NDR Barn Renovation

Wow Brad! That's a heckuva project to be taking on and yay for getting started on it. I look forward to watching the progress on this.

How do you jack up a barn that big without causing the barn to collapse? Or is there someone basically on all ends doing the jacking up all at once?
 


Dani, I am tempted to say "carefully!" But basically once we (I am more of a spectator) they had an idea of which posts were sound and which ones were rotted off, cross pieces were bolted to the rotten posts and they were slowly jacked up with 12 and 20 ton Harbor Freight hydraulic jacks and cribbing stacked to take the load. Then they used the laser level and a bunch of measurements to determine what was going to be the new base elevation and how much each post needed to be raised.

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Now footers are being dug under the posts and concrete forms built and rebar being tied for. The monolith footers. 18 inch stem walls will go on top of the footers and the posts will be secured to the stem walls.

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The barn does look kinda precarious but it is sitting level and has better support than it's had in years.

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That's awesome! Can't wait to see the progress.

We've redone a couple barns on our farm, but not to that extent. Keep us posted!
 
[size 4]Man, a decade since the original posts!

What a great project to be chasing. Looking forward to how this all progresses.
 
Brad

I had kind of wondered the status of your barn project. So glad you've resumed work and are showing us the process. How will the posts be secured to the stem walls? I'm guessing metal bases anchored in concrete on the tops of the stem walls and then the posts drop down into the bases with bolts through the base side? Getting those posts off the ground will solve the rot problem forever. Nice save!

Eric
 
I try not to be jealous of anything, but I have good jealousy for you. What a great barn you're going to have!
 
We are pouring concrete, progress is being made. One more pour and we will be setting her back down and bolting her down solidly.

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You can see the cut outs for a couple of stall doors and for tack and feed rooms here.

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My wood, decoy and boat shop will be inside this wall.

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Took a couple days off to hike in the high country of Indian Heaven Wilderness. Dry up there but not dry enough to suppress the mosquitoes and biting flies. The huckleberries were just starting to ripen but the blueberries aren't ready yet.

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Washington hasn't entirely burned up this summer but we have smoky skies. Steve Steffy, this photo is for your inspiration. But it is Adams not Rainier. Its a fun climb.

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Brad

Sounds like the worst, or maybe most critical, of the barn repairs are behind you. Must be satisfying after waiting a number of years to start.

I take it WA state has significant public lands available. Is there a steep learning curve for using them?

Eric
 
Eric

All I need now are 3 more loads of concrete and a couple of gym?s worth of old bleachers.

There are 19.8 million acres of public lands in Washington including federal, state and municipal lands. Much of the land is open to multiple uses. I don?t think it?s hard to figure out how to use them, the hard part is deciding where you want to go and see.
 
What a great project Brad, and after so many years. Who doesn't love a big ole barn...kudos bringing her back to life!
 
Brad Bortner said:
I don't think it's hard to figure out how to use them, the hard part is deciding where you want to go and see.
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I'd agree on that!!!

Your barn progress is looking great. I enjoy the updates. What's the rest of the barn going to be used for if only a section is for boats, decoys and duck stuff? Do you have horses?
 
Not yet Dani but that?s part of the compromise. I get equipment storage and an expanded woodshop and she gets a few stalls, feed room, tack room, wash bay and hay storage for what we don?t sell.
 
One horse, two horses then a friend needs a place to put their horses, pretty soon a stable. Later a friend needs car storage, a boat. Wish you luck, hell of a barn.
 
Those pics really show the magnitude of the project and the neat little details. Very neat to see, I?m really enjoying those pics.

We looked at a property in July that has a run down barn on it without the history or character of yours and my flight (not fight) response kicked in hard, so if nothing else your project saved me some trouble.
 
Well I have one last update before the hunting season. Finally ran out of time before the fall hunting trips and weather that I expect to shut me down. Had to take a break from barn work and do some work on the rejuvenating pastures, cleaning up old fences and fixing some damage from the 5 50-year storm events last winter. All the concrete work on foundation and stem walls was completed. All the supporting posts were either repaired or cut to appropriate lengths before being seated on sill plate and then strapped in place. All the sill plates are bolted to the stem walls and the steel strapping on the posts are tied into the rebar in the stem walls.


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All of the ground around the barn has been graded to slop away from the barn now. Drain pipe for the eventual rain gutters has been installed and been back filled.
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Had to regrade a small paddock to slop away from barn and to back fill against sill. I am hoping that the local geese find the annual rye I planted. Could have a few fun hunts this year.

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We also have the local Conservation District working again on restoring an old side channel that we restored last year. The high water events last winter washed out some of the large logs we placed last year and filled the channel with some of the bedload of gravel and silt. Been cleaning that out. Last year we had coho spawning in this side channel within a month of opening it and even though all surface flows stopped by March there were 2 pools fed by cold ground water that had some larval Pacific lamprey and salmon fry. That has been remedied now. The first flows should sort the gravels and be ready for the sea-run cutthroats and coho that are returning soon.

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But the rest will have to wait because this 15 month old guy is giving me the stink eye. He is a fireball, halfway through his senior title at 14 months and now he wants to hunt.

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