Dutch Barn Restoration Project at Pleasant View Farm

Postby **Rudi** » Sun Sep 21, 2014 6:33 pm

Looks good Ken .. wonderful pics and Tim is doing an awesome job. Some talented.

PVF1799 · Postby **PVF1799** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 4:37 pm

27-Sep-2014 - Another hot day working on the Dutch Barn Restoration. Had some help from our daughters, Kristin and Sarah - along with Justin, Sarah's boyfriend. Tim of course is leading the project. We got the hay mow totally floored in. This as not been done since the barn was moved here in 1868.

: 2 more cross beams were added into the pockets time cut last weekend.; IMG_3966 (800x600).jpg (145.63 KiB) Viewed 1766 times

: We nail one end - but don't sink the nail so they boards can totally dry - they have to come back up to be grooved and splined.; IMG_3970 (800x600).jpg (111.64 KiB) Viewed 1766 times

: All finished :D; IMG_3978 (800x600).jpg (126.93 KiB) Viewed 1766 times

: Tim - Making a joint for the South Entry way. - That's a 16.25 inch circular saw. :D; IMG_3962 (800x600).jpg (154.85 KiB) Viewed 1766 times

: Floor Joist in the South Doorway - Ready for Flooring - Out of Energy for Today!; IMG_4004 (800x600).jpg (150.08 KiB) Viewed 1766 times

: Finnie - the site Mascot and Safety Officer; IMG_3965 (800x600).jpg (145.23 KiB) Viewed 1766 times

Scrivet · Postby **Scrivet** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 9:10 pm

PVF1799 wrote:.............. We got the hay mow totally floored in. This as not been done since the barn was moved here in 1868.

I've heard of long "To Do" lists but 146 years to get around to it? I guess no sense in rushing into it though! :wink:

Enjoying the updates, can't wait to see more! $:{_}:$

PVF1799 · Postby **PVF1799** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 9:16 pm

Clarifying the To Do List: Back in 1868 - they only put loose hay in - so no floor was required - There were logs across spaced just close enough 4-6 feet to keep the wagon sized loads of hay that dropped from the ceiling mounted hay hook. In the late 1960's when we started baling - we laid some slab wood across that and stacked the hay to the ceiling.

Scrivet - Love your posts - thanks for reading and commenting.

PVF1799 · Postby **PVF1799** » Fri Oct 03, 2014 6:41 pm

A little bit more progress after work today. Got ourselves in shape to work inside tomorrow should it rain as predicted.

: Some 6 x 8 Floor Joists Ready for Installation; IMG_4033 (800x600).jpg (151.23 KiB) Viewed 1714 times

: Those 3 and a few more installed.; IMG_4034 (800x600).jpg (113.76 KiB) Viewed 1714 times

: A little bit more decking laid out. Those are 2 x 12's 14 Feet Long :D; IMG_4036 (800x600).jpg (117.23 KiB) Viewed 1714 times

Scrivet · Postby **Scrivet** » Fri Oct 03, 2014 8:55 pm

PVF1799 wrote:......... Got ourselves in shape to work inside tomorrow should it rain as predicted...............

I wonder how many times in the last 160+ years other family members have worked in the shelter of the barn, instead of doing something else outside, when it looked like or was raining?

PVF1799 · Postby **PVF1799** » Sat Oct 04, 2014 4:25 pm

The weather cooperated pretty good till just about 1330 EDT today. By then we had a lot more floor space. We just order another 600 board feet of flooring. It had been our intention to utilize some of the original flooring but it was just too warped from years of sagging at all different angles. Here's some shots from today.

: We had to move this post back to it's final resting place. This was done along with the outside wall post - Move it about 3.5 inches.; IMG_4038 (800x600).jpg (133.35 KiB) Viewed 1682 times

: Looking out the South Door.; IMG_4040 (800x600).jpg (135.22 KiB) Viewed 1682 times

: South Door Finish Cut - Dad Helps Out; IMG_4042 (800x600).jpg (157.26 KiB) Viewed 1682 times

: Looking West Down the Main Aisle; IMG_4041 (800x600).jpg (147.51 KiB) Viewed 1682 times

: Looking Down into Hay Mow; IMG_4044 (800x600).jpg (101.79 KiB) Viewed 1682 times

: Looking Down into Main Floor Space.; IMG_4046 (600x800).jpg (127.75 KiB) Viewed 1682 times

Postby **Stanton** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 10:00 am

STOUT!! Ya'll are doin' a great job! That ought to last another 100 years!!

