Weekend Progress
Posted by Reagan on 25 Jun 2007 at 07:30 pm | Tagged as: Construction, General
Finally!
It seems like we haven’t really gotten anywhere until this weekend. We spent Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning on the farm. We replaced the old sill corner that rats had eaten out. 
We jacked up the corner with a 6 ton bottle jack, cut out the old piece and replaced it with a new corner piece. The entire operation took less than an hour per corner. We did both corners on the north side of the corn crib. 
We started Sunday by removing the old siding on the north side of the corn crib. 
Mason and I pulled nails from the siding. I hammered them out from the back side and Mason finished pulling them out. I paid him 50 cents per long board and 25 cents per short board. He used the money to buy his very own hand saw.
We were also able to get started on the sheathing on Sunday. We were using sheets of 1/2″ Oriented Strand Board (OSB). 
This project started on a funny note when I epoxied myself to the concrete wall while holding up the first sheet for Rich to nail. I still can’t get it off!
We ended Sunday by having dinner in the camper and watching fireflies across the fields. Amazing!!! We didn’t have fireflies in Colorado, so I haven’t seen them since I was a kid in Texas. Another thing we noticed that we didn’t see often in Colorado was dew on the grass on the morning.
We got up Monday morning and finished up the OSB sheathing. Then added Tyvek housewrap. I must say, easier said than done.
Iowa Wind + Tyvek = Big Fat Prairie Parachute
Plus the sound of rustling Tyvek is like someone standing next to you repeating banging a hammer on corrugate tin. Deafening and maddening. We only got one 9′ tall strip of Tyvek installed, but that was enough to protect the OSB until we get back.
It looks like professional work. Progress is a beautiful thing.
Thanks! Thats the best compliment we could receive!
How did you find a barn with such a nice looking foundation…Does that go below frost line and everything? I am about to start work on my own corn crib but It is not in nearly that good of shape– I am afraid I am going to have to jack the whole thing up and pour new footings.
The foundation is in nice shape, but I am sure it does not go down far enough, or could possibly have footings.
The plan, instead of putting footing under it, is to do a frost protection that’s used extensively in Scandinavia. The leader here in the states is from Iowa!
It’s simple, you wrap the exterior of the foundation in insulation, and also create a horizontal wing of insulation too. That way, the little heat from the ground, and the building itself keeps the dirt around the footings from freezing and heaving.
I found a great guide on it:
http://toolbase.org/PDF/DesignGuides/revisedFPSFguide.pdf
The goal is to keep water away, and then keep it from freezing. Since our crib is on a hill, I think that has saved it for this many years. We’ll also have to re-grade around it, to cover up as much foundation as possible, but leaving the 6″ for code.
Looking good!
Well, how’s that for slave labor,or is it child labor? I thought it was outlawed.
Dew? What’s that? Ha ha, it’s probably from all that humidity, we could sure use some of that out here.
Hi,
I am very interested in your progress on converting the crib to a home. My son has the same goal and had no idea of where to start. Our crib was built in the late 40′s and is still in pretty good shape except for the roof that is pitched and needed some replacement panels this summer. the cupola was rotted from weathering and was removed at the same time. He initially thought of putting a garage on one side but the cement blocks and tunnel on the side of the structure seem to prohibit that idea. Would like to keep watching your progress and any suggestions you have would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks,
Irene Steward