The Barn People prepare
to dismantle a barn by first photographing the structure as it originally
stood. We then very carefully measure the barn and make sketches
to record its essential character. Blueprints are later drawn from
these sketches of the original framework, stating the location and
size of each timber. These drawings are then labeled for coding
purposes.
The
exterior roof cover is then removed. This may be slate, old tin
sheeting, asphalt or wood shingles. These materials cannot be reused.
The roof sheathing boards are then removed, exposing the rafters,
which are one of the barn's most compelling features soaring high
above the ground floor. The exterior siding is then removed. This
may be clapboard, wood shingles, or vertical boards often commonly
referred to as "barn board". We save as much of this barn
board as we can, but due to years of exposure to Vermont's harsh
winters, the yield is often small. We sell the premium antique boards
separately. They require considerable labor to restore.
Farmers
seldom had the time or the money to replace the exterior skin, so
many old barns have a decidedly seedy appearance. But within the
tattered shell with its leaky roof and brittle barn siding, is the
exposed splendid framework of solid, warm, mellowed timbers, which
succeeds functionally as well as aesthetically.
This
framework is now wire brushed by hand to remove most of the hay,
cobwebs and years of accumulated dirt. All nails and hardware are
then removed. The entire frame is now exposed, which always proves
to be quite exciting for us. We now brace the frame for dismantling
the large sections with a crane. All the wooden pegs, which hold
the timbers firmly in place, are then removed. Any missing timbers,
which made up the original frame, are now drawn on to the blueprints
for later replacement at our shop. The entire frame is then labeled
to correspond with the labeled blueprints.
The
rafters are now lowered to the ground by hand. A crane is then utilized
to lower the large heavy sections of the frame to the ground. These
are carefully taken apart and loaded onto a flatbed truck for shipment
to our shop. All during this dismantling process great care and
attention to detail has been taken to assure that there won't be
ugly scarring or breakage to the timbers. We don't want to spend
hours at our shop repairing or retouching timbers that were carelessly
handled.
