Barns are versatile buildings that can be timelessly beautiful as well as functional. In the past, barns were made of wood, uniquely designed to reflect the culture of the builder, and typically painted red. Barns have long been a cherished part of the American landscape, as symbols of the agricultural heritage. Barns of the past were built so the farmers who built would have a place to store the crops and animals they raised.
Today, barns are built with many different materials and for a variety of purposes, signaling a barn-building renaissance. Barn kits and floor plans are readily available to assist in barn building, whether it is a horse barn, metal barn, steel barn, or barn house. Modern barn designs allow for greater variation in style as well as functionality. Z-braced barn doors and traditional window trim give new barns that classic feel. Traditional barns used to consist of two or more floors, or at least a floor and a loft. Modern pole barns are without lofts but have shallow-truss roofs. Thus, they present a flat, uninteresting look. To make a barn look attractive as well as traditional, one has to have a steeper pitched roof — at least an 8:12 pitch (the roof inclines 8 inches for every 12 inches of length), with large overhangs. One of the classic barn features is the cupola, which should be big enough to ventilate the barn. Farmers earlier designed cupolas, to reflect their individual styles.
Even now, many barns are designed with agricultural purposes in mind: animal shelters and horse stalls, storing hay, or securing a tractor. They just as often become garages in which cars, boats, trucks, RV’s, and campers are kept. Others use their barns as workshops, studios, or storage sheds. Still other barn owners simply favor the old world charm of the farmhouse barn without any specific functionality in mind. Regardless of how they are used, barns add a unique as well as useful dimension to the home.
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Modern Barns
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Modern barns are characterized by their new designs and great utilitarian value. Most modern barns are designed to house machinery and animals, and for carrying out specialized farming operations, such as dairying. Modern barns are constructed of wood or steel supports and rafters or trusses,...
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Classic Barns
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Over the years barns have served as farm factories, places of business and storehouses for equipment and supplies. Barns were the heart of the farm and the vital center of community life. For many Americans today, barns represent tradition, hard work and independence. This is...
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Barns for Sale
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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The selling price of a barn is difficult to determine, because so many variables, from location to materials used, affect the sale price, which is in turn dependent on the construction costs. If one wants to build a barn at a rocky mountainside retreat in...
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Pole Barns
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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The type of construction one chooses will depend on the barn’s style. The pole barn, also known as post-frame construction, is the least expensive. The post-frame construction is done by sinking posts into the ground, with lumber connecting them horizontally. Holes are dug for the...
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Storage Barns
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Storage Barns are alternatives to daily storage problems. For example, if the garage is full of lawn equipment, holiday decorations and miscellaneous items, then the storage barn is a good alternative. Storage barns are also good alternatives to the attic, which may be so full...
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Barn Animals
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Barn animals include all domesticated farm animals such as cows and horses, which are sheltered in a barn. Barn animals are mainly raised for providing milk and food products. Some animals like horses and mules are used to help with farm work. Barn horses are...
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Barn Raising
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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During the early periods, a barn was the first, largest and most costly structure built by a family who settled in a new area. The term ‘barn raising’ denotes the construction of barns. Barn raising is a community event, during which a community comes together...
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Floor Plans
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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A house is built with hands, but a home is built with hearts x96 so the old saying goes. However, too much choice in the form of floor plans can be confusing sometimes. Therefore, an understanding of the different styles and how they suit the...
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White Horse Weather Vanes
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Weather vanes, which are devices for measuring wind direction, are one of the oldest geographic tools used by man. They have an ornamental value in many American homes, giving a classy and artistic look to the house. They are used on all kinds of buildings:...
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House Floor Plans
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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House floor plans essentially fall into two categories x96 custom-drawn and pre-drawn floor plans. It can take a lot of time, money and effort if one chooses the former. Moreover, a pre-drawn floor plan, apart from saving money and time, also lends itself to modifications...