting almost two hundred a ton) you might be able to have someone remove the metal for the scrap.

Another thought might be to have a dumpster dropped off and then you only have to tear it up into pieces that'll fit in it.

Just be careful. Sometimes it's hard to tell exactly what's holding things up.

johnday · Mar 20, 2005

Chris; Absolutely correct. All the literature I've seen on CCA says, DO NOT BURN! Through inhalation of the smoke you get a number of respiratory problems. And if you don't breath it, how about the kids downwind of you?

I've demoed buildings before, and the easiest and most spetacular way is to just pull them over if you've got the room and proper tools. Sawzall's and comealongs and chain are in order to do this. Then throw it all in a rolloff and away it goes. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Tevi · Mar 20, 2005

Call the fire dept see if they want a practice burn

Freds · Mar 20, 2005

Not sure how big your pole barn is, widmn, but I had the local volunteer fire dept take care of mine like Tevi suggested. They had three practice burns with one at night. It cost me $5 for a demo permit and I donated $250 to the volunteers. It was worth it.
As far as what to do with what's left over, mine didn't have a metal roof (which I would remove ahead of time), but there wasn't a whole lot left over except a few pieces of charcoal /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif What scrap was actually there didn't even begin to fill a dumpster and the bulldozer took care of it when they graded for my new building.

Darren · Mar 20, 2005

If it is a pole barn built somewhat recently, within the past few decades, a loooong heavy chain hooked to a tractor and a few chainsaw cuts should put the thing on the ground. If it's an older barn, you can check the aerial photos at the county Farm Service Agency to get an idea of when it was built, you may have some valuable lumber. The earliest aerials were shot in the thirties. If the barn was around then, the lumber may be worth salvaging.

They took down an old barn locally that the owner sold to a lumber salvage outfit. They used a prentice loader is carefully remove and load all the framing timber. A lot of the early barns used chestnut for beams.

johan3400 · Mar 20, 2005

Did the lumber salvage guys tear it down??? We have a barn to come down and know it is all good lumber. It just has too many rotten boards to repair it.

JRobyn · Mar 21, 2005

I'll be taking down this beauty this spring, courtesy of one of my neighbors. We will recycle everything possible for my own pole barn!

I started by shoring it up inside with chains and straps to help insure it won't topple over while we're inside doing the demolition. Next, we'll peel off the roof tin, then start stripping the siding, and finally strip out any interior framing. Mostly the reverse of construction.

scott_in_ny · Mar 21, 2005

I second calling the FD. I am a volunteer fireman and we have done this in the past. Works out for everyone.you get your barn down and they get the practice...

its a win win situation.