The Old Ontario Barn FAQ
Three (or More) Ways to Save Your Old Barn
A big part of our rural heritage are the old barns you see (or own yourself) driving around Ontario. There used to be more of them. What do you do with an old, heritage, vintage, derelict barn when you’re a barn enthusiast and don’t want to see it disappear?
Do you Know Your Barn’s History?
How can you find out how old a barn is?
Learn about your old barn’s history. Is there something special about the structure? What can you find out about its past and how it was used.
Take a look at our ‘Your Old Barn Study’. Include your barn in our project to document the old barns in Ontario. We have a video post explaining how the survey works and what you will need. Also, help is available right here if you need it.
How do you know what is a barn and what is not a barn? Does a building have to be a certain size or used in a certain way to be called a barn?
From Britannica Dictionary: “Barn, in agriculture, farm building for sheltering animals, their feed and other supplies, farm machinery, and farm products. Barns are named according to their purpose, as hog barns, dairy barns, tobacco barns, and tractor barns” or “a building on a farm that is used for storing grain and hay and for housing farm animals or equipment”. Thus no size limitations as far as I know, although some definitions describe them as “large” buildings.
What are the parts of a barn?
There are many – please review the OBP Old Barn Glossary, or explore the many books available about barns and timber-framing.
How do you measure a barn?
A laser measuring device is a great way to measure a barn without climbing around the timbers too much. Typically, the dimensions (in feet and inches) will be quite rational if you measure the correct elements. The frame exterior (thus inside of board cladding to inside of board cladding) will provide you with an overall size. Usually, the width of the threshing floor is a rational number if you measure from the faces of the posts and beams facing it (very often 12’ or 14’). The place to obtain more detailed measurements is by measuring to the seats of mortise-and-tenon joints or brace pockets, since these are the ‘true’ dimensions that the timber framer originally worked with, as opposed to the sometimes-wonky face of a beam which they typically (other than as noted above) did not use to lay out their timberwork. A laser is also a great and safter) tool for obtaining heights, the most informative usually being the heights underside of roof sheathing at the plates, the same at the top of the purlins, and the same to the underside of the roof peak.
How were barns built before nails and other modern tools?
Ontario barns typically do have steel nails, typically employed for the attachment of board-stock and often for securing rafters to plates. Wooden pegs were nearly universally employed for securing timber joints, and in older barns were also utilized for securing rafters, floor planks, etc.. Many human-powered tools were in use to assist with the framing of barns, including augers, boring machines, beetles, a myriad of chisels, cant hooks, timber-carriers, axes, adzes, gin poles, pike poles, etc..
Read about a barn raising on our site.
Find more barn parts explained in the Old Barn Glossary.
You may find something to read more about barn history and construction from our Barn Book Reference List.
Are all barns made of wood with stone foundations?
No. Some have foundations, others do not. Foundations if present can be stone, brick, wood, concrete, or otherwise. The superstructures can be log, timber-framed, stick-framed, truss-framed, brick, tile, stone or otherwise … so there is not necessarily a definitive materials requirement to be considered a barn.
What different kinds/types of barns are there in Ontario?
Wow, there are many, and likely many more that I am not aware of. Barns can have many purposes, shapes, material palettes, and configurations, so a start to answering this may be to explore the OBP Glossary and consider that it does not describe the limit of the number of barn kinds/types.
How can I tell how my barn was used in the past, for animals, grain, or other uses?
What is the oldest barn in Ontario, still standing, and not still standing? Where was the first barn built in Ontario, or where do you think it was?
The magnificent Dalziel Barn of 1809, at Black Creek Pioneer Village, may be the oldest surviving barn in Ontario, although there may be lurking somewhere ones that are older … you never know. In terms of those not still in existence, missionary outposts such as Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons (1639) included barns for housing their livestock and harvests. From what I have read to date, the Indigenous people of Ontario did not have ‘barns’ per se; they had other solutions for the storage of their agricultural produce and did not partake in containment of domesticated livestock. There was a European agricultural settlement at Fort Frontenac (Kingston) as early as the 1670’s, so barns would have been present there at that time. An influx of United Empire Loyalists starting in 1782 or 1783 would have subsequently resulted in the building of some of the early Ontario barns.
Are old barns in Ontario different from barns in the rest of Canada?
Yes! … typically. Although the characteristics of Ontario barns can vary considerably, in general they can be quite different to those built in Quebec, the Eastern Provinces, and Western Canada. Often they have stronger kinship with those south of our border, possibly due to the influence of United Empire Loyalists who migrated into Ontario from the Thirteen American Colonies at the outbreak of the American Revolution.
If a barn is restored with all new wood, is it still an old barn?
If referring to new board cladding or flooring on an old barn frame, my answer would be yes. Same if there are some new timbers added to replace damaged or missing ones. If the entire building is constructed of new wood, frame, cladding, etc., then I think it fair to not consider it an old barn (although it could be a new barn constructed in the same manner as an old barn).
