Old Barn Wood Finds New Life In Colorado

Old Barn Wood Finds New Life In Colorado BUILDINGS Miscellaneous A Colorado company has gotten pretty good at building sliding barn doors for use in homes and businesses It’s one of the many items Story Barns makes out of lumber salvaged from old barns and railroad cars     The original idea for the business started with Jason Channin and family members kept it going His brother Ryan took over ownership and their father David transportation and customer relations organizes the barn removals around north and northeast Colorado     David explains that most barns they work on were built between 1890 and 1900 when families homesteaded the area     “They have awesome old growth Douglas fir that makes great furniture ” David says     Besides barns many of the farmers purchased old 38-ft long railway cars built from 1890 to 1910 to use for storage or turn into chicken coops or other useful buildings The tongue and groove exterior wood is especially popular with restaurants     Getting the wood is hard work and sometimes dangerous David notes Barn owners often want the barns removed because they are a hazard while others need the site for constructing something they can use     He learns as much as he can about the barns so that when customers select wood he can tell their story     All the lumber is stored in a 400 by 40-ft former turkey barn and Ryan works hard to come up with ideas to use every scrap Small pieces left over from the benches tables and other furniture he makes become bottle openers and small shelves for example The sawdust goes to a composter     Even the finish is made from a byproduct “Vermont Natural Coatings are made from cheese waste ” Ryan says “It’s completely natural and has no odor ”     The former mechanic says he loves the challenge of figuring out what customers want and making it work At the same time the Channins try to preserve the wood as it is and clean it by pressure washing and removing splinters Many customers appreciate wood with character such as beams horses have chewed on     In addition to tearing down buildings and making furniture Story Barns sells lumber to contractors and homeowners The Channins appreciate opportunities they have to work with the National Center for Craftsmanship     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Story Barns 1120 6th Ave Greeley Colo 80631 ph 970 576-6222 or 970 978-8934; storybarns@gmail com; www storybarns com

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