Old barn wood

[andrewj1398]

Hello everyone I am new to the forum! I was wondering is old barn wood in demand right now? I tear down old barns and was wondering if the wood is in demand for resale? One of the guys that helps me has been using a lot of the wood for his old house he is redoing. Now that the house is almost finished I was wondering if the left over wood and any future barn wood I get is marketable?

Thanks

 

[Sealeveler]

There are a couple barn re claimers in the Eastern part of the state,so you may check around in your area.Welcome to the forum.
Tony

 

[Jeff]

Andrew, welcome to NCWW. Friendly, personable, and lots of advice and expertise available for the asking.

It'd be helpful if you cleaned up and planed a few representative pieces (without nails) and post some "before and after" pics so potential buyers can see what they're looking at. Wood species could be chestnut, longleaf pine, loblolly pine, white pine, white oak or lots of other species that were chosen over the years for their availability and exterior durability in your area. Another point to consider is the age of the structure so a little history with approximate dates is helpful if you can find it.

For example: This barn was built about 1912 or 1942 in Kernersville, NC out of x wood species by John Doe.

Just a thought and +/- 0.02.

 

[andrewj1398]

Jeff thanks for the warm welcome. I have not planed any of the wood yet I think it is pine but it looks pretty grainy. I do not know how to identify wood from the grain. Is there an easy way to figure out what I have with out posting pictures? I like the idea about the story behind the barns.

 

[andrewj1398]

I have had a few people call me about removing log tobacco barns. Do these logs have any value to them? Or should I try to find a saw mill to cut them down to boards?

 

[Jeff]

Jeff thanks for the warm welcome. I have not planed any of the wood yet I think it is pine but it looks pretty grainy. I do not know how to identify wood from the grain. Is there an easy way to figure out what I have with out posting pictures? I like the idea about the story behind the barns.

You can't market your stock of reclaimed wood without pictures unless a potential buyer just comes to your place and looks at it. For example, I'm about 74 miles from you. Would I make a casual 148 mile round trip just to take a look and say yes or no? Probably not, but nice scenery and a lot of gasoline.

How many board feet are you looking to sell? Dimensions of those pieces (1" thick x 6" wide x 10' long or what?).

Beams and framing timbers from a tobacco barn can be valuable as well depending upon their intended use. If I wanted a 16' x 14' hunting cabin with a loft they could be ideal. Look through these pictures to get an idea of the potential.

http://www.aahardwoods.com/products_frontierpride.htm

 

[zapdafish]

Maybe you could work out something with some of our lumber suppliers. You wont get retail selling directly to us but you might be able to move all of it without having to sit on it.

 

[workingwood]

I found a barn last year on Craigslist for sale it was 200 as long as I took down the barn myself. Was a lot of work but got the wood I needed from it and gave the rest to some of my friends that like to tinker around. If you are willing to put in the time to research CL and google and stuff you might be able to find a good barn you can get for yourself or find a few others who might be interested in it.

Some hints on it though, take a battery powered drill with a 1 inch spade bit in it to drill through a couple boards to make sure it has not rotted all the way through, also check the beams for current termite activity.

 

[andrewj1398]

Thanks for all of the ideas and comments! When I get more wood I will be sure to let everyone know.

 

[scsmith42]

I have had a few people call me about removing log tobacco barns. Do these logs have any value to them? Or should I try to find a saw mill to cut them down to boards?

It's doubtful that you will find a miller willing to touch those logs due to the presence of metal, etc in them.

 

[andrewj1398]

Good point Scott I didn't think of that.