There is an odd thing in my barn, how can I find out what it is?
Take a photo and bring it to one of our OBP Tenon Talks which are open to all members. Maybe someone else in attendance will know what it is.
Can Your Barn be Saved?
What are the problems facing the barn? Is it in danger of being demolished or is it in danger of falling down by itself? Maybe money is an issue or finding someone to do the work. If you don’t own the barn but have an interest in it, find out who owns it and ask them about it. You might have ideas and resources, or encouragement to help save the barn.
What are the structural problems with the barn? Foundation crumbling. Roof leaking. Weathering. Beetle damages. Sides sagging… Go through, carefully if its in bad shape, and make a list of what you see. Try our Barn Specia-List and contact barn repair people in your area. (The list and locales are growing. Let us know if you have found a good barn person to include).
Are there government grants to help restore an old barn?
Unfortunately there are no grants available from government sources at this time. As an organization, we know barn restoration can be costly. If you do find anything we haven’t please let us know!
Can I/ should I get insurance for an old barn?
How can I decide if my barn is worth saving, or too far gone?
Commission a review by a knowledgeable expert on barns and their restoration or repurposing.
How can I pick a reliable contractor, one who really knows what he/she is doing with an old barn?
Obtain references, particularly those provided by professionals such as engineers and architects or other tradespeople and suppliers. Speak to people who were involved with the potential contractor but who are not on their reference list. Visit their past projects with someone who is knowledgeable about building construction.
How far gone can a barn be and still be restorable, if money were not an issue?
Very far indeed, as long as all of the wooden members are not rotten. As a ‘kit of parts’, it is quite possible to replace failing members – often easier to do if the building is disassembled and reconstructed.
What is an average cost for restoring an old barn?
That greatly depends on the size and condition of the building, so there is no set answer. Barns that have good foundations and have been well-maintained can need very little for restoration, whereas others that have failing foundations, leaky roofs, rotten timbers and worn-out cladding can lead to considerable restoration costs.
Where should I start fixing up an old barn: roof, foundation, somewhere in between?
Both roof and foundation are critically important, but I would place the roof as a top priority unless the state of the foundation is making the building unsafe to work on.
What part of the barn should I restore first, if I’m on a tight budget?
My recommendation would be to do your best to keep water out and keep the foundation intact.
What can I do to keep a barn from deteriorating once it starts to go?
Address whatever is causing the deterioration, especially water infiltration.
Are there makeshift things I can do, to save my barn, that cost very little?
Critically important is keeping the roof from leaking, which often is not an expensive item unless it has seriously deteriorated. Sometimes the installation of temporary plank bracing, cable-and-turnbuckle or chain-and-come-along-or-load-binder, or heavy duty ratchet-straps, can provide temporary stability. If there are structural issues it is best to consult with a professional.
Can I just paint an old barn every few years, would that be enough to preserve the wood, if the structure is still ok?
Painting the cladding, and potentially the roof, of your barn can be a great way to help preserve it.
What damages a barn that I can move, get rid of, or fix easily?
What can I do about a sagging barn roof?
Often a sagging roof is an indication of a structural failure of one of the roof beams, such as a purlin, removal of timbers or braces from the superstructure supporting the roof, or the sinking of a post which can be the outcome of it having a rotten bottom, a failure of the foundation below, or if a centre post, the failure of the beam or post below within the barn’s basement. Tracking down the root cause of the sag, addressing the necessary jacking and repairs can often remove the sag in the roof.
How can I fix a leaking barn roof?
Determine the source of the leak and repair it. Depending on the extent, this may lead to a partial or full re-roofing of the barn, which could in hand provide a benefit to its longevity. If you are not able or unwilling to address the repair yourself, consider contacting a roofing company or a barn roof painting company (one of which is listed on our Barn Specia-List.
What can I do when the side of my barn has caved in?
Often the “push” of an earthen gangway, or ramp, leading up to the threshing floor of a barn causes a slow progression of the foundation, and thus the super-structure, which often results in failure of the foundation or supports both against the gangway, but also on the opposite side of the barn. If this is the case, a first step is to remove the ‘pushing forces’ of the gangway by removing it totally, or at least the portion of it against the foundation, and then assessing if the situation is a matter of stabilizing the current state (for instance with foundation buttresses and/or reinforcing of timber joinery, or of bringing things back to where they were originally which typically would involve reconstruction or replacement of the impacted foundations. In this case consideration could be given to replace the earthen gangway with a ‘bridge’ ramp if wheeled access is still necessary to that level of the barn.
If the ‘cave in’ is only the superstructure and not paralleled by a failure of the foundation, it sounds as though it may be the result of wind forces and the failure of the structural timbers within the barn.
In all cases, involving a knowledgeable structural expert is definitely advisable.
What can I do about a broken foundation?
