Don’t have a barn but still want a barn conversion? No worries. You can adopt a barn with the help of VELD architect.
Most people drool over barn conversions, I know I did too. But for most of us, it stays a dream. Mostly because many of us aren’t lucky enough to own a barn. Even me, all the old barns in my family, and my husbands had already been lost. But have no fear you can adopt the perfect barn with the help of VELD architect. In fact, adopting a barn is often easier than trying to reuse a particular existing frame you own.
Here are the benefits of adopting a barn:
1. You get the right size for the project. Often barns are huge and too big for the new use envisioned for them. This can be overly costly to convert. So adopting a barn means you can choose the size that fits the budget, style, and size goals of the conversion project.
This house will incorporate a small 20x30 frame as the living room to help them realize their dream and meet their budget
2. The barn frame will be structurally sound. The reclaim companies will only salvage a whole frame if it's in good condition, free of rot and damage. Therefore you know you are getting a solid frame. Some barns (especially if they are still standing) are likely to have rotten spots, and may not be suitable for conversion.
If you are wondering if your barn is convertible, book a free Barn Conversion Project Scouting Call and gain confidence about the feasibility of your conversion dream.
Rotten spots are often found on the north side of the barn, or under the barn boards hidden away. The most common rotten beam is the plate beam at the eaves.
3. The barn frame is already disassembled. Most often in a barn conversion, it is easier to take the frame down and put it back up rather than trying to work around it while it is standing. So by adopting a frame it's already down and you start with a “clean slate” and build it back up.
The barn frame is being reassembled bent by bent on the ground to be lifted for reassembly.-
4. The existing barn frame will be unique. After being in many barns in my career, although I love them all, not all are special and amazing. So the frame you have access to may not be as special as it could be. But by adopting a frame you can request certain features for your barn. For instance, perhaps hand-hewn (shaped with an axe) timbers are a must, or you want a certain frame style or grain. Some may even be historically significant!
A prominent mayor of the area built this barn frame. The craftsmanship was impeccable and all the braces were triples!
Very rare and beautiful.
5. You can site the barn exactly where you want. Your existing barn might be a little close to the newer pig barn or maybe too close to the road or face the wrong direction. An adopted frame is already disassembled and waiting for it to be placed wherever you want on the property you are going to build on.
Lastly, and most important, adopting a barn saves one more barn from being lost forever, and you get an amazing story that’s priceless for your conversion, whether it's for a house, winery, store, or event space.
So if you’ve been dreaming of a barn conversion but don’t have a barn, VELD architect can hook you up.