Barn Information:
Vermont Timber Works custom designs all kinds of architectural barns, including classic salt boxes, gambrels, traditional farm style barns, equipment barns, large wooden barns and horse stables.
Barn Design:
There are many things to consider when designing a barn. Horse barns, stables and large wooden barns often work on a 10x12 0r 12x12 grid for stalls, tack rooms and wash stalls. Storing hay in the loft provides a challenge. Years ago, people would just put up summer beams and timber joists and throw as much hay up as they could. Today, the bales of hay are compacted tighter and are much heavier than in the past. Also, the building codes are much more stringent. So now we have to design for 100#/sq.ft. live loads when we are designing hay lofts. Intermediate posts are added next to the stall doors and the timber joists are increased in size to accommodate the loads.
Party Barns:
Sometimes our clients just like to have a nice barn out back or by the swimming pool for entertainment. It is fun to have barn dances and barbeques in the big open spaces that timber frames offer. We often span 40 feet with heavy timber trusses for commercial buildings, which can be over 100 feet long. The same techniques can be used for barns – a dance floor of 40x100’ is more than possible! In the Duker barn, the open area is 40x40 with a 20 foot post height. The owner put a basket ball hoop on one end for half court games with his buddies.
Barns that are Houses:
Post and beam frames are perfect for people who enjoy the old style hand hewn look of old barns in their homes. We hand hew such frames the old fashioned way, with an adz and a slick. Different stains and finishes can be applied to the hewn wood for an authentic aged look.If our clients have time, we put second growth hemlock timbers in our field and let them weather for a few months. The result is natural barn wood beams that we cut into a custom timber frame. The look of weathered beams is natural, because nature’s elements – sun, rain and water - did the work. Like all our timber frames, almost any home design will work. We like to work with our client’s architects to get the perfect feel.
Garages and Outbuildings:
Timber frames make great outbuildings. They are open and airy, provide excellent spaces for storage, and many of our clients like to put an office or guest room on the second floor.
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