Timber Framers Guild Forums General Looking For The Perfect TimberFramer Deconstruct/reconstruct 1830 structure in Mass

A post and beam 20'X30' Carriage House circa 1830 in Lexington, MA on the Battle Green needs to be deconstructed soon, then moved and reconstructed in a new location roughly a half mile away in the Spring of 2012.

The current owners have a contractor engaged for the rest of the project (building a new structure) and are ready to get underway. A building permit for the project is already filed. The current owners will store the disassembled carriage house for us until we're ready to rebuild it on our property (Spring 2012).

When it's rebuilt, we want to make the carriage house narrower (by decreasing the gable ends to 16' instead of the current 20'), and longer (by adding a 4' deep, 12' wide section flush to one side at the front gable end with a door wide enough for a car). We want to open the back 12' of the carriage house and make it into a screened in porch. We also want to move the staircase (to the second floor) from the carriage house back wall and add a dividing wall between what will be a garage/work area and the screened in porch.

We'd like to use reclaimed wood as much as possible, potentially from our current garage that will be torn down. We're open to ideas on how to preserve the structure as much as possible. We'll provide more details and drawings as needed. We still have to get permits and approvals required (Historic Commission, Zoning, Building...).

Photos of the building are posted at picasaweb.google.com/Tommaso.Fortmann/CarriageHouse?authuser=0&feat=directlink.

Thanks for your help. Look forward to talking with you soon.

Luis (next owner): cell phone 617-448-4602
Tom (current owner): home phone 781-861-7296
or send email to <tfguild@fortmann.org>

Once the insides have been removed back to the frame, and before the roof decking and roofing materials are taken off the timbers should be accurately measured and tagged for re-assembly. The tagging needs to be recorded onto a set of plans prepared after the frame has been exposed and measured. Then the roofing can be removed and the roof decking; bracing off as needed as you go.

When that is done, then you dis-assemble it usually by figuring out what was put up last and take that down first. Working back to the foundation by removing rafters (with or without purlins) then plates, and then lay down bents and take them apart.
Each piece should be inspected for damage and or rot and noted on the previously prepared plans.

All timbers should be stored someplace dry, like a storage trailer for moving to the next site.

At the next site the timbers can be removed from the storage trailer, and repaired as needed. Modified as needed and readied for re-assembly. When ready, re-assemble into structure again.

Years ago, the guild held a workshop showing how to do such a thing and we learned how to measure an existing structure, create the plans, tag and record, then dis-assemble. Months later we were taught how to repair the damaged timbers, and re-erect the frame.

It was a very nice learning experience for all who attended. I was one of those who was there.

What is the reason for narrowing the building?

Doing so will detract from the building in my opinion. The work has already been done with the exception of unknown repairs. To narrow the building will involve changing the tie beams which looks like they have steal added already. But more involved would be the rafter system. I would use its original size. Depending on the joinery used or lack of joinery it would add up to a fair amount of work. If the feet and peak are just butted and spiked, might not be too bad. Build new, to the size you want? Looks like a simple straight forward frame.

Pay close attention to the tie to post connections.

All things in their being are good for something.

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