I went to Old World Wisconsin yesterday and noticed this feature on a barn built by a Finnish emmigrant around 1870 or so. On the outside of the log barn are sliding shutters that cover the second floor joists. The joists come through the walls and are flush with the outside. There are coverings over these joists to protect them (presumably), but these coverings are on slides that can be moved to the side to expose the joists.
ventilation-- but the joists pretty much fill the holes so there is very little space exposed for ventilation.
protect the joists from the weather–but why are they sliding and not permanently mounted in place to cover the joists
to ease replacement of joists – Is that actually ever a need? seems unlikely to spend that much energy on slideable shutters instead of just nailing a removeable covering up.
One idea I thought of was perhaps to uncover when its hot to allow for expansion of the joists through the walls, then covered in cool or wet weather for protection from the elements. I have no evidence for this and its unsatisfactory for me still.
Here’s information about Old World Wisconsin to give you an idea of what it is. http://oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org/Old World Wisconsin - Wikipedia
I’m sorry, I think you misunderstand the area of the barn I’m refering to. Look at the side of the barn halfway up the wall. I’m not not referring to the large panels on the front of the barn under the roof. I’m asking about the 6 or so small panels (about 1 foot square?) on the side. These small panels slide to the left to reveal the round log joists holding up the second floor.
I think Troppus is right. You put hay in the loft for storage. It also serves as insulation in the winter, and it’s easy to throw down some hay when needed to feed the animals. Extra work to get it up, less work to get it down.
Besides, where would the farmer’s daughter sleep when the traveling salesman comes to call?
ETA: I guess I misunderstood, too. If it’s the small square covers you are referring to, they look newer than the rest of the barn. Maybe some holes were cut to repair age and/or damage? (I’m far from a barn expert, so don’t take it from me.)
Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have answered after viewing your photo on my tiny phone. I didn’t even see the joist covers, I have no idea what they are for.
In the south, thin horizontal poles (not joists) are used to hang tobacco to dry, and the wear and tear from seasons of use means they have to be replaced periodically. (Though this barn appears too airtight for such use.)
They look like they ought to be vents, but if the joists really do fill the holes, then they can’t be.
Are the joists fixed in place with boards on them? If not, then perhaps the barn is designed so that the joists can be pulled out to allow it to accommodate something big/tall. How big is the biggest door into the building? (i.e. on one of the non-visible sides)
Timber does not appreciably expand/contract along the length of its grain in response to moisture, only across it - so (assuming the joists are wooden), I don’t think it can be that.
I think the bigger question is, are they actually covering joists? I see a joist in the next building over that seems about the same height and a center joist in the building with slides that seems like it would be about the correct height to run under joists attached to holes under those doors. Also, I don’t know about construction for that type of barn, but I assume the joists do actually penetrate the outer layer of wood (like we see in the barn to the left). IOW, I assume there is actually a joist under each of those slides. The reason I ask is because I just happened to catch some bit of trivia yesterday that said that if the moisture in the hay that they store up there gets too high it can actually catch fire. For that reason they bale the hay in the sun, but I could see them having some kind of vents to attempt to circulate air through the loft if they need to. I’m just wondering if maybe those slides are right along the floor or the loft.
This is just a shot in the dark since I really can’t think of any reason to have a slide covering the joist instead of something permanent or nothing at all. If I really stretch my imagination, the only thing I can think of is that perhaps the joists are getting close to failing so they put covers on them to protect them from the weather (and bugs?) in order to get them to last a few more years, but wanted easy access to be able to see the end grain from time to time to see if they need to replace them.
I think Joey P has it right; they’re some kind of vent to allow air to circulate inside the barn without needing to leave the door open. In theory, fresh air would enter the barn via these vents, then rise through the hay in the loft and exit through the large ventilator on the roof peak. Hay that is stored damp has been known to combust from heat generated by bacterial action, but even if that extreme event doesn’t happen, the mold and rot from excessive moisture can ruin the hay as livestock feed.
SS
This seems more likely to me than the first three ideas. I’d think a little overhanging awning like structure would work better, though. It would keep much of the water off, but allow the joist ends to dry out, and wouldn’t require adjusting them.
I can assure you all, the covers are in fact covering joists. The other side has the same covers covering the joists and a couple of them are missing or slid over revealing the joist almost completely filling the hole. Also I discussed the purpose of the covers with the reinactor there who didn’t know, we discussed the different possibilities mentioned in my OP.
In short, yes, the covers are most definitely covering the ends of the joists. None of the other buildings from this farmstead had the covers, even though they had similar construction where the joists penetrated through the walls.
I actually do like the idea of removable joists that would allow increasing the height of the first floor. I don’t know exactly how old the barn is, the farmhouse is decorated to be 1915, but the buildings are older, perhaps 1870-1890.
I’m thoroughly confused then. It is possible then that they are nothing more then decoration.
The only thing I can figure is that they are there to protect the end grain from the elements/insects for some reason, though I’m not sure why they worry about those ones and not the others, maybe different a different wood or already showing signs of problems and this way they can slide the covers over to inspect them. At the moment, that’s all I got.
It wouldn’t have anything to do with being able to remove/replace the beams since you could just leave the covers off to do that and anyone that’s going to have the know how to do a job that big could remove a nailed on cover. Also, if you were to slide a beam out through that hole (could you even, seems like an awfully tight fit), the rails would certainly get in the way of your tools.
That is Wisconsin? That is a cold place. See how well that barn is built? See how tight it is fitted.
Don’t see that down South.
Need to see inside but I bet it has livestock accommodations as part of it’s main purpose.
Let fresh air in up at that level and with the heat of the bodies rising, and the added chimney effect of the air coming in the ports, it would give fresh air without putting all the cold drafts at the feet of the animals…
If protecting the livestock year round, maybe also some part of a cooling system …
Sure would like to see the inside…
One really well made barn IMO… Has ro be a logical reason. I think we have a lack of information at this point…
Maybe they were originally intended as vents, and a later owner added the joists as an afterthought, using the conveniently already present vent holes?
You said the log joists are round, where the doors are square. Are the logs contained within the square, or are they larger? If they are contained within the square door, then they could be small vents to keep the hay dry, with the air coming in the four triangular openings around the log.
Removable joists are VERY unlikely, since they weigh many hundreds of pounds, and in the era the barn was built heavy equipment to remove or replace them didn’t exist.
My memory is failing me a bit here. I think the ones I saw open were fairly round, I didn’t see the inside to see if the joists were unhewn, round, or worked in someway. I believe the joist very nearly completly filled the holes, and there was some sort of stuffing around the joist. I don’t recall being able to see into the barn around the joists and I don’t think I was able to. The couple I saw exposed, did concievably look small enough to be drawn out the holes, but I can’t be completely sure of my memory there.
As far as the abilities of the people to remove these joists, I think it could be done with 100-150 year old technology and man/horsepower. After all, they were able to get them and the rest of the barn up with their skills and strength.
BTW, the barn and buildings on this farm are very well built. It was a large part of the emphasis of the reinactors working there, comparing how well these structures were put together versus the other working farms on the property.
THere is no chinking between the logs, they are worked to fit perfectly, one on top of the other. Even the outhouse, which is the small structure on the left of the last picture I posted.
