Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions Widening a barn by adding to the middle years ago

The barn we will be using as a house addition appears to have been widened many years ago.

The rafters all have about a 4 ft extension on the tops. These extensions look to be different material and different hewing then the other 20 foot section of all the rafters. The short rafter extensions do look similar to the queen posts and cross ties.


All the roof sheathing runs from ridge to eave. Most are one piece from the top purlin to the eave. With short 4 ft sections going from the top purlin to the ridge.

The cross ties are in three pieces - one for each isle. All of the isles are about 12 feet wide...but if the top was widened then the center isle would have been about 6 ft wide. The sheathing on the back gable is also has a vertical section of six foot long boards running up the middle. They are not all the same width as the sheathing on the sides of the gable end.

I know almost anything is possible, but would someone widen the middle of a barn? It looks like it would have happened early in the barns life.

We are planning on pulling the width back by removing the rafter extensions for our addition.

Interesting.

The rafters and roof decking (and some other pieces perhaps) could have been reused from an earlier building.

Makes more sense to me than cutting a barn in half and moving half of it in order to gain 6'. And I don't see any evidence lower in the frame that indicates that.

I'd love to be able to study it in person though.

I'm with Gabel, in part because the section of interrupted Tie in the Drive Bay does not look altered and the hewing looks stylistically like it was contemporaneous and executed by the same crew.

Could you put up a shot of the Rafter to Tie connection?

Attached are a couple pictures of the tying joint.

It would very possible that much of it was a frame that was re-used and widened. But it seems odd that they would cut in half and reuse the sheathing on the back gable wall. I have added a picture of the back gable. Seems like it would have been easier to just move the boards up, rather than cut them in half and and add a middle section if they were widening the barn at the same time as moving it.

It does make it interesting to try to figure out what happened over the years.

Thanks Jim -

I am not seeing the sort of anticipated possibility that had me asking after them - Though nor am I seeing the empty joinery typ to a re-purposed frame or one built with recycled framing.

The only empty/recycled joinery I see is the Bridle Joint (Tongue & Fork) which carries the rater extensions - This is typ to area ridge rafter connections - And the empty Purlin pocket the female side has which is typ to Ridge Purlins.

Gotta admit my curiosity is up - My ride soon shifts from treks to a Campton bridge rehab, south to Candia, lets figure out how to meet up there in the barn - PM me and we'll work out the wheres & whens