Reclaimed Barn Beams

[reallylongnickname]

I want to make, have it made, or use an already made post & beam from reclaimed barn wood. It wld be used for structural. Typically, does barn wood keep structural integrity after so many years? Is there an easy way to determine if this wood is usable to bear load? 🪵

[reallylongnickname]

40 views, no comments. Thx ��. Figured it out myself. Code only gives it 30% strength of its original.

[mudflap]

40 views, no comments. Thx ��. Figured it out myself. Code only gives it 30% strength of its original.

Just seeing this...sorry...I was out building! But this is good to know.

And most of us don't know anything about post and beam, other than it looks good when done.

usually, we're a good bunch who will respond to anything, even if we don't know what it is.

I wonder what the code is basing that on - weather exposed? existing attaching points? type of wood? number of years in service? 30% seems a little conservative.

[mudflap]

LHN probably fell asleep again, or he woulda answered right away....

[allen84]

I agree, 30% does seem pretty conservative. I've used some reclaimed wood on building projects. Just make sure exterior wood is well protected from the elements somehow.

Where is LHN?

[loghousenut]

I've been over on the TW 200 motorcycle forum doing the Lord's work and keeping them all in line.

Some 35 or 40 years ago, several years after I went to Skip's class, my Grandad sold the ranch just before he got old enough to die. He had deeded 5 good acres to my Mother as a homesite. My Grandmother (Mom's mom) hatched a scheme that if I'd build a log house on that property, She'd pay for the materials. It would be my Mother's house and Mom would pay for it by taking care of Gramaw til She kicked off, and then I'd get the place as my own when Mom kicked off.

The first thing I did was go see Dan Contento, the guy who bought Grandad's ranch. The old dairy barn (built around 1900) was getting sad looking, so I asked if I could tear it down for the 14" x 14" hand hewn timbers. I thought they'd look cool in a LHBA (it was LHBANA at that time) log house. He said he wanted some of the exterior 1" x 12" barn siding. Most of it was about 20' long. I said I'd clean up and denail as much as he wanted.

The sweet part of the deal was that the barn was about 100 yards from Mom's 5 acres. We shook hands like two log truckers would and I started getting things rounded up for next spring.

Seems like that was the catalyst that got everyone drawing plans.

Some time, in the middle of that winter, Dan pushed the barn over and burned it. I have never said another word to him since.

Probably didn't matter much in the long run. Two headstrong females discussing the future of the rest of their lives did not improve their relationship to the point that either of them would ever put up with all that crap and emotional baggage that the other one was dragging around.

It still gurgles my belly juices every time I think of it.


PS... I know I've told the tale before, but the OP wasn't here to read it back then.

[loghousenut]

And, no, I'm not stealing this thread. That fellow with the reallylongnickname answered his own question and gave up on us. You should all be ashamed.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

[mudflap]

I've been over on the TW 200 motorcycle forum doing the Lord's work and keeping them all in line.

Some 35 or 40 years ago, several years after I went to Skip's class, my Grandad sold the ranch just before he got old enough to die. He had deeded 5 good acres to my Mother as a homesite. My Grandmother (Mom's mom) hatched a scheme that if I'd build a log house on that property, She'd pay for the materials. It would be my Mother's house and Mom would pay for it by taking care of Gramaw til She kicked off, and then I'd get the place as my own when Mom kicked off.

The first thing I did was go see Dan Contento, the guy who bought Grandad's ranch. The old dairy barn (built around 1900) was getting sad looking, so I asked if I could tear it down for the 14" x 14" hand hewn timbers. I thought they'd look cool in a LHBA (it was LHBANA at that time) log house. He said he wanted some of the exterior 1" x 12" barn siding. Most of it was about 20' long. I said I'd clean up and denail as much as he wanted.

The sweet part of the deal was that the barn was about 100 yards from Mom's 5 acres. We shook hands like two log truckers would and I was getting things rounded up for next spring.

Seems like that was the catalyst that got everyone drawing plans.

Some time, in the middle of that winter, Dan pushed the barn over and burned it. I have never said another word to him since.

Probably didn't matter much in the long run. Two headstrong females discussing the future of the rest of their lives did not improve their relationship to the point that either of them would ever put up with all that crap and emotional baggage that the other one was dragging around.

It still gurgles my belly juices every time I think of it.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

man, that woulda burned me up pretty bad. I'm still upset I never got my grandad's 410 overunder. That was a sweet rifle/shotgun. Fun to shoot.