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I'm spend $10 for a can of gas and burn the thing to the ground in an "accidental fire". So long as there not building insurance, any arson investigation will be minimal. Than rebuild it from scratch careful to keep the original look of the outside of the shed the same as the original one. This shed need far more work then some scrap wood and a thousand dollars. The rebuilding cost will be far cheaper if you don't have to try and work with what's there.
I recall an old dilapidated house in the New Jersey Pine Barrens where it's impossible to get approvals to build new structures due to the Pine Barren building restrictions. Anyway the builder knocked half the building down, rebuilt it then knocked the other half down and rebuilt that. So long as at least one wall was up, it was considered a remodel, not a new structure. More expensive than building from scratch, but doable.
Last edited by TechGromit; 01-30-2013 at 08:29 AM..
I tend to agree with those that have said "just because it is old does not make it worth savings" -- there is no evidence that any sort of "high skill" labor was ever involved in the construction -- framing appears to be modern studs, foundation has clearly seen better days, roof framing was never properly reinforced or ventilated...
I might make an effort to work out something with the local zoning authority that IF you can track down a educational institution that will have an expert say the structure is worth saving AND appropriate apprentices / restoration trainees can be lined up to use this as a demonstration project / learning experience you would cooperate in contributing toward the costs BUT OTHERWISE you would expect permission to have a reclamation lumber firm dismantle the thing and resell any salvage materials. You would rebuild an appropriate "accessory structure" that is keeping with the character of the historic district and make every effort to utilize salvaged material....
Honestly if you are dealing with termite damage it just is not safe to try to patch new material without knowing for sure that you have sufficiently isolated the structure from further damage. It is clear that there is no so much sag in the side walls that the structure is in imminent danger of collapse.
Obviously the historic district is not going to look good with some junky vinyl sided garage with neo-Spanish style roll-up overhead door but that does not mean that you should keep a falling down hazard on your property either....
In most places, you will find you are not allowed to rebuilt anything remotely simlar. You will have to build a conforming modern structure or nothing. In some places nothing will not be an option. Regardless, you will nto be able to rebuild anyhitng like this. It will not be neat, it will not tie in with your house and the neighborhood.
Actually properly restored and painted nicely with some offsetting trim around the windows and doors, and a really cool tongue and groove sliding door, it would look very nice.
You can also do the work yourself in bits and pieces and keep costs down, but it will probably still cost more than tearing it down and building a modern 20x21 garage (if you use cheap materials, you are not going to side a modern garage in redwood lap siding at an affordable price).
The sag is not that severe. I have restored buildings in far worse condition than that (and paid to restore another one). It really depends on how much damage there is. If it is just a few inches at the bottom, pretty easy to fix, if it is all the way up, then you have a major issue.
Although leaving wood/ground contact in place is generally a bad idea because termite damage will return, sometimes it is the only practical solution. You must use either treated wood or really tight grained old wood (preferably redwood). Keep in mind, that shed or garage was there for 70 or maybe 100 years before it got into this condition. If it goes another 70 years before you have to repair it agin, you will be ahppy. Heck I would be happy if I got 20 years out fo the repari and then had to do it again.
The bottom line is you usually have to do what is practical. When we moved our house, I really wanted to save the kitchen which was made from an old milking barn that was rolled up against the house in 1868. However it was a terrible kicthen and really all we could have moved was the lumber. (It also had asbestos siding which sends some people into a panic). It was simply impractical to move it and try to make it usable. My wife really did nto want a kitchen with 6 foot cielings and almost no windows. The thing really looked like a trailer home stuck on the back of the house. Practicality won, we had to demo it. You might be facing the same thing, but I would bet this is restorable if you want to incur the time and cost. Or you might just prop it up a bit (like the dead parrot in Monte Python) and get some more life out of it.
What will really kill you is the cost and work involved in painting the outside if you do it right.
However no mater what you do, first find out what your options are under your local ordinances.
I'm spend $10 for a can of gas and burn the thing to the ground in an "accidental fire". So long as there not building insurance, any arson investigation will be minimal. Than rebuild it from scratch careful to keep the original look of the outside of the shed the same as the original one. This shed need far more work then some scrap wood and a thousand dollars. The rebuilding cost will be far cheaper if you don't have to try and work with what's there.
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Good idea.
Except for the part where it then catches the adjoining garage on fire and some other structures and three firemen get injured or die trying to put it out and you go to prison for 35 years.
