Ep 3. Repurposing Every Beam from a Pennsylvania Bank Barn

In season 1 episode 3 of Barnwood Builders, titled "Repurposing Every Beam from a Pennsylvania Bank Barn", the crew travels to an old bank barn in Pennsylvania that is slated for demolition. The goal is to salvage all the usable lumber and repurpose it to create a new event venue.

The team, led by Mark Bowe, begins the process by carefully dismantling the barn piece by piece, being sure to preserve every beam, board, and timber. The barn was built using traditional mortise and tenon joinery, which means that there were no nails used in the construction. This makes the barn easier to take apart, as the joinery can be disassembled by hand.

Once all the pieces of the barn have been carefully taken down, they are transported back to the Barnwood Builders' workshop, where the real work begins. The team has to sort through the lumber and determine which pieces are usable and which ones are too damaged to be repurposed.

The crew uses a variety of tools and techniques to clean the lumber, removing any nails and dirt that may have accumulated over the years. They also use a special technique to remove the old, weathered look from the wood called "denailing", which involves taking off the outer layer of the wood with a planer.

With the lumber cleaned and denailed, the crew can begin to repurpose it for the new event venue. They use the large beams to create a beautiful timber frame structure, which becomes the centerpiece of the new building. They also use the smaller boards to create unique design elements, such as a feature wall made out of salvaged barnwood and a bar made from a repurposed beam.

Throughout the episode, the crew faces numerous challenges, including inclement weather and the sheer volume of lumber they have to work with. However, they are able to overcome each obstacle and successfully repurpose every beam from the Pennsylvania bank barn into something beautiful and functional.

Overall, "Repurposing Every Beam from a Pennsylvania Bank Barn" is an inspiring episode that showcases the creativity and resourcefulness of the Barnwood Builders team. It demonstrates the value of salvaging and repurposing old materials, not only as an environmentally friendly practice but also as a way to create unique and beautiful spaces.