Taking down a timber frame - need advice
 

Hi. I am looking for advice. I have a 40 x 80 timber frame, a 3 story
bank barn with a limestone foundation, that I have agreed to sell.
Nothing has been signed yet - just a verbal agreement. It will be
dismantled and re-established as a home.

I have a gnerally good feeling about the timber framer who approached
me about the barn on behalf of the buyer. The buyer visited, saw other
barns, and came back to say he wanted this barn. That was 3 weeks ago
- Twice since then the framer indicated he would work up the contract
and bring it by, but it hasn't happened yet. I know he is working
another project that is not going as well as he had thought and that
this site is at least three hours from our home.

Because of the delay I am realizing I will need to have a firm
contract to protect our interests. Can anyone provide advice about
what we should include in the contract? We have been asked to provide
the garbage bin form construction debris since they feel they have
paid a generous price. We can live with that. But what else is or is
not reasonable to expect?

I'd appreciate any advice others could share. You can respond to me at
.

Thanks, L Bargstedt

Taking down a timber frame - need advice
 

On 10 Aug 2003 16:32:57 -0700, (L Bargstedt)
wrote:

Because of the delay I am realizing I will need to have a firm
contract to protect our interests. Can anyone provide advice about
what we should include in the contract? We have been asked to provide
the garbage bin form construction debris since they feel they have
paid a generous price. We can live with that. But what else is or is
not reasonable to expect?

About the only thing that you should have to worry about is the
condition of your property once they have left.

There are a couple of ways to proceed in this tear down.

The way I would go about it is to send a crew to strip off the roof,
sheathing, exterior and interior wall coverings, etc.

Once the structure is down to the frame, I'd schedule a crane and a
big enough truck to haul the frame away in its component parts.

I would try to keep these parts as big as is practical for transport.

If site or transport conditions are such that the building must be
broken down to the point where the pegs have to be knocked out and the
structure returned to its original sticks, the guy is probably going
to spend a good deal of time marking the sticks for reassembly and
then will move the pieces off your property according to whatever
means he has for transport.

It's the vehicles that will cause the most site damage.

You will want to know up front what will be left sticking up out of
the ground. He's not going to take the foundation away. If there are
electrical and plumbing feeds running to the building, you should
agree as to how these will be left.

You don't state how close other structures may be to the tear down.
You want to have him indemnify you against damage caused by his
removal of the structure. I'd make damned sure I saw an insurance
certificate, acquired directly from his provider.

Debris removal can be a big factor in something like this. There's
going to be a pile of stuff from the removal of roofing and siding

Probably the best you can hope for is that they will put the debris in
a dumpster or situate it in a spot where it can be burned and buried.

Good Luck.


Regards, Tom
Tom Watson - Woodworker
Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania
http://users.snip.net/~tjwatson

Taking down a timber frame - need advice
 

Make sure that you have are lease from liability or insurance claims.
A time limit is very important with a financial penalty for each
day/week after deal is to be complete. Also, clean up is important;
make sure you have a clause about obeying all city, county, state
laws. You may have neighbors who don't want them running Skil saws at
1:00 in the morning. Can they leave what they don't want? Can they
burn the remains? What about damages to surrounding property (yours or
others). Contracts are important- they can protect both parties. But
you need to have it up frone. A handshake or "Gentlemans Agreemment"
probably isn't worth a durn in cort especially without an outside
witness. Document, document, document.




On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 20:53:31 -0500, "Ross"
wrote:

Be sure and include a time limit for completing all work and clean-up. It
might be a good idea to have them post a refundable deposit against the
completion and clean-up.

Taking down a timber frame - need advice
 

On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 19:50:53 -0400, Tom Watson
wrote:

Once the structure is down to the frame, I'd schedule a crane and a
big enough truck to haul the frame away in its component parts.

I would try to keep these parts as big as is practical for transport.

OK, I don't know what a "timber frame" is in this context

But in UK practice for timber framing, take the frame down to its
components - even for large lifts on-site. If you move large pieces
whilst still assembled, then the forces on joints can far exceed what
they can stand and you can demolish the tenons. It's a lot less work
to dismantle the frame entirely than it is to repair the damage.

Maybe this is different in the US. Our practice is that there's no
"frame" as such and our panels lose a lot of strength when they're
disconnected from their floorplates.

Taking down a timber frame - need advice
 

Ramsey is right on target!
Along with the release from liability INSIST the contractor has
liability insurance AND workman's comp. coverage.

If someone is hurt on your property YOU are the fall guy without it.

Taking down a timber frame - need advice
 

"L Bargstedt" wrote in message
om...
: Hi. I am looking for advice. I have a 40 x 80 timber frame, a 3 story
: bank barn with a limestone foundation, that I have agreed to sell.
: Nothing has been signed yet - just a verbal agreement. It will be
: dismantled and re-established as a home.
:
: I have a gnerally good feeling about the timber framer who approached
: me about the barn on behalf of the buyer. The buyer visited, saw other
: barns, and came back to say he wanted this barn. That was 3 weeks ago
: - Twice since then the framer indicated he would work up the contract
: and bring it by, but it hasn't happened yet. I know he is working
: another project that is not going as well as he had thought and that
: this site is at least three hours from our home.
:
: Because of the delay I am realizing I will need to have a firm
: contract to protect our interests. Can anyone provide advice about
: what we should include in the contract? We have been asked to provide
: the garbage bin form construction debris since they feel they have
: paid a generous price. We can live with that. But what else is or is
: not reasonable to expect?
:
: I'd appreciate any advice others could share. You can respond to me at
: .
:
: Thanks, L Bargstedt

I hate to say it but you need a real estate atorney to draw up a firm contract. As much as I hate to
engage one, a real estate attorney will save you a lot of grief and money.

Taking down a timber frame - need advice
 

yes to all and bonded to.