It is true the rebuilding cost will be cheaper than restoration (unless you do it yourself over a very long time and get the materials super cheap somehow); it is nto true that you can build a simlar struture for the cost or at all. It simply will not be allowed and the cost of making something truely similar is prohibitive. You need to either commit to rebuilding at great time and expense or simply get rid of it (if allowed) or replace it with a modern garage made with inexpesnive materials and sided with vinyl.
Coldjensens gave you excellent advice and I would approach it as suggested -- getting others in to assess and come up with ideas about construction methods.
Personally, I would contact the local school system and find out if there is a program offered for carpentry. I would talk to the chair of that department or the person teaching the classes . . . and find out if they ever take on projects on someone's property (you can always get an umbrella insurance policy that covers your liability for $1 Million, in case that is an issue). I have known situations where a class worked on a building for several years . . . you just never know what is possible. One situation I knew of was under the auspices of the high school (that was a brick masonry restoration) and another was an outbuilding that was in bad shape (that was a community college instructor and his students).
It doesn't hurt to check around and ask who is out there, what is available, and who might have leads as to a person who is into restoration or knows about archaic building techniques. I had a contractor work with me once who did hand hewn doors and specialized in restoring staircases. You just never know who is out there til you ask around.
I would approach it as a very slow, longterm project. I would be looking for salvaged materials to add to your stock of items you already have acquired. I have been working with the local Re-Store (Habitat for Humanity) for several years and have used doors and windows -- and am now looking for a barn door. Check and see who may give you materials if you haul them off yourself -- Craigslist is often a great source for such items.
I wouldn't give up and I wouldn't consider tearing the whole thing down. Your goal doesn't have to be to make it a liveable space - but rather - a useable space. Nothing wrong with making it into a seasonal building, either -- or a studio!
]I'm spend $10 for a can of gas and burn the thing to the ground in an "accidental fire". [/b]So long as there not building insurance, any arson investigation will be minimal. Than rebuild it from scratch careful to keep the original look of the outside of the shed the same as the original one. This shed need far more work then some scrap wood and a thousand dollars. The rebuilding cost will be far cheaper if you don't have to try and work with what's there.
I recall an old dilapidated house in the New Jersey Pine Barrens where it's impossible to get approvals to build new structures due to the Pine Barren building restrictions. Anyway the builder knocked half the building down, rebuilt it then knocked the other half down and rebuilt that. So long as at least one wall was up, it was considered a remodel, not a new structure. More expensive than building from scratch, but doable.
Honestly Tech I don't think $10 these days would buy you enough gas to start a fire, let alone burn down a structure.
I too am familiar with the rule you speak of since I too am from where you live. We did it all the time when a structure was trashed and local zoning or code or historical bylaws forbid knocking it down to rebuild. But knocking everything down but leaving as little as one single wall allowed us to rebuild. A silly loophole that apparently was never closed since I left.
In this case though, that piece of garbage building is nothing but fire wood. I bet trying to get a nail into that petrified wood would split it to shreds.
This structure looks extremely hazardous to me. For anyone in it - or attempting to work on/in it.
I would apply for a permit to demolish as a structure hazardous to life (or whatever your local ordinances provide). I would ask for a public hearing. And - when I got to that hearing - I'd bring members of the local press. A firefighter - and a trades person or two as well. And get testimony that no matter who tries to do what with this - it's too frigging dangerous to try. So the public will know that whatever board you're dealing with is being really stupid if it insists on making you keep this structure. I would also make a point that I want to get rid of the thing because it's a dangerous eyesore (what if kids break into it at night to - like we used to say - "neck" - and the roof falls on their head?). IOW - make whatever board you're dealing with look like a bunch of elite idiots - while you're trying to keep the community and its members safe and sound. Unless you live in a very odd place - I don't think you'll lose. Especially if you (or a lawyer) will say that if anyone gets hurt or dies in this structure - the board will have "blood on its hands". Use PR to your advantage.
anifani821's idea of $1 million in liability insurance doesn't make much sense to me. There are almost no child death cases in the US these days that aren't worth at least $1 million. And what homeowner/parent in his right mind would allow any child into a structure like this (much less work on it - unless you live on Mars - you'd probably be dealing with child labor laws too - violations of which can lead to punitive damages).
IMO - sometimes "this old place" is simply "this old dump". Robyn, Esq.
What a pile of junk....I don't see how you would even be able to tell you had done anything after throwing $1000 at it. I am with the others.....burn it down.
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