 |
As you can see from the "before" photo posted directly below this photo, the
exterior, loft area of the barn above the shed had not been
completed when we stopped working with the contractors and
took over the work ourselves to cut cost. (The contractors
were doing quality work but were slow and we were going
over budget so we took over the work ourselves.) This photo shows Mike
working on the exterior loft section. He put a vent in for air flow in the loft
and completed the board and batting to this section.
|
 |
The contractors had completed the board and batting on the front of the barn,
but the doors had not been made or hung. Mike used the original hardware from the
old doors to hang the new doors he constructed. The small sliding door to the
far right goes into the milking parlor. Mike asked me if I wanted to cover that
up and do away with it all together but it would have meant that I would have to walk all the way through the
barn and back to the front when I am milking. It would make it
inconvenient when I am taking equipment in or out or carrying
milk out. I love the little sliding door. You step inside and go down a couple of
steps into the parlor.
In the forefront of this photo is a huge sliding door that is going to take some special equipment to hang, as
there is no way Mike and I can lift and hang it without a tractor or loader to bear the weight. Mike did
a great job making the barn doors.
Close up of the sliding door going into the parlor. Photo taken before the batting was
added to the door.
|
 |
The parlor area had two broken out windows. They were the old slide in type and we
just happened to have the exact size we needed. These vintage window panes came from
the Cupp home place and add a touch of "home" to this project that I think is
pretty special. We are not sure if the windows came from the original house
or if they came from one of the outbuildings but they are
the perfect fit for our "new" old barn.
|
 |
Now that the weather has turned and we are experiencing cold temperatures and snow, we will turn our
attention to the inside. Mike has already started using board and batting to make the interior pretty as well. We
love the look and smell of the rough cut lumber.
This is the parlor when we started. The photo above is a close up of the
far wall in this photo after Mike installed the
board and batting.
|
 |
Two of our grandchildren playing in the snow beside the barn. The side view
shows the two, repurposed windows that we took from the old
home place back in Verona.
|
 |
What better way to accent the new stain on the barn exterior than freshly fallen, Blue Ridge Mountain
snow? Mike was not able to get the whole barn stained before the temperature
dropped but he got a lot of it completed and it looks beautiful.
 |