Day 37: Beautiful Day on the Farm

Today clean up work around the outside as well as work to prepare for jacking the barn on the inside continues. The last cememt for the fall was poured yesterday and we see the results here today.

Barn from the south looking north

The sky is bright blue and the gray barn stands out well in front. The three piers are in place. They need to cure, but are in place doing their job of holding the wall in place. Notice (I really didn't at first) but the barn's second floor with all those openings are now closed in. It looks much better!

Timber in place to jack second floor.

If you look back to yesterday's post, the vertical jacking timber is pinned to the second floor timber that was mentioned. If you look closely behind the ladder, the supporting timber that needs to be moved over after the top is lifted. There are more top floor vertical timbers that need this jacking preperation done to them before the very slow task of lifting the roof of the barn can begin. But still in all, the project is moving along and from out front 'you would never know.' And that's just fine with us.

Day 36: The last cement for the fall

Today the cement truck comes for probably the last time this year. The two piers that still have forms on them need to be completed. The middle one was only partly filled because of the pressure of the cement. The west pier needed to be totally poured.

East side of the 2nd floor

We've seen variations of this photo in the past. But today it directly relates to the discussion of lumber needed for the project. When the barn was built the builders decided for what ever reason to put down slats which are boards more or less 8 inchs wide with about the same distance between them. Corn stocks were thrown over the top and presto you had a floor. A floor that took half the amount of lumber and worked just as well. This type of floor was not unusual. Well this will be changed out. Lumber in this section that can be reused will be. Then the center floor will be pulled up to try and finish the east side. When that is completed the new lumber will be used to finish the east side and the center section. Fortunately the west side is in great shape and good enough quality that grain could be stored there.

Moving timbers

One last thing for today that we will see more of tomorrow and in the future. Notice the upright timber in the center left top half of the photo. There are six of those that help hold up the roof. They all need to be lifted to help put the barn back in place vertically. When all the jacking and moving is done it should be close to resting directly on top of the timber bottom center right with a timber post going to the floor. We'll see how close Roger can get those to align.

Day 35: Work continues

Work continues. Because it is not very nice to work in the cold, it's good some work can get done.

Back fill started

We've seen a variation on the photo before, but what is important to note here is that the foundation is covered with sand. Before the sand was put down, insulation was put against the foundation to make sure frost from winter doesn't get down far enough to hurt the foundation.

One of the main timbers

This timber will be the focus of the rest of today's blog. It's approximately 34 feet long and 10 1/2 x 11 inches at one end and 10 1/2 x 10 1/2 at the other. This was probably over a 100 foot tree when it was cut to be used in the original construction. Unfortunately those kind of trees have not quite had time to grow here again. We did get the two trees that form the sill on the north wall shown in previous blog posts. The problem is we need many more. The decision today was to purchase them instead of trying to find them in the woods. The second floor will require about 200 2x6x16 foot boards for flooring. The bill for lumber will be a bit.

Day 34: Day before Thanksgiving

South wall with two piers to do

 Here we see a little that needs to be done. After the north wall was pour it got too late to finish on these piers on the front side. They'll have to wait until another day when it's not quite so cold.

Doors to the north

Here's work in progress just as a reminder of how this will change. From the center post to the left or east the opening will be walled in. The opening to the left will be covered with two doors. The use of the barn has changed and structurally will be better served having only one opening.

Day 33: The new north wall appears

Well today's the day we've been waiting for. The new north wall is in place. Today the crew removed and shipped out the the forms. Here is what the new wall looks like. Note that there is a slight cast of greeen color to the wall. The forms are off because the cement is hard enough, but it still needs to cure out for some time.

New north wall looking east to west

Then the wall will look a little more like the gray we think of as cement.

The north door opening at the west end of the north wall

This door way will be finished off next year when the west wall will be replaced.

Day 32: Today we pour

This is something. Marty the cement man and his crew have spent probably a day and a half working on putting the forms in place. This afternoon starting after 2 PM and in a couple of hours or so and a few truck loads of cement pushed through the pumper, the wall will be done and the curing process will start.



Load of cement ready for pumper

With the pumper the cement trucks don't even have to get off the driveway and into the mud around the barn.