Thackery · Postby **Thackery** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 10:40 am

Very nice, great for your family and barn.
In one of the previous posts you said, waiting for grove and spline?
Are you planning on lap jointing all the boards after they dry for a bit?

I put an oak floor in my barn, all green wood, I lapped by 3/8" on all my edges.
After drying there are still a few gaps but not bad and I was not concerned.
I should have lapped by 1/2" or 5/8", but it was a ton of routering that edge the way it was.

Keep up the good work and good posts.

Thackery

Postby **Rudi** » Sun Nov 02, 2014 11:41 pm

Ken:

Wow, there is a ton of work there a nd a ton of material. Looking good. A great family project. Keep posting pics, I am lovin it :-)

Jack · Postby **Jack** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 8:07 am

I really enjoyed seeing those pictures of your project, good job you all deserve a pat on the back

PVF1799 · Postby **PVF1799** » Thu Apr 16, 2015 9:19 pm

Hi all - no work on the Dutch Barn since last fall - It was just a miserable winter here in Altamont, NY. February average temperature was 12.6F. Coldest Since 1956 and 2nd coldest on record since 1820. There is still snow in the woods, the ground is still frozen under the barn.

Lastly - Monday of this week was our 1st 60 degree since October of 2014 - 179 days ago.

Pix soon - I really appreciate all your comments and accolades

PVF1799 · Postby **PVF1799** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 6:24 am

Hi all - Its been a while since we've been able to make the time to work on ol'Dutch, but we're back at it. We've decided to set the barn on a proper foundation so that it won't move about anymore. In the 1920's my Uncle replaced some of the original stones sitting on the ground with some floating concrete pads. They all moved North by as much as 16 inches, along with the barn.

The foundation columns will be invisible and the old cornerstones which once held the barn will be placed back in their original locations - giving the appearance that it's sitting like it did in in the 1860's when the barn was placed there. Using our mini-excavator we've made some of the 16 holes required to build the 16x16 columns. We'll be having about 5 yards of concrete delivered when we're ready. Barn won't be walking North anymore and it will be dead-level - just because my son Tim works like that. You should hear is Grandfather gripe about it.

Ken

: These will be used to replace the original wall that held up the West Ramp into the barn. We'll use the large ones as the foundation. The Big Flat Piece of Shale is for the top layer. I used to play on that stone on that wall when I was a kid and the wall was still standing.

: Got Stones - If Not - We Do!

PVF1799 · Postby **PVF1799** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 9:00 pm

Today we made the 16x16 forms today. My son used his 16inch beam saw to rip 8 sheets of 3/4 OBX at one time. The boxes were made 8 feet long, then cut in half. They will be put in the holes then backfilled to await the concrete truck. Much cheaper than Sonnet Tubes.

PVF1799 · Postby **PVF1799** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 4:57 am

Were one step closer to setting this old barn back down on it's now improved foundation. Originally (1860's) it sat on large stones. Over the years the frost moves them and the entire barn. In the early 1930's my grandfather and my then young (10-12 years old) father put some concrete pads in key locations like the corners. They too shifted, cracked and many of them just disintegrated.

Now the old barn will sit on 12 exterior 16 inch square piers down to an average depth of 4 feet. We poured them yesterday in the 93 degree heat and humidity. We have 9 more interior pads to dig and pour. These will be floating pads as we really have no option. They will last a very long time because the barn won't be able to walk North again like it did before. It moved about 1" to the North every 10 years. We (my son), moved it back the South those 16 inches as part of the restoration.

Flat stones will be laid up on the piers - the barn will be leveled and lowered onto the newly placed stones.

Dad at 96 got into leveling the piers. I did do more than take pictures also - Ken