Day 21: Frankenstorm Begins the 5th Week

Well now our reporting will be a little harder to keep straight. It was nice when Day 1 was on the first Monday and so forth. Now we will change it up a bit. Roger stopped by today to make sure the barn was ok in the wind and check as to the safety of working. Well the barn was ok, but it was not safe to work. He said he would check back on Wednesday. So this post will be Day 21 and Day 22 will be when Roger resumes work.

Rotted Corner Timber

One last item before we suspend the blog until Roger gets back. This is the nortwest corner of the barn. Notice how the timber is all but rotted away. The other three corners are ok.There is also a fair size hole in the roof that will need to be repaired.

Timber to replace the rotted timber

This is a timber Roger brought with him to replace the rotted nortwest corner timber. Unfortunately there are many floor timbers that need to be replace, some more rotted than others. The following photo is a timber totally rotted off.

Rotted off timber

 

This is one that will need to be replaced. That will come in the next few weeks for we'll be harvesting some of the trees from our woods to be used to repair the barn. So when the milner comes in Roger will cut some of the trees. The main large trunks will be used for timbers and the rest will be cut into boards to be used on the floor in the hay mow.

Day 20: End of Week 4

First Perment Post

Ending the 4th week is a good time to see what's been happening. Here is one very important item, the first permenant post that will be a part of the 'new' barn is seen in its place. It's a 4x4 oak post that sits on top of a peer of cement. It is covered in tar which will protect the post and extent its life as sand and cement are laid down for the barn to be used years into the future.



Yesterday we saw a footing put in place by Don Bloome and the problem removing it. Well today the air hammer won and a new footing was put into place only a bit deeper.

'Hole' in the 2nd floor,floor

Some of the beams in the barn are rotted beyond saving and this floor could use a few more floor boards. In a future post we'll discuss these two items in relation to harvesting wood from our forest just like they did when building the barn.

Day 19: Sunshine, Warm Weather and High Winds

Roger's Truck

Just to prove it was a sunny day, this late afternoon photo of Roger's truck is included. He has been able to haul some pretty heavy wood to the site with it. That's .com in the small print under Service.

Hole in east end of north wall

With dryer weather the tear out continues. As the old wall is torn away the foundation will be poured to support the new north wall.

Jackhammer "trying" to break out foundation

Back in about 1980, Don Bloome of Pour Man Construction fixed the corners of the barn to keep it from caving in. Don did a real good job.

The four corners he put in are still holding. But Don had some interesting ways. One of these is now causing some problems. A close look at the photo shows dirt, dug out from underneath the foundation. One would think that with support gone the cement would break away.

Well, as people who work with cement know, rerod made of steel is usually used to help reinforce the cement. Even that shouldn't be this hard to break. The reason that the jack hammering is taking time is that Don used old steel fence posts for the rerod. The old fence posts layered in there are much harder to cut apart.

Maybe tomorrow this piece will break away.

Day 18: What Do You Do When It Contines to Rain?

Just a 'ducky' day

Check yesterday's post and you'll see this pier (3rd in the row) partially formed with water in the bottom. Today it's fully formed and ready to pour, except it rained another .3 of inch. If you doubt, you'll notice all the puddles. But noon it has stopped raining, but it'll be a few days until this pier is poured. The cement truck can get down the driveway, but will sink to its axles, if it tries to drive to the pier. So we'll wait on that one.

The reason the cement truck will have little trouble getting to the barn is because of a fire. The original house on this farm was a brick 'Victorian'. It burned in 1940. Grandpa Geiger had to do something with the bricks, so he lined the driveway with them and covered them. About 20 years ago we put asphalt on a good portion of the driveway. Most people when they do that have to fix cracks and seal it every few years. The bricks are such a solid base nothing has been done to asphalt in that time. Except for a little wear and two cracks it looks about the same as when it was covered, thanks Grandpa.

Straw being tossed from the mow.

So it's back to the question of what do you do when it rains? You clean out the mow of old hay and straw which will lighten the load as you try and pull the building back into square. The sun is shining through the clouds so something outside might also get done today. Also done while it was raining this morning was stringing cables that will help hold the barn together while the work is on and after the work is done.

Steel cable is the straight line across the middle of the photo, starting at the ladder.

This photo was taken about 2pm. The photo blow out indicates the sun was indeed back out.

Day 17: And More Rain

Mud puddles only a kid could love.

