This is a blog post written by Lee Lusk, Owner of The Wheeler House.
When we started making plans to build our barn, the first step was
figuring out what type of wood and lumber to use. I thought, as memories at The
Wheeler House would last forever, so too should our barn.
I wanted our barn to be different and set us apart from our competitors,
but most importantly, I wanted to create a space that encompassed character.
Anyone can build a ballroom or a barn without character or history, but that’s
just a building. I knew I wanted to do something more, something special.
I also knew the bones of the structure and siding needed to be durable
enough to last lifetimes to come, and it had to be pressure treated. So, I
researched the most effective pressure treated wood. What I found – it was
pilings in the ocean that hold up structures like piers, bridges and airports!
I used to work in real estate investing/developing/building in Sea
Side, Florida before the market crashed. It was there that I first discovered a
company in piling that pulled used poles out of the ocean. While doing my
research, I instantly thought – with the new "reclaimed wood trend,"
these poles would be perfect for my barn.
After getting in touch with my contact in Panama City Beach, I found
out that he had just pulled poles from where the new Pier Park is! Before, the
pier’s pillars were wood (what I bought), but they were eventually replaced
with concrete pillers. Luckily for me, they built a new international airport
inland and tore down the old one in Lynn Haven. This last batch of poles sat in
the Saint Andrews Bay holding up the end of the runway.
My team and a large tractor-trailer headed to pick up this last load,
which cost us a pretty penny along with some blood, sweat and tears. But, it
was worth it because the hot and humid Georgia weather cannot destroy the barn
with these special treated pilings. Our arbor was also built from these poles –
if you look closely, you can still see some of the barnacles, boat anchors, tie
downs and oceanic salt stains. But, that’s character.
Every single beam and piece of barn siding was cut right here in
downtown Ball Ground from a mill that is decades old – from a time when people used
the timber from their land to saw and build their own barns and houses. If you
look closely at our mantle and exterior siding, you can see the circular marks
from the round saw. And with the interior siding, you can see the vertical
marks from the band saw used at Harris Lumber in Ball Ground.
Anyone
can build a barn with Home Depot lumber, but I choose the hassle (100 percent
worth it), brain storming and research it took to create a truly one of a kind
barn – that Lord willing will last hundreds of years… Especially with that
industrial grade, high-strength concrete foundation that my over achieving dad
insisted I build! Haha.
