A Booming Barn-Board Business

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For safety's sake, it's wise to wear sturdy overalls . . . heavy, steel-toed boots to protect your feet from nail punctures (be sure your tetanus shot is valid) ... and good work gloves to guard against splinters, cuts, and other injuries. On some jobs a hard hat is advisable, too. And—while working—you should always be on the lookout for wasps and other vermin.

When demolition time comes, each person will probably develop his or her own special approach. Often, a building will be in such a state of disrepair that a "huff and puff" will blow it down. For solidly standing structures, however, you might want to use a "reverse carpentry" technique, taking the edifice apart in an order opposite to that in which it was put up.

In such a case, you'll probably begin by removing all loose materials, taking out the windows, and dismantling floors and moldings. Next, tackle any interior walls ... the roof covering (which usually isn't worth saving) . .. and the horizontal roof boards. Then remove the roof "skeleton", piece by piece (leaving only the structural beams that hold the building together), and pry off the exterior walls. Once the ceiling headers are gone, the wall joists can be pushed out, and—finally—the subfloor demolished.

Frankly, we seldom go to that much trouble. We've found we can salvage almost the same amount of wood if we simply cut the main beams with a chain saw and push the structure over or—in the case of a large barn or shed— pull it down, using a cable or rope hooked to a tractor. The "quick and dirty" method not only saves a tremendous amount of time on the job, but also avoids the necessity of working in high places and on possibly rotted roofs. (It's better to suffer a few broken boards than a broken bone!)

If you use a little common sense, you won't have to worry about having the building collapse around you when the main beams are cut. Most old structures are pretty solidly built, and you'll find thateven with the main beams removed—they're not likely to fall down without a little "arguing". In fact, we think the cutand-collapse approach is the safest way to deal with dangerously big buildings.

With the whole structure down and its components all well within reach, it's time to be gentle with the worn, weathered wood. Lovingly extract each nail . . . reverently unpeg every joint . . . delicately lower each beam ... and stack everything neatly.

When you're finished—and the area is clean—borrow or rent a van, pickup, or trailer (assuming you don't have one of your own) to move the precious woodpile. (Or you might be able to get permission to sell the barn wood at the site, and let the buyers haul it away.)

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