Is my old barn wood worth anything?

Icarus · September 08, 2014, 09:35:23 AM

Hello everyone,

I have a barn that needs to be demolished for safety reasons. The lower structure used to be apartments but the upper structure is still the original barn interior. I have been able to identify the wood inside as Oak hand hewn beams and rafters, white pine wide plank flooring and oak boards for the stall siding. I really would like to see all of this wood be put to better use. I would hate to have to see it be destroyed. So my question is, with the information I provided, is there something here worth salvaging? Are these species of wood something people would be interested in? I had spoke to a company that said they would be able to thinly slice the wood to use as veneer for new flooring. Is there other ways to sell this wood? Any and all recommendations are appreciated.

Brad_S. · September 08, 2014, 09:43:33 AM

Yes, there absolutely is value in that aged wood, especially with the current "Industrial" decor look. There are a couple of places around me that buy old barns to dismantle and either part out or rebuild elsewhere. There is also a place that buys beams from barns and old factories and makes flooring from them. There are probably similar places near you, where ever you may be. (When I say buy, it really is a small fee they pay because the dismantle is a costly chore for them.)
Also, if there are any Amish or Mennonite communities near you, they are often interested as well.
BTW, welcome to the Forestry Forum.

Icarus · September 08, 2014, 10:12:51 AM

Thank you for the welcoming and also the advice. Luckily the company I work for is in the construction field so we will be dismantling the barn ourselves. I just needed to know if taking the extra time to carefully dismantle and organize the wood would be worth enough to justify the manpower costs. Also I live in Pennsylvania so we have plenty of Amish around here so I will be looking into the route you mentioned as well. A little more information on the barn, it seems as though the materials used for it have been pulled from three different barns. I say this because the siding is all different types of wood. Three of the bays all have the wide plank white pine flooring but the last two bays seem to have a pressure treated wood that has been installed recently. So we would really have to tare through everything and organize it as we go and determine what is of value. We have only started to remove the flooring in order to expose the beams and they are very large Oak beams with the original bark still attached. Some of them are even cut into a v shape at the ends. Which does this V shape ends add any value to the log? So with the information you mite understand now that the option of selling the barn as a whole would probably not be an option since some of its materials are not original. The Truss frame does however look all original and it is also Oak. Could there potentially be a buyer interested in a Truss Kit?

Chuck White · September 08, 2014, 11:30:59 AM

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Icarus.

Here's a web site you might be interested in!

http://saveabarn.com/home.html

Ron Wenrich · September 08, 2014, 12:42:38 PM

I remember seeing someone over in Berks county that was advertising for barn wood. I believe they make flooring from it. It was on Craigslist, and I think they were south of Reading. Do a Craigslist search, and they might pop up.

Other than that, you might be able to find some on a Google search and see what's in the area. There's a few on there that are looking for wood.

Keystone Vintage Lumber is located in Lebanon. Don't know much about them, but they're close.

Ron Scott · September 08, 2014, 01:22:07 PM

Yes, the old seasoned barn wood is very marketable in our area. Builders and craftsmen are often looking for it for various projects. The value is often what one is willing to pay at the time its available, wood species, dimension sizes, and the condition the pieces are in. Value is certainly more if one does not have to dismantle the barn themselves. ;) Wormy chestnut pieces are often a good prize. Also some of the old hardware used in the barn's construction is also marketable.

This barn will be going soon since a road contractor just purchased the property for a gravel pit.

Icarus · September 08, 2014, 02:19:16 PM

Here are pictures of the barn we are speaking about.

Icarus · September 08, 2014, 02:22:42 PM

Icarus · September 08, 2014, 02:56:56 PM

After reviewing the photos does anybody have any thoughts? I was able to identify the woods from a company that came in who was potentially interested in purchasing the wood. So with that said they could be wrong with the identification. For this reason I have also sent out some samples of said woods to be tested and am still waiting for the results. The pictures of the siding is what I am not sure about. I wasn't able to find out what kind of wood this is. I was able to find out that the exterior of said panels are painted white which, from the time period, I am guessing has lead based paint. I am told the woods with lead based paint are not worth much because the paint has to be disposed of properly which will offset the sale price. Is there anything else I can do with the siding, or should I just get rid of it?

Magicman · September 08, 2014, 05:52:28 PM

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Icarus. Yes it has value, but marketing is the key word.

A reasonable solution for using the painted lumber would be to turn the painted side to the inside, but very likely that would not be satisfactory to today's mentality. Sealing is another solution. Unless it is disturbed there is no danger, but I expect that the "what if's" will win out.