Noted in the last blog, it was raining late last night. Well it did rain and the total over night was 0.7 inches. But over the last few days the total in the general area has been near 4 inches. So the rain last night was rain upon rain. If you look closely in front of the ground door there is a spot that looks like sand. That's water several inches deep. Also down from the top door there is another much larger spot. These holes were 'dry' just before dark this evening, probably by pumping water out and scraping the top ground away.
Todays discussion was going to be on the pockets fitted to timbers for more support, but that will wait. If you look closely at the veritcal timber in the center of the opening on the 2nd floor you'll notice it's streaked. That's not from rain, but rather from the crew watering the timber joints which makes the joint more pliable and thus can be moved as the barn is straightened and less likely to shatter because of being old and brittle. But more on that another day.



3rd Flying Buttress

This was partially formed at the end of work last night. This morning out came the pump and removed the 2 feet or so of water. The pier was totally form by tonight. Not sure when it will be poured because the ground is so sturated in from of it the cement truck will probably get stuck if the ground isn't left to dry some before the pour.

Day 16: Begin the 4th Week

1st butress done, 2nd still in form, 3rd being formed

When we planned the barn renovation, we decided that we'd at least try to save the South, road facing wall. You can't tell to well from this photo, but the wall both wood on top and stone on bottom are pushed out. To fixed the wall with the cut granite would be a super long, super expensive project. The next best idea was to put cement support in certain places to keep the wall from pushing out any further, thus what looks like a flying buttress low to the ground.

Red and yellow is end of plumb line stretched along base of wood on barn

To continue with the leaning theme, the plumb line was put in place some days ago. Measured when first put in place the plumb line showed the center of the back wall over the years had shifted some 28 inches South. We're hoping much of that 28 inches can be pulled out over time as they try to pull the building back into place.

Weather is important. This week started out sunny. By the time these pictures were taken it was cloudy. And now as this is written it is raining. Water fills in at the base of the barn where they sometimes work. It's becomes a lot of mud with water coming off the roof. Work tomorrow may go a little slow until the water is pumped away.

Day 15: End Week 3

Cables pulling barn

Friday of the third week and day and 15 more rain. A certain amount of work can continue, but it sure isn't as easy. Today's photos show a little more of the power work that is needed to continue straightening the barn and lifting it back into place. That place will be close, but not quite the same as when it was first constructed. These are some of the cables to the North that I continue to photograph trying to show them.

The amount of cribbing to hold the barn in place increases

Here is the Southeast corner of the barn. The cribbing seems to angle all over the place. In the end it will be removed.

Notice brace tied in by cribbing

Sometimes things happen, this brace is pegged in place, but will probably be moved. The problem, the brace covers a door that we have used. I was told the pegs can be cut and a brace put on each side of the door. That decision will be made in the future.

Day 14: It rained (again)

Notice the cables from the barn to the railroad rails.

It rained again today. The crew got a good start this morning which included rigging a trailer so the old hay and straw can be removed and carried away when there's nothing else that can be done. The crew also added more cabling and rigging to continue the pulling of the barn into a more straight position. Then the rain and wind came and you can only work so long in the rain. But the rain left and these pictures were taken late in the afternoon. Hopefully the rain will stay away tomorrow (the way it did for the Tigers this evening) and more work will get done.



Modified trailer that will haul old hay and straw.

Day 13: More Trees

Today we take another look inside the barn as more jacks have been put in place. The jacks are literally becoming a 'forest' of trees. These jacks are very important as the weight of the barn is moved off at least part of its base so a new wall can be built to set the second story on.

If you look carefully you'll seee both cribbing and bracing. Cribbing are all the boards that go every which way that are stablizing and holding the barn together as the work of fixing it up goes on. It is as much for the safety of the workers as it is for the 'safety' of the barn. Cribbing will be removed as the barn is put back in place. If you look to the right of the opening you'll see what looks like a white post that kind of hop scotches up the wall. There's a bottom up right. Then to the right is another post that goes up a ways. And then there is another piece just to the left of that one. That is bracing and will stay. When I asked the obvious question, I got the answer, "Because the bracing is permenant it needs to be pegged into place and you can't do that if it's nice and neat and straight." It's just a different definition of neatness.

Day 12: View From The Back Forty

Sometimes you need to get a longer look and perspective when working on a major project like remodeling an antique barn. Late in the day we took a ride on the John Deere Gator to the north end of the property.

The northeast corner survey marker if it existed would be in the middle of the Pigeon River. The Pigeon River touches the north side of the farm. Oaks and maples are splendidly colorful. The river wanders lazily this time of the year. We had a lovely walk in the fall woods.

