CountryPlans Forum

This is an amazing forum

thanks in advance for all your help

I am planning to move up to an old farmstead in Wisconsin as soonas I can

There is a 80 year old farmhouse that needs major renovation/remodeling --- not the kind you can move into and keep the project going

so I am thinking to convert half of the 40 X 80 foot polebarn into a livable 'apartment/workshop'

My idea is to just put in a insulated frame inside with a 24 X 40 foot finished living area and a 16 X 40 foot work shop area

I don't want to reinvent the wheel here -- just get a warm living area for the 2 or 3 years it will take to rebuild the farmhouse into the 'castle'


this looked like a good start


http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/7146.pdf

Welcome, and good luck.

There are a lot of knowledgable members here who can and will offer advice and tips throughout the course of your project.

What will you use the habitable space in the pole barn for after the house is renovated?

Just wondering if it's worth the effort and expense of if an old travel trailer would serve for the duration of the construction/remodel.  ???

Thanks Don

Yes we considered a trailer option too

Going forward we will need some good solid clean space for my business (assuming there will be an economy LOL)

So yes the space won't be wasted

a good place for visiting friends and relatives to stay too


we want to take advantaqge of the view as well  -- it has a great view of the rolling countrside

I'll post some pics .....

Seems it should work to me. w* to the forum.

Looking west at the farm

That's me looking out the front door of the old farmhouse on the right

The future 'barndominium' is at the far left

(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_0321.jpg)



Here is the view out the same farmhouse front door looking east


(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_0662.jpg)


This another view of the pole barn -- it is behind the windmill tower and cement 'pump house'


(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_0655.jpg)

Here is a picture from just west of the farm taken at about 1800 feet msl in the 170
I have better one somewhere but can't find it right now

(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_1033.jpg)

Man that's beautiful property. 

Really nice.

Thank you very much, Mike

I bought it in 1991

I consider myself just the care taker trying to pass it along  in better condition  

I planted 5000 white pines (the dark green areas in the aerial view photo)  and a few hundred oaks and green ash and maples (the oaks and maples resemble tiny browsed bonsai trees from the deer LOL)

It is in south west Wisconsin, an area that was not mowed flat by the glaciers so it has the old hills and valleys

There was a mastodon skeleton unearthed only a few miles away, the legend is that they found a large flint spear point near it displayed at the U of WI

I has easily been the best investment of my life and a hell of alot of work too

Looking forward to getting the living quarters straightened out

Thanks Glenn

Here is the first run thru for the Barndominium

the dimentions are 40 feet wide by 40 feet deep

the bottom that is cut off is the garage section that is also 40 X 40

the other dimentions don't print out until I get the 19.99 Envisioneer upgrade

I am planning post and pier foundation for the house part and poured cement for the garage part

2  2X12 beams 10 feet apart and   2X8 joists spanning 8 feet

That is a laundry room next to the bath

the other two big rooms are my 'shop' and my wife's sewing room

OK I'm ready for the criticism help

;D



(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/barndominium2.jpg)

'view' looking north west

no roof because all it gives me is a hip roof

Probably put decks in out the french doors off the dining room


(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/barndominium3.jpg)

We have a barndominion in Ohio we are staying in until the timber frame home is done. It was previously a hunting shack built in the second level of the pole barn. We fixed it up by sheetrocking over the OSB, put in laminate floor, added an old cookstove, and used foam board insulation to insulate it.
The major problem we ran into was that since the ''apartment'' was built in the second level the water supply kept freezing if we lost power for the heat tape. We recently built an insulated pipe chase with a heat lamp plugged into a thermostat. If the temperature drops below 38 the light comes on. It has worked great so far but we havent tested it in a power outage yet.
The money and time fixing up the barn apartment was well spent since after the house is done we have a really cool granny unit for guests.

Freezing pipes will definately be a factor it is in Wisconsin afterall

I am thinking of of course keeping all line on inside walls but also desighning in a drain in case we need to leave it in winter for extended times


thanks for the input

any problem with water condensing on the inside of the tin ?

No condensation problems. The apt. has its own roof three feet short from barn roof.
We also have a drain line hooked up to the water heater so it can be drained if apt not in use. Dont forget to pour antifreeze in toilet or suck out water in trap with shopvac or it will break.

good point about the traps

I am wondering if salt would be ok -- I am sure it would work but I wonder if it would be a problem with the septic system

then again water softeners put salt into fields  ???

   
   We have been using this RV antifreeze for the traps . . .

I pick up the RV antifreeze at WalMart.

Don, Bayview

thank you that looks good

I am really learning a lot here

what a great place

With my drafting program (chief architect ver 10), you can select walls and set the roof type for that wall.  Click and open, set as gable wall in roof tab.  Your program may have something similar, many of the programs have similar settings to eachother.

Beautiful land...I can't get over seeing green grass that is that long!  In California, once the grass gets that long it seems to always be brown!  After two years away, still boggles my mind.

Jens

yes, the grass was particularly lush that year, the picture was taken in June IIRC --it is hard work to walk through it -- it averages about 2 or 3 feet,  some taller

the picture was taken from down the hill looking up at the house and barn

I was just looking at your latest works of art (I really mean it) I admire your drive and artistic talent with wood

I wish I could hire you to help build the 'castle' we hope to build later where the old house is -- my wife loves your work

we are going to be self sufficient there -- I am sure it can be done even on much less land -- I am sure you can do it too either in town or out in the country

we may have to sell off land to finance our retirement but that is ok

we're planning our orchard for this planting this spring

2 pear trees
2 Cherries
1 Apricot
several Blueberries
a couple apples

hope to be snug in the barndominium a year from now planning the 'castle'

we live in interesting times

NEW TOOLS !!!

;D


$30 from craigs list
like new, not even a box of brads through it

(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_3795.jpg)



NIB   $100 off retail !


(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_3794.jpg)

wow, nice pickup!

the nail guns were a good buy too.