CARSTAIRS, Alta. – The landmark barn at Riddle Ranch near Carstairs was a major selling point for Garry Goudie when he was shopping for a farm two years ago.
The 80-year-old barn is now receiving a facelift that respects the history of the ranch and is environmentally friendly.
“I think this old barn is a treasure. There aren’t many that are in better shape than this one,” Goudie said.
The Riddle family homesteaded in the area around 1908 and built two cattle sheds in 1917-18 that are still standing.
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Their next project was to raise a traditional hip roof barn in 1930 for $2,800. It remains a working barn in which the Goudie family keeps horses and hay. They also host barn dances in the loft.
Many old barns of this type have fallen into disrepair, damaged by time and weather.
“As we see these other ones falling down, we are kind of losing our heritage,” Goudie said.
“Two of the things you see in the true hip roof barns is that most of them were not built solid enough on the roof structure and also a lot of the foundations would start to give way.”
The Riddles built their barn from fir instead of spruce and used hand made trusses in the loft for extra support. It also has a hay slinging system that is still functional.
When the barn was built, the shingles were soaked in a horse water trough so they could be bent and nailed into place. They were then painted with black stain combined with boiled linseed oil. The new roof will receive the same treatment because the Goudies have been told this is an ideal preservative.
The name Riddle Ranch will be painted on the barn to commemorate the previous owners.
Goudie decided to repair the barn last August when a hailstorm damaged the west side. He started to research repairs and found a Vancouver Island cedar shakes and shingles company with a unique approach.
Port McNeill Shake and Shingle is licensed to salvage old growth cedar from nearby forests, often bringing the logs out with a helicopter.
“A lot of them were cut when they were logging certain areas but they were too hard to get out or were inaccessible at the time,” Goudie said.
The company processes about 10,000 cubic metres of western red cedar annually from salvaged wood.
Goudie’s shingles came from 200-year-old cedars probably cut about 60 years ago.
As long as the bark remained on the logs, the wood was preserved.
The growth rings in the wood are tight, which provides extra strength. There are no discernible knots.
Goudie needed 5,200 sq. feet of cedar shingles. The roofing job will take about three weeks using modern equipment and experienced roofers who have worked with cedar shingles.
“To find anybody who knows how to fix this kind of roof, it is kind of a dead art,” he said.
“They are very expensive buildings to maintain. I often wondered why people let the barns fall apart, but I really understand why now.”