Ideally repair the foundation, but that decision can depend on many factors such as the cause of the ‘break’, the soil conditions supporting the foundation, if the building is subject to frost heave, etc.. Consider having a knowledgeable person in construction, engineering or architecture provide input.
Is it safe to keep using an old barn for animals/ storing food/grains once it begins to deteriorate? What would be the point of no return?
That all depends on the degree of deterioration, whether there are structural failures that are risking the safety of you or your animals, if there is the likelihood of moisture causing structural failures or of creating a hazardous mold situation.
Does old hay catch fire if left in an old barn?
Properly cured hay is not susceptible to the spontaneous combustion that can happen if the hay has excessive moisture and thus heat generated by microorganisms such as fungi and bacterial. That said, well-dried hay could catch on fire if lit by a spark, live cigarette butt or match, a lighting strike, an electrical failure, or otherwise.
What can I do to prevent a barn fire?
- Ensure there is not a water/moisture problem within the barn
- Make certain that the electrical installation all meets current standards for such structures (or turn off the electricity to the building as a whole),
- Never permit anyone that is smoking, creating sparks or playing with matches near the building
- Don’t operate any fossil-fuel powered equipment or vehicles within the building
- Maintain the grounds around the building to prevent a grass or wild fire from reaching it
- Keep outdoor fires which could issue sparks toward the barn well away from it
- Pray that lightning won’t strike it
What causes the mildewy/ mold smell in an old barn? Can I get rid of it?
The root cause of mold and mildew is that there is a problem with water or moisture. Tracking down the cause of this H2O and rectifying it (by keeping rain out, by providing adequate ventilation – particularly in the basement), etc. would be advisable, and then assess if the smell eventually dissipates following or if removal of impacted organic materials (hay, wood, etc.) is necessary. There are products and companies that specialize in mold and mildew removal that you could explore.
What can I do about birds, rodents and other unwanted wildlife in the barn?
Enjoy their company! At least to some degree if you can. Larger animals such as raccoons can be kept out by ensuring doors are closed, board and windows are in place and secure, etc., but keeping smaller creatures like bats and mice out may be next to impossible unless you are willing to do a complete re-build and modifications. For birds, please consider that barns are great habitat for many endangered or threatened species: barn owls and barn swallows.
Can I get barn cats to keep rodents out of a barn?
What can I do to prevent trespassing, vandalizing, or salvaging without permission in my old barn?
Speak to a security expert and explore the suggestions that are available online, such as these examples:
- Steps farmers can take to protect themselves as farm thefts rise
- Be vigilant as farm trespassing and theft incidents are on the rise
- 8 Ways to Improve Farm Security
Ensure that your barn doors and windows are intact and locked. Consider securing boards within reach with screws or spiral nails so that they are not easy to pry off.
How can I move an old barn to another location? How do I do this?
Many old barns have already been moved, either by rolling or sliding their superstructures across the land, or by disassembly and reconstruction. These traditional methods continue but with the advantage of more advanced equipment such as cranes, aerial lifts, etc. Dismantlement has an advantage since it better exposes any flaws in the timbers or workmanship that may not be visible if the barn is kept intact.
What should I ask about in a Structural Review?
- What will it take to make this structurally sound as a barn? as a public space? as …? whatever they are converting to.
- What might be the costs of this remediations?
- Are there any building code implications for a change of use to anything other than a barn?
Can you get Help Saving your Old Barn?
If you, or your family, own the barn can you find help in the community? There are (so far) no government grants to help fix up old barns in Ontario. What else can you do. Is there a community group who could use the barn and help finance it. Can you start a local business which uses the barn? Could you ask for help from the local community, donations, or an exchange of services?
We have a Barn Exchange (free to use) which you can post to. Ask for supplies, buy or sell materials, exchange resources.
Find other barn enthusiasts. You’re here so you know about Ontario Barn Preservation. What else can you find? Have you talked to people interested in rural history in your area. Is there a local history society for your town, county, district, or municipality?
Reach out to local media and government. Let people know about the issues facing the old barn and ask for help. Get all your information together about the barn: history, photographs/ drawings, construction, what needs immediate help and what you hope to accomplish. Talk to a media source who can turn it into a story for the public. Bring interest and attention to the old barn, even if it isn’t your own. (But contact the owner first, work together with them).
Is there an organization which would reuse the old wood, stone and fixtures from an old barn which can not be restored?
Yes, there are many demolition companies and architectural and building material salvage operations in Ontario that would salvage suitable material from a barn. Some are listed on our Barn Specia-List page.
Can you give advice about buying a property with an old barn on it?
Have someone knowledgeable about barns and construction assess the building to help determine if would be an asset or a liability, and consider how you could potentially make use of it (including converting it to a house, workshop, or ????
If I don’t need a barn on my property what else can I do with an old barn?
You can offer it to a barn salvage company, hire a demolition company to tear it down, or advertise its availability to others who may be wishing to obtain a barn. Take a look at our Barn Exchange listings.