In a previous thread there was some distaste for makeing timber frame furniture. The point was brought up that at least they were used for something instead of being burned or allowed to rot. I agree with this. In my area in illinois there are many barns out in the country side that are falling down and many where the sheating and roofing are coming off and starting to expose the timbers to weather. I think -why aren't there timber frame crews jumping on them to demo them properly to salvage the timber for other projects? I know there are some companies around that do it, but I wonder if they just pick and choose the primer woods and conditions to demo. I have never demo'd a barn, and by demo I mean without damaging. Is no one doing it because there is too much labor vs the value of what you can salvage? What are the propects of putting a weekend crew of local timber framers together to do demos? How would you get insurance for that? Is it even feasable. I think I would be willing to give it a try. It's such a shame that people let these barns fall into such disrepair. I'm sure if you went around posting your service, a bunch would be interested in having it properly demo'd and recycled. All your feedback is welcome.

About six years ago I asked one of my landscaping customers if I could salvage their barn. It had been falling down when they bought the property. They hadn't done anything with it aside from getting a couple of prices on having it burned or demolished, that they didn't want to pay.

Once they knew that someone was interested in the timbers it became a valuable commodity and they wanted me to pay them to remove it as well as foot the bill for dumpsters, etc. They'd found a price somewhere on recycled barn beams milled as flooring and counted the boards in every timber.

I suspect the story is the same with many of these barns.

I see the same thing with yard tree's, the arborist wants $1500 to remove it. They ask me if I can do it cheaper and once they find out I'm going to haul out logs to go on my mill they expect me to pay them for the priviledge of removing it. I've got one who won't talk to me because the tree I didn't want to pay for fell on their garage. :rolleyes:

I'm confident I could strike enough deals with barn owners to swap my labor and barn removal for salvage rights to the materials. After all you don't approach someone with a pristine barn, you go for one that starting to go south that you know the owner is not going to repair. I think if I had the discussion about the value of the wood in it's current form versus the labor costs to demo or repair the structure, I could get enough to see that it is a very fair swap.
My real question is about getting a group together to do one and see if it is worth the effort. See how much time it would take once the learning has occurred as to how to do it most effeciently. Insurance is my other big question. What kind and how to go about getting it for a weekend demo crew. If you get 4 or 5 guys together to do it, and you split up the salvaged wood, or sell and divide what the group doesn't want…would it be a worthwhile venture? What if the group bought a planer and decided to make flooring for their own use and sell some? How do you handle possible injuries while doing this? Can the 4 guys somehow be idependant and contract not to sue each other? Demo is probably one of the more dangerous things to do - working at heights on damaged structures. Exposed nails from removed boards, etc. You'd all need safety gear - proper boots, clothing, hard hat, eye protection, gloves, safety harness. I could see using a manlift to try and reduce some of the heights work.

Brad_BB:
There are lots of costs associated with taking down a barn, for salvage as lumber or to re-assemble to a new location.
The owner usually doesn't want to pay anything.
There are also concerns about lead paint on the external lumber, and proper disposal of this, including the costs for this disposal.
There are many firms out there that do take down timber frame barns, restore them and re-erect them when someone is willing to buy them.
Many of these men are busy doing this and don't have time to post on this forum.
Some maybe reading without logging on looking for leads or other info. It's hard to say who the "guest" is that is listed when you see "....and 25 guest(s)" listed on the forum home page.
So what you can get for "free" is always free at all.....

Jim Rogers

A common problem with barns in my area is that they were originally built late 1800's and roofed with cedar shingles. The roof would get bad, generally around the time of the depression(1930's). There would not be money to change the roof and by the time there was money and steel roofing, the beams were already starting to rot. This is probably the case in other areas. So even if you see a good steel roof and the frame looks good I would say look deeper before you dig in. Look at the wall plates, outside posts and the tops of the crossbeams in particular. Rot may be hiding, I've seen a few frames that are square and look great on first inspection but once you get the ladder everything changes.

Amen to all posted so far. I would add that for a barn to be profitable it must:
1. Be free
2. Be old ( and 75% good)
3. Limited clean up I.E. burn waste or bury etc.
4. No or leinient time constraints
5. Experianced help, no help is better than bad help, you can't work if baby sitting
6. Materials should all be saleable, timbers, siding,loft flooring , roofing ( slate , tin)
These I think are all important factors. You don't need all on the list but it would be best case. If you find old barns they come apart quickly and timbers are most valuble. Old siding is the most valuble and cut nails pull real easy. Flooring is easy to sell as well as used tin if servicable. Getting some guys together to take down a barn is great , but you don't end up with much stuff splitting 3-4 ways. You help me and I'll help you is for good , good friends only. I tear down by myself mostly and use more equipment than I use to. Clean-up will make or break the profitability of a job. If you gotta haul it away you better be sure to have a paycheck coming for it.

Lots of good advice here. My two cents worth is that there are alot of variables and if your'e going to take a barn down on speculation you should use money you can afford to lose. At least use money that can be tied up for more than two years. It is easier to sell a frame standing than a pile of timbers.

I do not know how many more barns there are than customers.

Jim