Pumper set to move cement from truck to formed wall

The long blue arm gives the workers a lot of distance to move the cement with relative ease.

Up close with the pouring

The fellow standing on the dirt pile is the man in charge. He runs everything from the controls located on his waist. He controls the pumper including where the pipe sends the cement.

If you look back to Day 31 you'll see the forms that go up and around the sill timbers. The pipe is putting the cement into the form and will fill up along the timber. We'll see the timbers with cement poured up tight to them in a future day's blog. Roger says the forms will be removed tomorrow.

Special thanks to Kathy Kent and Bill Esch for the help in getting photos today.

Day 31: To pour or not to pour, aye that is the question!

Formed east end of north wall

It's early on the 14th and it was 25 degrees over night and not much warmer when this photo was taken. And for that matter it is only supposed to be 35 during the afternoon. A lot of work got done after delivery of the forms mid Tuesday afternoon. Notice the long one foot forms lying at the foot of the wall and on the pile of ground on the right. They will finish the top of the wall.

Unfinished west end of wall

Notice the vertical tarred black timber and rerod sticking out. This will be completed early in the morning. Those are forms on the pallet in the fore ground.

West end formed in

Later in the day the west end is formed in and the top row of forms has been put into place.

Form completed and ready for cement

This is the east end of the wall. What I like about it is how strong and square the building is starting to look. The barn looks like it is almost ready for use and will last another hundred years. It doesn't look like the cement was poured. With afternoon high of 35 and looking toward another 25 or lower overnight tonight, the pour will probably happen Monday. Because work is complete for this week. The crew participates in one of those great fall rituals of the this area of the world called deer hunting. Check out the 1998 cult classic "Escanaba in da Moonlight." Our son Will who raised sheep in this barn was a cameraman on that movie.

I was unable to personally check the wall late in the afternoon, so a big special thank you to Kathy Kent for taking some photos and the last two on this post.

Day 30: Construction Continues on the North Wall

North Wall Almost Ready for Forms

Today it is cold, but the footing is hard enough so the work continues to ready for the pour of the wall. Note the horizantal rerod that has been added to the vertical we saw in the cement yesterday. The vertical timbers have all been covered with tar. Also note how the side wall has been cut up and the sill timbers have been cut on an angle. That will allow the cement to form around the bottom of the sill as the wall is poured.



Bottom of top being trimmed

Here is a better view of the outside wood and timber sill being cut to fit.

A hole is covered

This has been an area that had been uncovered to help remove material from the second floor. It got covered up today. Roger discussed the need to get the lumber on order for the next part of the project. We had discussed using some of the trees from our farm and already have used two, but the further needs of the barn will probably preclude using too many more. There are several needed for the main timbers that have rotted in the barn interior. On top of that there is need for approximately 225 2x8 boards for the upstair floor. In discussing that we talked about where and what to use in various floor locations and decided that some of the floor boards could be reused, we just are not sure how many will be needed. In any case the first estimate on lumber cost is somewhere near $30,000 for material only. With the cold closing in some of the lumber decision may need to wait until spring depending on availability. Depending on the type of wood some are better harvested in the fall and others in the spring.

Day 29: Part 2 - You can get a lot done in the rain

Water in the hole

This is that northeast corner of the barn that has been discussed in the past which includes an old fashioned tile feeding into it. With that water and the rain that is coming down, this makes for an interesting happening. The cement coming at the water is just like lava flowing from a volcano.

Water flows out

Note the fence post lying left of the center. It's a good reference point from the last photo where it is in the center. The cement keeps pushing the water out. Once the water is out, the cement will set up and the water won't return. What little water there is coming from the old tile, if any, will seep under the foundation and out into the surrounding area.



North wall ready for forms

This photo was taken about 4 pm. Both crews were gone. Marty said the cement in the footings would be set well enough for the forms to be put on it tomorrow. I don't know for sure, but I think his crew went back home to pick up the forms. There hadn't been enough room for them on the first trip.
The foundation took a little less than 12 yards or about 22 tons of cement. Marty said this work should keep the barn standing for another 100 years. If you look closely, you'll see thin steel pointing up out of the cement between the 6x6 posts. That's steel rerod that will help to reinforce the wall. The posts will be covered with tar before the forms go into place.

