Baymule
Herd Master
Beautiful place!
Actually, the roof is under supported and is coming down according to the structural engineer. I may sniff around a little and see if anyone will get back to me on restoration but contractors at the moment (always here?) are in hot demand so they can pick their jobs so I'm not sure anyone will return calls. To fix the structural stuff the engineer gave us a rough guestimate in the $100k's. Honestly I wouldn't mind chopping the building in half (back half that I did not photograph has the foundation breaking up and sliding down the hill), taking out the cement floor, reroofing, adding the appropriate doors, sistering all the joists and replacing the rotten posts, but the guy seemed to think even tearing down and building an identical structure would be less expensive and difficult than a restore and his specialty was supervising the restoring old barns and outbuildings. But whatever. I like barns. I still like that one. The neighbor said he may have some contacts in the industry, so I may have a sliver of a chance at getting an estimate.I still think that the chicken house could be salvaged. With the price of lumber and such, you will spend as much to build a 30 x 30 small barn as there is good timber in that barn. Why can't they take out the concrete on the 2nd floor? Maybe you need to have a few other estimates for it. I am sorry, none of my business really, but I see alot of potential there and after being in a few, and not seeing any obvious roof problems in any of the pictures you've shown, I cannot believe that the cost of taking out the concrete and putting in even a half way floor for now, to hold hay and such, would not be a better solution.
I realize that you are not wanting to jeapordize your family or anyone. I was married to a carpenter many years ago, and know alot of things that can be done to salvage older buildings. And honestly, I see more structural questions with the machine shed and the way it is leaning than I see in the chicken house.
Nice property, typical new england.... is that an apple or a dogwood flowering in the one picture?? It will be nice for you to not have to deal with the stupidness of the place you are now....
Congrats....I am happy for you and hopefully this will make things better for you and all around more harmony in the family. When momma's happy, everyone's happy.....!!!!!!