Noah B Woodworks

The barn in which I do my woodwork is tattered and old. It is often a home for squirrels, and bugs. It has been a nesting place for birds that open holes in the side that have grown in size. Since moving into our house in 2022, my attention towards the barn has not been about the overall aesthetic of the space. I have been merely focused on its ability to churn out work. Can I work in the space?

When we first moved into the house, the barn had no insulation. I installed some R13 on the walls and doubled the thickness on the ceiling. I used cheap OSB to cover it between the studs that were not 16″ on center. I was too impatient to sister and frame the barn correctly, and could not afford sturdier, better looking drywall. I was simply trying to cover the insulation. I don’t regret these decisions. However, the quality of the space has suffered.

In order of importance, I need to fix the holes in the barn, replace the windows, paint the exterior and put a steel or aluminum skirt along the bottom to keep water off of the base. Then on the inside, I need to strip the walls and reframe the studs so I can put insulation up properly. Before the insulation goes in I should have an electrician re wire the electrical. Once the insulation has been reinstalled, I need to finish with drywall and paint. For me, this is a multi year project that completely removes my ability to woodwork, so I have neglected to give it any attention.

I am simply grateful that I’ve got the space to work in, and I am making the best of the space that I’ve got. It would do me a great service to address some of these issues though, for the long term health of the barn. I am hoping to hire out a lot of this work in the future. I have also sort of wondered if I can let it ride for as long as possible and rebuild the barn completely later down the road. Seems like it might be worth it to start completely over, but the funds just are not there at the moment. The barn does have a certain charm too.

This post and yesterdays are telling me that it might be a good idea to shake things up in some way or another that drastically improves quality of life for the barn. I have a clearer idea of what it is that I am trying to make: CNC’d objects, pipes, wands and occasionally chairs. However, that tends to change with the season and I’ll inevitably agree to take on a project that lasts over 6 months. As long as I can make these objects I’m happy, but I can clean up the overall look and organization of my tools on the inside as an easy place to start. I can’t help but worry about the long term health of the barn, seeing it degrade in real time is worrisome. At the end of the day I’m grateful that it is still standing.