Timber-frame barn with water intrusion

[dungrulla]

Oh the joys of new property…

This is the first winter on our farm and two days ago we had a very heavy rainstorm. It was then and only then that I noticed that there is water seeping through the walls of the barn. Not the roof–we went up there and checked–it is actually leaking through the gaps in the walls. Everything seems structurally sound, though there is some water staining, and nothing has started to rot yet.

Fortunately there is a gap between the stall walls and the actual barn wall so everyone is still clean and comfy, though the aisle is…wet…in a couple spots.

I called a contractor out to come look at it next week, but has anyone had this experience before? Obviously it’s going to be an issue eventually since water rots wood and freeze/thaw cycles tend to cause cracks in things. No one is in any danger right now–the building is really solid–and we are hoping to fix it before we have to, say, replace the whole barn wall.

The floor also needs to be leveled but that’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a few bags of stone dust and some elbow grease.

What are other peoples’ experiences with this issue?

[clanter]

@dungrulla

–the building is really solid–and we are hoping to fix it before we have to, say, replace the whole barn wall.

a wall that is permeable was not built correctly so tearing it down and rebuilding may already be in the cards

Are the any photos of the seepage to help figure out what was not done or done incorrectly?

[dungrulla]

@clanter

a wall that is permeable was not built correctly so tearing it down and rebuilding may already be in the cards

Are the any photos of the seepage to help figure out what was not done or done incorrectly?

I can get some later on today. In hindsight looking at it, it looks like it’s been doing this for quite a while, but the building is 20+ years old and in pretty good shape all things considered. The roof is metal and in excellent condition, the floors are OK, the walls aren’t rotted or anything…they just leak. It’s a one-layer construction with no siding.

[TCA_Arabians]

Don’t suppose this problem was on your disclosure docs? The rain was blowing sideways? Is it just one wall? Can you see daylight through the gap? I’d talk with a few contractors and find out who built it - so you can avoid them.

[dungrulla]

@TCA Arabians

Don’t suppose this problem was on your disclosure docs? The rain was blowing sideways? Is it just one wall? Can you see daylight through the gap? I’d talk with a few contractors and find out who built it - so you can avoid them.

The guy we bought the house from built both the house and the barn for personal use. The house is actually held together super well and we’ve been happy with it so this sorta surprises me? They used it for 20+ years no problems, and only sold their horses the month before I arrived. I’m not sure how they dealt with the mud outside and the unlevel floor but that’s kind of unrelated, I probably just haven’t learned to winter yet…

No daylight through the gaps, no wind through the gaps, the place actually stays pretty toasty. We had no disclosure docs for the barn unfortunately as we walked through and it seemed fine. It appears to just be the one wall that most often gets faced into the wind–I suspect the others would also do this if it rained hard enough in their direction, but I haven’t checked.

[clanter]

are there batten boards on the exterior ?

if so all that may be need to to treat the exterior with a water proofing such as Thompson’s Water Seal

[gumtree]

"a wall that is permeable was not built correctly so tearing it down and rebuilding may already be in the cards "

Clanter is being over dramatic a may not have much experience with board and batten siding. No snark intended.

I’m assuming the siding is board and batten. Barns don’t have to be nor are built to the same standards a house has to be. There is no insulation or drywall that will be affected by moisture infiltration to worry about.

As you said this is the wall that is exposed to wind driven rain. Most barns have one side that gets the brunt of a storm. Again, I am assuming based on the one picture this is board and batten. When the battens are are first nailed up they fit snug. Over the years due to weather wood expands and contracts and the nails come lose. So the batten come lose also. Take a hammer, ladder and pound them back tight. Add some new spiral nails. Or to get really tight use wood screws, which will take a lot more time.

In short expect this to happened after a heavy wind driven rain. I wouldn’t worry too much about boards rotting before their time. Unless there is little to no drying out periods between wind driven rain events. The side gets little to no sun. If this was an issue there should already be tell-tails, The board edges show/feel the signs of rotting, soft wood.

IMO this is not a “disclosure” issue. It’s a barn not a house. Some things/issues with barns and the way they are constructed should be a given based on visual inspection. Now, if the stalls had serious water issues due to ground water infiltration. That’s a different story. But signs of that should be evident to a trained eye.

I had to replace some boards and battens on my very old bank barn. One section of the barn was built in the early 1700s and the forebay added in the early mid 1800s. From the look of the nails the existing siding was put on 1800s. So I could hardly complain that they didn’t stand the test of time. Wind driven rain would do the same thing. Wind driven snow would powder the loft at times. Never hurt the hay stacked there. Didn’t stack it close to the wall. Didn’t store anything in that section that would be affected by a bit of light snow.

Some pictures of the fixing things

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[TCA_Arabians]

If there’s no visible gaps - how are you getting standing/puddling water on the floor? An open door? We get sideways rain on occasions. If it blows hard enough - I’ll get water through the windows in the stall I use for hay. I tarp when that’s predicted. There are some good suggestions here. Gumtree - That barn does not look several hundred years old.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

I second @clanter’s question about batten boards on the exterior covering the area where two vertical boards meet. If there are no batten boards, you need to add them. If there are already batten boards, then get some good sealant (like silicone but for exterior use) and one of those big caulk guns, and put a bead on either side of the batten, so water can’t get in on either side when the rain is being blown against the barn. Sealing the entire barn with wood sealant isn’t a bad idea either.

[dungrulla]

Yup, they’re batten boards and it’s leaking through the battens. I suspect water on the floor is coming in from outside–the barn has no foundation and is just floating over a dirt floor, there are posts in the corners but that’s it. There are gaps in a couple places.

[clanter]

the only barn we had that was similar to OP was built of cypress so we never had any water penetration or worries about decay.

I really believe you just need to seal the exterior with one of the water proofing seals, as old as you siding is I believe applying with a roller rather than spraying would be best

It will be interesting to hear what the contractor has to say when they make an onsite visit next week

[dungrulla]

@clanter

the only barn we had that was similar to OP was built of cypress so we never had any water penetration or worries about decay.

I really believe you just need to seal the exterior with one of the water proofing seals, as old as you siding is I believe applying with a roller rather than spraying would be best

It will be interesting to hear what the contractor has to say when they make an onsite visit next week

Part of the reason we are having someone look is the barn is 20 years old and has some other issues (mainly the floor isn’t level). I’d rather take care of them now than have a more expensive problem down the road. But I suspect you are right and that all it needs is weather seal

[TCA_Arabians]

When you talk to the contractor, you might ask what you can do to address the perimeter problem with water seeping under. There are heavy plastic sheets/slats that are sold for sidewalk perimeters. They’re designed to force tree roots down so they don’t buckle the sidewalk. Something like that around your perimeter may mitigate the problem.