Ron Wenrich · September 08, 2014, 06:02:29 PM

Your barn looks a lot like mine. Mine was blown down in the '50s, so I was told. It was rebuilt using the original barn wood. I found some pieces that had joinery in them, but not used. I also have the identical type of roof support. But, mines nailed together and not pegged.

I have the same type of siding. It looks to be a pine tongue and groove. It could be white pine or southern yellow pine. They used that type after WWII. You can still buy it, as I needed to replace the end of my barn after Hurricane Sandy uprooted a tree next to my barn. Yours may have been replaced since the old barn siding wouldn't hold paint, and was probably weathered pretty hard. Since its not that old, I don't think it would have the same value as the flooring and beams.

red oaks lumber · September 08, 2014, 06:19:41 PM

everything in those pictures has value, dont worry about the lead base paint, we work with it alot and i don't have brain damage yet well maybe :D i have one customer that would probably buy it all. we have had semi loads shipped in from up state new york so, distance isnt an issue.send me a pm if you more help

Icarus · September 09, 2014, 07:59:56 AM

Ron Wenrich,
I think our barns were in the same type of situation. I say this because the siding I showed in the picture is on the front side wall. This wood is completely different from the wood that is on the back side wall. I believe something mite have happened to this barn as well and when the repairs were made, cheaper wood was used on the back side wall.As the white pine/yellow pine siding goes, I believe I will use it to cover my bathroom wall as shown in the picture below.
OFFSITE PHOTOS NOT ALLOWED
I will also use an oak rafter for a mantle for my fireplace. I really do wish I had use for the rest because it isn't everyday that one comes across a stock pile of antique barn wood. It would be really great to take one of the old barn doors and make a table out of it.

Icarus · September 09, 2014, 08:03:46 AM

Magic man,
I believe you are correct when you state that marketing is the key. In my area, we have several of these barns. Just on craigslist alone in our local area people are trying to sell the same exact stuff I am. Because of this it mite be tricky to get the rite price in this area with the market flooded. It comes back to selling all the materials for flooring. Which the company I spoke with said that its safe to say that I would get about $1 per bf. Which to me does not sound like much considering the age and condition of the woods. I feel it will hold more value to be sold as "Hand Hewn Oak Beams." It mite just take longer and a lot more creativity on my end.

Magicman · September 09, 2014, 08:55:12 AM

It is possible to not be able to sell something because you are selling it too cheap. There are high end markets where the buyer is very proud of what he had to pay for something. Sort of a status thing.

High end homes as well as commercial building are being built that are craving for such as what you have. That is when you need to be selling to the builders of such. I personally know of an instance where a builder paid $75,000 for a load of "recycled" lumber from Montana for a lodge being built here. Why, because no one else has it.

Icarus · September 09, 2014, 11:23:34 AM

That would be great to get rid of it all in one shot. Now I just need to find the people in demand for this material. In the mean time I have contacted 4 different company's in hope that one will be interested in all the barn materials for a reasonable price. I would really hate to have to divide the materials out and sell them bundle by bundle or piece by piece.

red oaks lumber · September 09, 2014, 06:34:26 PM

icarus
i guess you weren't interested with what i had to say?? i talked with my big customer today, if you gotten back to me your whole barn would be sold,i'm just guessing for more than you'll eventually get.
you snooze you loose( old saying)
just for referance last year they bought 2.8. million b.f. of reclamied

Icarus · September 10, 2014, 07:42:11 AM

Red Oaks,
I sent you a PM the day you posted your comment. Did you not get it? If you did not I apologize, I am still new to this forum and I am still figuring out how things works.

slider · September 10, 2014, 11:41:16 AM

That brain damage may be closer than you think Steve.That pm went right past you.

Icarus · September 10, 2014, 12:43:49 PM

HAHA in all fairness I was mistaken on how to send a PM. That was all on me. Looks like I took down my "im new" status far to soon.

red oaks lumber · September 10, 2014, 03:56:28 PM

just got your pm alittle while ago.
i aplogize if i was short yesterday, i blew my knee out a few hours earlier and my nerves were alittle raw.

more raw than normal :D

LeeB · September 11, 2014, 07:21:41 AM

Were you short on both sides, or just the side with the bum knee? :D

Icarus · September 11, 2014, 07:25:19 AM

It's quite all right.

Icarus · September 11, 2014, 09:11:38 AM

Does anybody know of a site that can give BF pricing for different types of wood. The same kind of idea as the stock market where it shows stock pricing each day, or does something like this not exist?

fstedy · September 11, 2014, 10:12:04 AM

Go to some of the sites selling reclaimed lumber and see if anything similar to what you have is listed with prices. You can then figure a starting price for what you have. Remember they have to transport, process and make a profit on what they charge.

PS been to the car show. Haven't gone in a long time maybe this year.