Our New Home McCormick, South Carolina THE BARN Click on any photo to see larger

Before and After BEFORE Sept. 30, 2005 Cathy's area.  Back lean to. We enclosed this area in autumn of 2008 Cathy's area. Showing water heater.  Take note of wall and window. They won't be there for long. Back lean to. We enclosed this area in autumn of 2008 Cathy's area. This is opposite wall from one shown above. Notice window. This room is in the center of the barn. The white storm door you see in the photos above open to this "Office" as we call it. Cathy's area. Looking at the inside of the door shown below this image. Looking into the middle OFFICE room from the power tool room. Cathy's room through far door. Cathy's area. Seen from side of barn. Notice lean to at back of barn. We'll be enclosing that soon. This room is in the center of the barn.   The BARN appears to be the original structure on the property. It contains three rooms with a small garage added on not more than 50 years ago. There are discarded works for a washer / dryer and toilet. The building is built in post and beam and would withstand anything nature could throw at it - except fire. It is remarkably well insulated and always cool in the summer and warm in the winter months. A lean-to hangs off the back under which the Gilberts (previous owners) ran electric for lights and a small air compressor. The air compressor left behind as a gift from the Gilberts. Comes in real handy, but I never cared for it being out of doors. Garage area. Tool room - note the window. Tool room - note the window. Tool room has two shop made doors. Office door is a storm door, seen on left. The tractor storage room is partially seen on right. Looking into the tool room.   Summer of 2007 Take note of that image above right. During the autumn of 2008 Cathy and I  popped out the two windows at the back of the tool room and decided to enclose the lean-to. We also popped out the windows in Cathy's area so that now all the rooms of the barn are layed out in a circular fashion. We doubled the size of the barn in expectation of placing a billard table in the lean-to area. But we're barely able to fit a poker table.   THE RENOVATION - September - October 2008 BEFORE AFTER Movie (AVI) Files : FILE 1, FILE 2, FILE 3   ..........    STEP BY STEP    .......... What the back of the barn looked like summer of 2006. Mid way against wall was a work bench with 2 grinders. Under the bench was an air compressor. And I stored my canoe back here. What it looked like summer of 2008. Because the inside rooms are too small to be running heavy power tools in, I'd always end up working outside. 2 years of working, storing wood, using makeshift benches, and it looked a mess. Firstly, we rip everything out. Second? Rip out the back wall of the tool room. This will make an archway into the new room. I will use the windows on our new back wall. Same wall, different angle. Widows coming down! Notice the sign from our gone-by florist -  LAST FLORIST BEFORE CEMETERY This was the back corner where wood was stored. This was a view looking at the ooposite cornder from the wood storage. Once it was cleared. View from that corner shown on your left photo.  After clearing the area, of course. Got to have a floor once you step from the tool room into the new shop area. Notice the new floor is high above the ground. The lean-to leaned far and away from the tool room's level. And that level was lower than what is behind  the office and Cathy's room. You'll see later on that I needed to make the floor leading out of Cathy's room unlevel. Nice. Remember that green wall. Still there. The floor would be perfectly level if I build it to that wall. Cath and I decided we wanted more room. So we now need to take down that wall. Wall gone. Another  view Another; here you see the back of the visitor's trailer. You also see the horses and bench I built to cut wood for this project. Once we had a few sheets of plywood on the floor, we assembled the new table saw. Once the saw was operable, things started to spped up. Ready to rock and roll. Floor moving along well. Green wall gone. Added 10 feet more, but notice the floor slopes down on the left. Everything built in this area needed to be leveled. Lots of shelves in this area. This is view of opposite corner near the tool room. Note the windows in place and a bin is being built that will house odd cuts of wood. Nothing on a farm is ever discarded. Jumping a bit ahead, but is same corner showing PJ screwing in the top to that bin. PJ and the 2 tops. PJ Again, a bit ahead of ourselves, but a nice view. Cathy inspecting my work. These windows use to be right behind my shoulder. I had figured every inch of wood and wire correctly..but the insulation I over shot by 7 rolls. So this room is buttoned up REALLY GOOD! Same as on left but wider angle. Almost there. THERE! Got to build benches and shelves. Yea, like that! Lockers, chop saw and shelves. Router and file cabinet..air compressor under sheelf near that high chair. View from old tool room. Computer atop shefl where compressor sits. And notice I store the portable work bench between shelves. I tried to open that southwest facing wall as much as possible. Ieven cut a windows into the door to get as much natural light as possible. The bench on right holds 2 grinders and an exhuast fan. View from other side of the chair and shelf seen at your left.  This is shot from the archway between this shop room and Cathy's office. Remeber this? Main House Unit One Unit Two Unit Three Unit Four Garden