'Look mom, no cribbing'

While Marty and crew were working on pouring cement, Roger and crew were working on the second floor. Part of what they did was pull the cribbing off the southeast corner. Roger said that this portion of the barn was structurally sound and ready to be 'on it's own again.' This photo is taken from about the same spot as the photo on Day 15 so you can compare.

Day 29: And We Have Rain Again

We're going to cheat a little by stealing a photo from yesterday, when it was sunny and warm. It started raining about midnight. Nice and gentle, only 0.2 inch by 8 am, but a bit of a wind now and it continues to rain. Marty the cement man showed up a little before Roger. He said he came 3 1/2 hours so they would get something done, even in the rain. They will form the footings and possibly pour them today.

North wall ready for forms

The above photo was taken on Sunday 11 Novemeber. The gravel and marker lines are in place. The wall is solid were it is at. All that is needed is the cement to be poured around it up to the sill. All of the vertical timbers that are part of the north wall will in a few days be buried in the cement that will then be the north wall.



Electronic transom

Shortly after 8 the cement crew set about forming the footings for the new north wall. We've been pointing out some of the 'old' ways of doing things like taking lumber from the same land the orignal barn came from. Well this is one thing they didn't have back then, the electronic transom. It's made the job of keeping something level much easier.

Footings ready for pouring

Marty was ready to pour before noon. So the call was put in for the first load of cement. I think it was six bag mix with cloride added to the water to help with curing if it got below freezing. But notice here how they could be so fast in forming. All they have is the front or north wall to form. They used the solid dirt of the barn floor for the inside or back wall. It's solid and no one will see it. It works.

Day 28: Where's the Wall?

The wall is gone. It has not been fast or easy, but it is removed and will be replaced by a new much stronger wall.

 

The north wall looking east to west

This is what it look like now. The stone base is laid. Ready to have the footings formed and poured next week. Notice how the sill along the top is all snapped into place, even the two new timbers are now bearing their share of the weight of the barn. As part of the process the forms will be put in place to cover these posts and the cement will be poured.

North wall looking west to east

The first thing you notice is there is still some wall standing. The north wall will end somewhere about where the second red jack is. There will be a sliding door between the jacks and the corner that is standing will be removed when the west wall is replaced.



The 'forest' helping to hold the barn

As mentioned before posts and jacks are need to lift the barn and its parts into or hold them in place while the fixing is happening. It is quite a forest under there.

Christmas Cactus

Wanda raised Christmas Castus. Because the blog has been a lot of gray and other colors that tend to be a little dull, I thought is might brighten the day.

Day 27: More Work on the Back Wall

It is now 7 November as the heading says and the worry is still the weather. There is only so much you can do in a day which now is not a whole lot more than 9 hours of sun shine, if the sun shines.

East corner heading west along north wall

More of the wall is removed. Of special notice here is that dark spot just to the leaf of the second pole. That is the old 'tile' that Roger is trying to work around. Notice how everything is level and there is a layer of stone. More stone will be added before the footings are formed and poured.

Part of the old foundation

This rock is one that was pulled from the old foundation. Imagine with horse a man power only moving these into place to be part of the foundation. That was work!

Beet harvest 2012

Just as a bit of comparison as the work was happening on the barn, the 10 acres of sugar beets on the same farm were harvested. Compare the work of moving the above stones into place and the fact that the 10 acres with all the large modern equipment were harvested in less than 4 hours. It was the last field for this crew of farmers that havest the beets of serval farmers. For that matter the Michigan Sugar Company sugar beet harvest is almost complete. It will be months before the beets are all turned into sugar.

Day 26: Back Wall Work Continues

Water problem solved?

Roger believes he has found the source of the water issue mentioned yesterday. Notice the dark spot slightly up and right of center in this photo. If you could get up close you would find, it is sand surrounded by gravel and clay. An old fashion tile or possibly what we now call a french drain. Whatever it is it keeps the water draining which is what it's supposed to do. The answer is to not go quite so deep for the footing. Put in a layer of gravel so the water can continue to drain way from the barn. Instead of the footing being 4 foot deep, it will be about 3 foot deep. That's enough footing to carry the barn, but just to be sure we're well below the frost line, stryofoam will be added along the footing which will make the effective depth below 4 foot which is below frost. Pretty sneaky, but builders know that trick.

