The reassembly phase

Once notified by the new owner that the site and foundation have been prepared, we load the frame and materials onto a flat bed truck and ship it to the new site. When the frame arrives, so do The Barn People. We personally off-load the frame and assemble the large sections on the ground. Next, we utilize a local crane contractor to lift these heavy sections onto the foundation platform. After this, the entire frame is squared and plumbed, then braced and pegged together with hand-made hardwood pegs.The new owner now has a solid, well-preserved, vintage barn frame ready for use as it was originally intended, or adapted for any number of purposes.

Frame Enclosure / Structural Insulated Panels After we reassemble the barn frame, the next step is to enclose it. If the frame is to remain a structure for agricultural purposes, or perhaps a garage or outbuilding, sheathing the walls and roof with either old or new boards similar to the original barn will be sufficient. However, the majority of our frames are intended for residential or commercial use and enclosure requires a more finished appearance to include insulation. Again this enclosure material will be fastened to the exterior of the frame, just as barn board originally was, but will now be viewed as the interior finish directly against the frame. Most people use a combination of dry wall on some walls and honey-colored antique sheathing on other walls. The majority of people use our antique honey-colored boards on the roof. We then recommend structural insulated panels applied directly to the outside of this first layer with the finish exterior materials such as vertical siding, clapboard or wood shingles applied to the exterior of the panel. After this, the roof receives either metal, asphalt shingles, wood shingles or slate. The frame is now fully exposed to the interior, with the roof and walls finished in the materials of your choice, which hide a superior insulation system Although the traditional techniques of joining and building old barns are timeless, the methods used to enclose old barn frames have changed dramatically over the years. In the past a conventional light frame could be built around or in between the timbers. The frame would then be covered with sheathing and siding materials on the exterior with drywall on the interior and the cavity in between filled with fiberglass insulation. However, this process was slow and expensive and resulted in an enclosure which was not particularly energy-efficient. In light frame construction, the insulation is interrupted every 16 or 24 inches by a stud or rafter. This recurring break in a homes' insulation allows heat to escape and cold to enter at these points. During the energy crisis of the mid-seventies, structural insulated panels were developed for residential use as a take off from manufacturers of cold storage rooms. Because the post and beam framed home market has grown considerably during the past three decades, SIPS manufacturers sprang up all over the country to meet this new demand. Through experimentation and trial and error, some very sophisticated methods of manufacturing high performance panels have developed. These structural insulated panels(SIPS) consist of rigid foam insulation sandwiched between layers of sturdy oriented strand board. The panels are nailed or screwed to the exterior of the completed frame leaving the frame exposed to the inside. And now with a new awareness about “global warming” and energy conservation, SIPS have become commonplace in the newly built environment. Panels can be quickly installed, saving barn frame owners weeks of construction time and labor costs. Another advantage is that the panels form solid walls that deaden outside noise, creating a very quiet home environment. But energy efficiency is the most important reason we recommend structural insulated panels. Because they wrap the frame in a continuous blanket of super-insulating foam, structural insulated panels lower energy costs considerably.There is no break in the frame's "thermal envelope" because the seams between the panels are sealed with expanding foam, making structural insulated panels ideal for soaring ceilings and large open spaces common to old barn frames. Today, the majority of our old barn frames are enclosed with structural insulated panels which showcase the beauty of the frame and allow the timbers to be exposed inside the home. Click here for a photo gallery of the Reassembly Phase The Barn People, 2218 US RT 5, Windsor, Vermont Tel: 802-674-5898