Sunrise was at 7:50 am this morning; sunset was at 6:46 pm. The Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees, 3-0, in the AL Championship Series tonight. Wanda has been working on quilts for her sister and today those quilts were sent via UPS to Wisconsin. It feels like things are getting done, quilts and the barn.

Day 11: Looking North

At the start of the third week of work, looking up the driveway, it is really not very obvious that the barn is being renovated. Here's the view looking north.

Mid morning light on the white machine shed almost illuminates the two big gray stars on the sliding doors. Family lore has it that Aunt Janette Geiger Hoepner and Uncle Ross Geiger cut out newspaper patterns for the first stars that were painted on those doors. When the shed was redone in 2007 for Ortha Melick Geiger's 100th birthday celebration, the stars were repainted.

In a fit of Martha Stewart country decorating enthusiasm, Ed and I added the big lighted stars above the doors. These stars can be seen for several miles at night and are our way of keeping the light in life during the dark part of the winter.

Day 10: Forms Come Off Piers

Photo from Willow Blog post called "Barn Buttress"
The forms have been removed from the first pier

Post from Wanda's Willow Blog for Friday, October 12:

Today marks the end of the second week that a crew has been working on the barn restoration at Graywood Farm. The plywood forms came off one of the concrete piers that will support the south wall of the barn. These piers will act like flying buttresses as they keep the barn's walls from moving any further.

The barn restoration this fall will include replacing the entire north wall of the barn. Already the wood timber frame structure has been reinforced with cribbing and additional posts.

The weather has been windy and cold this week. This is not easy work for the guys on the crew, working outside at a very specialized task in the fall of the year.

Day 9: More Work on the Piers

Dirt added to shore up the support for cement pouring



Roger uses the back hoe to add more dirt around the forms for one of the piers. The huge amount of cement that is needed to create pressure on the south wall means that it takes some time for that cement to cure. The additional dirt around the pier assures that the pier will be upright and stable.

Day 8: First Pour

Vollmer Ready Mix delivers the first of what will be
many loads of cement to complete the project



Today for me seems to be the beginning of the fix it up. Until now it has been clean up to see what's there and support what can be with wood cribbing, jacks and braces. But with the two piers being poured, the barn is actually beginning to be fixed.
The piers which are like flying buttresses are explained in other posts. What I find interesting about today's photo is the ingenuity of getting a heavy cement truck high enough to do the pour, when it just didn't quite have it. Note the 4x4 timbers the men ramped the truck up onto. It works.

Day 7: Back Wall Braced

View from east door, looking west along north wall

Inside the barn there are more posts being set along the beams. It looks like the pressure of the barn structure is gradually being shifted to the posts. The entire north wall will be replaced, so the weight of the barn has to go somewhere before that wall can be knocked out. There will probably be many more posts added to hold the weight before the barn is set back on its new in some cases and improved in all cases lower walls.

Cables brace the north wall

The back wall was braced today. It has been cold and windy. Fall weather is beginning to overake the Thumb.

Day 6: Two Piers Are Framed

It's Monday, October 8 and the crew is back for their second week of work. They worked on the piers that will hold the south wall. From the looks of the forms, there will be a lot of concrete in those piers.

The piers are critical to the life of the barn. The huge amount of pressure from the bank at the back of the barn has forced the barn forward on the foundation. That's what is causing the lean.

The weather is turning colder. There have been freeze warnings but the days are clear and sunny. It should be a good week for working on an old barn.

Day 5: Starting the Piers, Wall Collapse

On Friday the crew began framing in piers that will support the south wall of the barn. The piers will be concrete and will extend below the frost line.

 

 

The back wall (north wall) will be replaced with a completely new foundation and wall. It is in such bad condition that part of it collapsed during excavation of the outside. In the photo above you can see some of the stone that crumbled as the support on the outside was removed. The concrete block section was added at the corners by Don Blome about 22 years ago. Without that work, the barn would probably not be standing. 



Day 4: It Rains

It rained in the morning on the fourth day of the first week of the renovation. Here's the barn, looking soaked after a wind from the south brought rain in the night. Roger figured that the crew had plenty to do with jacking up beams, so work continued.

I headed up to my office. By noon the rain had cleared and the day turned warm. Both inside and outside work progressed well and I could see signs of progress (more digging for footings, more jacks in place) when I got home around 5 pm.

