Banked barns

[LeatherneckPA]

The land I hope to buy this spring has a really nice little hill on it that would be absolutely perfect for building a banked barn into it. I was wondering if anybody had knowledge of what types of floor and foundation systems were used on these barns back in the day? Being just a teenager, I wasn't smart enough to take notes on our barn when I was growing up. I remember that it had a poured concrete floor, because it had gutters behind the cow's stanchions and a center aisle for the tractor to drive on. The wall that was built into the bank had some kind of stonework, because it was not smooth. But I don't remember if it was mortared or dry.

Around my part of PA I see several old foundations around (from collapsed or burned barns) that appear to have been just dry laid stone. I'm wondering if that was the norm, and how thick those walls were. (Hmm, I wonder if one could acquire those stones to build his own banked barn?)

And another thought that crossed my mind was how deep the foundations had to go? I mean, if they were laid dry, or even mortared, how did they defeat the frost heave? What were those walls laid upon? Did they pour footers?

There is so much I don't know. :(

[walls0stone]

Dry, and they were built back from the hill and then mountains and mountains of stones tossed inbetween the hillside and the found.
outer walls are Hemlock, Don't know what insides are... but stop into Pine Creek Lumber Co and you'll find out.

[LeatherneckPA]

Cool. I thought they cut them into the bank. Didn't know they built the hill up to them.

[fancyfowl]

check your library for some Erik Sloan books , also try Barns, Sheds & Outbuildings by btron Halstad for some ideas.

[walls0stone]

be careful of those books. 90% of them are writen by people who have never lifted a stone.

[sbemt456]

The old log house here on our farm was built with a cut rock foundation. They didnt pour footers per se, the house here is sitting on flat rocks well below frost level. Those rocks are about 3 or 4 feet wide and 4 to 6 feet long and then the cut rock foundation is laid up with a sandy like mortar. About 100 years old and still solid.

stella

[fancyfowl]

Sloan doesnt attemt to be a builder nor an architect, he is a researcher of Ameracana. he has written several books on early types of American barns and buildings. He has books about the tools used to build them. Many illustrations. A valuable resource for those with an interst in such things.
I became interested in his books because my gr. gr. grandfather was a barn builder in nw Pa. as was his father. We have most of the tools he used in his trade. In the winter he made violins.

The old barns are nearly gone, sad thing. Their maintenance is just beyond the reach of most folks today. There is a preservation society, somewhere, which might be able to offer advice on actual building or how to research their construction. The Amish here build bank barns but they take shortcuts, not like some of the better old barns.

[silvergramma]

hiya there are quite a few banked barns up around these parts i can go take pics and talk to the owners i know most have cement floors...some are built with openings in the middle on the side some are built with openings on the end,, will take a ride this weekend with the camera and see what i can do for ya

[walls0stone]

they aren't Cut.. those stones are probly done with Pluggs and feathers. you can also cut out stone with water and Ice but you want to start drilling in spring.

don't need to take it down to frost line. Dry floats. barns as that were poured years later. Before that it was dirt. when tie stalls as now them came into play.

What most of those book people do, is call a 100 people in a trade. Then send in pics and stories and the producer just mixes up the info and makes a book.....and all the money.

A bank barn is German, To build such a wall takes a lot of common understanding...if you have ever laid bricks...well, laying stone dry is NOTHING like bricks.

[Anon001]

The banked barns in this area have dirt floors... not concrete... and the lower level is all build with stone on all four sides and then the wood barn above that.
PaulNKS