Jules wrote:
On Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:39:54 -0500, dpb wrote:
....

Given the overall cost and effort, I'll reiterate don't sell short the
"find a cheap lift for the duration" option.

Yeah, that may well be the way to go. I still think a standard cherry
picker won't reach, but something a bit more heavy-duty might. Due to the
curve of the roof, it's the middle section each side that's probably the
harder bit; the bottom I can reach with ladders, the top's reasonably
'flat' if I can find a way up there - but the middle third's at quite
an angle.

There's always a way--but the thing is that the amount of time you'll
take rigging up jacks or anything else will make you wish you'd spent
the money for something different! Not to mention what the effort
of lugging all the material and so on is as compared to being able to
simply pick up and put it where wanted. The telehandler somebody
mention is another option.

As far as the curvature, don't believe it'll be an issue in the reach --
ours is a gambrel w/ 1:1 lower/1:2 upper pitch and even w/ the straight
boom simply back up a little gives access to the upper above the break.
Your situation is little different just a gradual change in pitch
instead of sudden.

Given that I know I'll have wood that needs replacing up there it's not a
quick job; I can see myself needing something for a week, and rental
for cherry pickers seems to be about $300/day around here. Buying then
selling (or talking myself into keeping is probably a good plan.

That was my conclusion -- there was no way the amount of effort required
was going to be able to be done within a very few days so that the cash
outlay was easily a choice vs renting. Even w/ a full-time hand,
six-day weeks essentially full-time we were about 3 months from
beginning the cleanup/tear-off of the roof until had last shingle on the
cupola and the ridge cap down. During that time we essentially lived on
the lift. Rental would, as you say, been easily $20k or more even on
long-term lease arrangement as opposed to daily rental rates.

I tried to get thru the roofing part of the job w/ the leaky head gasket
instead of taking time out to fix it but it finally got bad enough we
had to. Had two or three days waiting for the parts where we schlupped
bundles and climbed ladders and after only that length of time I'd have
given twice the $5k in a heartbeat and felt it worth every dime...

I just did a quick look at eBay -- just now there are about 6-10 40'+
lifts under or about $5K that look like would be reasonable finds.
There was one that I wouldn't have taken a chance on then but knowing
what I now know I'd probably seriously consider for about $2K that needs
a starter button and the dual-speed throttle controller. For the
initial price after having had one for 10 years and worked on it some
I'd take the gamble w/o too much concern. As a new toy I wouldn't have
and can freely admit you might not want to either... Anyway, I'd
just suggest keeping the option in mind as even if you were to decide it
wasn't something you wanted to keep (and heck, you then have a use for
the barn to store the lift ) you ought to be able to get most of the
money back out of it.

This old barn was still in solid shape (it's much drier here than MN so
that helps a lot) but w/ what siding that did need replacement and some
sill plate plus the roof material itself (got a year-end deal on 1/2"
shakes at $95/square as was this time of year after two _horrendous_
hail storms in town that spring left the building supply w/ more on hand
than wanted to store over winter) ended up into the $20K neighborhood.

Youch. I don't think it'll be that bad for me - I was guesstimating at
$10k for shingles but I've seen a few good deals on lately and it'll
probably be about a third of that for something that'll last (supposedly)
for 20-30 years.

I do have the end-wall which needs completely re-siding (and insulating -
basically strip back to frame and start again) so that'll be a couple of
thousand I expect. The frame needs fixing there, too - they built this
barn with a 3' tall concrete wall around 3-1/2 sides, but one half of one
end wall has the framing extending right to the ground. 60 years later,
it's all rotted out there, so I need to jack the hayloft floor and replace
the framework (I'm looking forward to doing that aspect, because it
doesn't involve falling off a roof :-)

It's an expensive project, and I don't even know what the heck I'll use
the barn for when it's done - just seems a shame to let it all collapse!

Is this an open (not solid sheathed) wood shingle roof I presume?

Yes (if I understand you) - the curved framing for the roof's made up from
a 3x6" laminate of 1x6" boards, 1x6" boards then nailed across that,
then boring ol' asphalt shingles on top.

Oh, that's sheathed but w/ 1x instead of ply. Ours was built in '18 so
is quite a bit older and has 1x sheathing but not continuous. They're
laid out w/ 2-3" between but on spacing for the nailing rows of 16"
wooden shingles w/ 5" setback. Since the aforementioned change from
shingles to shakes they were 18" but used 7" setback. Only had a spot
or two that ended up having to fill in for nailing though, anyway.

How large is yours -- this is 38x66 ground all 2x6 frame construction of
virgin-growth SYP--gorgeous stuff. Has 3-1/4" horizontal siding; part
of the problem in the cost was that I couldn't find any of it any longer
to match so had to have it milled. As well, part of the character of
the barn is the bed mould detail at the roof eaves. The mould is
attached to the fascia board and becomes the support for the overhang on
both the drip line and the ends. A fair amount of it needed replacing
and had to have it milled as well as nobody could _quite_ closely enough
match the old profile.

IIRC, there were about 70 sq shakes @ $95/sq -- $7k and the millwork
altogether was about another $4k or so. I remember the paint/primer was
almost $8k alone. I'd guess another $5k in just all the other "stuff".
We had enough old lumber that other than the treated sill plates we
replace and a 1/2"x6"x12' steel plate we bolted into the rim joist under
the haymow door/over the main driveway door to fix a long-term sag
didn't buy much "ordinary" construction lumber other than the consumables.

As for the design, the large haymow door is of the vertical design
rather than the hinged drop down. It's in a pair of tracks built up of
2x in an L shape and hung on a pair of block and tackles. It's 10-ft
wide and about 12-ft to the peak that follows the roof line to the gable
where the hayrack rail is mounted that extends out the front.

The hay rake is still there and my intent is to exercise it at least
once when finally do finish up the haymow which is still waiting...

I took the liberty of sending a picture of the front as it was about the
time first finished the bulk of the painting side-by-side of one taken
sometime in the early 20s...

I'll try to scan some during the project and post them to one of the
sites for anybody interested...

--


Anyway, the upshot was the haymow as pretty full as well--didn't help
that the wind blew so hard and long it managed to work the haymow door
open along its sliding track either, of course.

Yuck. Ours has one of those huge hayloft doors with the hinges along
the bottom (and a smaller door with vertical hinges set within it).
There's a rail at roofline height with a rope/pulley system that's
supposed to allow the larger door to safely lower, but I doubt it's worked
in years (I know they had cows in there in '68, but I suspect it wasn't
much long after that when the previous owners stopped using and
maintaining it, judging by how bad the roof is)

cheers

Jules