Ed arrived before dark. He and I walked out to see the work. It has been his dream for a long time, this restoring his Grandpa Geiger's barn.

Day 3: The Barn Whispers

I was surprised to see the extensive cribbing in the hayloft of the barn today. I hadn't expected such a spider web of lumber. Roger The Barn Man helped me clarify the terms that he uses for this technique. A "brace" will stay in place; "cribbing" lumber will be removed.

Late in the morning there was a little crisis when the water line into the barn was cut about six feet out from the south wall. I honestly had not been in the basement of the farmhouse for several years so I was totally unfamiliar with the shutoff valves for the water lines to the garden and barn. One call to McCain Plumbing brought Jack McCain with his knowledge of what goes where.

Jack's home and business are south of Bay Port, about six miles from the farm. He's always ready to help out and knows his stuff. I had a dental appointment in the afternoon and was kind of hoping for a time without water. I hadn't taken a shower yet and was envisioning calling the dentist and postponing. Sigh and alas, the water issue really wan't a crisis and I did make the appointment, easily.

Mid-afternoon brought a wonderful moment of something that I had never seen before. When I got back from the dental appointment, the crew was inside the lower level of the barn, placing posts and jacks to support the long beams. At one point Roger asked the crew to be quiet.

"I have to hear the barn," he said. There was silence except for the jacking. I was standing outside and couldn't hear anything, but I did spot dust and chaff falling through the floor. The barn must have moved imperceptibly. A feather fluttered down. In the quiet afternoon, it was like the massive barn was whispering.

I know from living in our lakehouse (a timberframe building) that timbers, as they dry and shift, will crack loudly. These old timbers seemed to sigh. Roger says there are sounds that are okay and some that you don't want to hear when you are jacking up an old barn.

Tomorrow, if the rain stays away, they might pour the piers for the south wall. They will be short concrete walls built perpendicular into the south wall of the barn.

As a side note, Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers clinched the Triple Crown tonight. The first of the 2012 Presidential Debates was held in Denver. All in all, it was a busy and historic day, especially for our Michigan barn and Michigan baseball fans.

Day 2: Tools of the Trade

A mobile phone is an indispensable tool for today's workers. I walked out to photograph the guys at work (I'm still learning names) and a discussion ensued about using dowels to pin the upright cribbing to the existing crossbeams. The phone range.

"It's the boss," was the word.

Notice the power cord to run a circular saw, ladders, water bottles, kneeling pads. Putting a barn back together means using tools very similar to the tools used back when barns were built. We'll talk more about the dowels, and wood and tools in later posts.

Here's another view of the haymow. Notice the worksite radio on top of the lumber pile, just beyond the ramp made of 4x4s. The flooring is in good enough shape that the crew can work from the middle of the floor. When I left, shortly before noon, two men were using pitchforks to pull the straw and hay away from the west side of the barn walls, in preparation for placing ladders to crib the west wall.

 

I spent the afternoon in Bay City and drove home late in the day. The sun set at 7:10 pm at 264 degrees west, almost due west. A low mass of clouds hung in the sky, like a giant quilt batt, and the sky erupted with soft chunks of pink and purple.

Here's a view of Graywood Farm, taken from the parking lot at Pigeon River Mennonite Church, just east of the farm. Quite a sight. I'm hoping that all of us who call this "the home place" will be pleased to see the barn renewed and used in years to come.

Day 1: Crew Arrives

The crew arrived around 8:30 am today. They brought the lumber for the cribbing and begin preliminary work of cribbing the barn.

Cribbing is the term for strengthing the body of the barn from the inside. The structural skeleton of the barn will have four by fours added to it. These pieces will stay in place. Some 2x4's will be used to do the cribbing. The 2x4s will not stay.

Cribbing makes the top structure stronger so that when the barn is jacked up and the foundation is removed, the barn will stand.

Roger called Ed to get the information needed to call Miss Dig -- township, crossroads. I talked with the guys about restaurants in Pigeon and Caseville. The crew is staying at the Franklin Inn in Bad Axe. They brought two pickups with a trailer and a flatbed this morning.

I ran into the guys at Main Street Cafe during the noon hour. "Hey, you guys found the restaurant," I told them. They also discovered the club sandwich and homemade potato chips on the menu. Two more men had arrived by this noon, bringing the total crew to five, plus Roger the Barn Man.

Here's the view up the bank of the barn. Notice that the vegetation has been skinned away. The old barn looks like it issued a sigh of relief. "Ah, someone is coming to give me back my shape. Barn spa time!"