Looking out the doors to the north.

The upstairs of the barn haven't been this clean since the barn was build. It's clean, except for construction items and a beautiful view.

Day 25: Advance on the Back Wall

For the next few days we'll be concentrating on the back wall. We've seen some of it being removed, dug out and posted up, including the replacement of part of the timber sill. Well that and much more need to come together so that the back wall can be poured before the weather gets just too cold.

The two new timbers from trees on the farm are in place, but just lying there

The next thing that's done is to put the two new timbers in place replacing the old rotted timbers. Notice the cables still trying to pull the barn straight. Notice that the timbers are just strapped together. Eventually they'll have pegs put in to hold them in place.



Many parts of the wall out, but much still in place.

 

If the photo makes you feel like the wall is bowed, it is. The deflection to the south when Roger started the work was about 28 inches. By lifting and pulling the deflection is down to about 16 inches. Unfortunatley that is about as far as the barn can be pulled back in line without pulling it apart. The deflection to the front was about 6 inches.

Near east corner of north wall


 

This has been a wet spot. Even digging a pit below the grade level and letting the water go there and pump it out wouldn't get rid of all the water. Notice the poles on either side of the water have tar on the bottom which means they are going to be buried in the cement wall where they stand. That means something has to be done about the water issue.

Day 24: First Timber in Place

First two timbers cut and ready to go into place. First is top right with second lower center left

Well the first two trees are cut into logs and ready to go into place. They will be used for the sill on the North wall where the doors are located. If you look back to Day 19, you'll see what looks like jack o lantern teeth at the bottom of the right door opening. That's what is left of the timber sill originally in the barn. The teeth are pockets to hold the end of the fall logs. All of this has rotted to such a condition that it has to be replaced. There will be new floors logs put in as well and the ends will be cut to half lap the timbers which will also be notched. When the new cement wall is poured the new and old timber sills along the north wall will be nestled into the top of the wall.

Old sill and timbers before they are cut away

Notice that not only is the timber rotted, but the floor timbers also pulled away from the timber sill.

First timber in place, second on the ready

Notice that the first timber is in postion. The two timbers have been cut so they will half lap. Once in place the logs will have pegs put in place to hold them together. Tomorrow should see the second timber put into place.

Day 23: More Logging

Well four days were lost to the Hurricane, sounds strange being so far from the Atlantic, but the Thumb area of Michigan was indeed on the outside edge of that large system known as Hurricane Sandy. Thus, Saturday will be another work day. Not only has work been delayed, but the colder temperatures that come with late fall can cause a real problem. Cement can be poured in quite cold weather, but Roger doesn't like the results from the chemicals that provides that ability. Pouring of cement will end on the barn, when the temperature gets too cold.

The second log squared to cut the timber from the heart of the log

The second log is cut today. This shows the log before it is hewn. Notice the square marked in pencil. This part of the wood will be cut away leaving a timber ready to be used.



The log being cut to square

It's hard to tell, but to help the person doing the sawing, a guide made of a 2x4 wood is nailed on top and bottom of the log to keep the saw going straight.

Day 22: Back to Work

Well that was some storm. Our area of Michigan probably got 2 - 3 inches of rain. I say probably because the wind was so strong and from the exact right direction so the rain gauge was almost useless because the wind drove the rain right by the gauge. We dumped approximately one inch of rain out of the gauge.

 

Stump of first tree cut in river flats is white dot in center of photo

 

The first order of the day was to start the logging of trees. The first one was taken along the East side of the South 40. Trees will be cut as needed in the size needed. There are several candidates for use in the barn.

View of the farmstead from near where the first tree was cut

It is almost as far to the barn from where the first tree was cut as it is from the view the other day which was it the other end of the property.

First log with two sides hewn

By the end of the day the first log has two of the four sides hewn into shape. The other sides will be done tomorrow, weather premitting.