X-Bracket Blog - 1887 barn

Saving an 1887 Barn:

History, Air Sealing, and Innovation 

with the X-Bracket System

Blog Summary

This project highlights the renovation of an 1887 historic barn using modern building science techniques to preserve its original character while improving comfort and efficiency. By combining closed-cell spray foam with the X-Bracket System from InSoFast, the team achieved effective air sealing without removing historic boards or altering exterior proportions. The system’s ability to be installed horizontally allowed it to adapt to the barn’s wide beam spacing, a common challenge in historic agricultural structures. Comprehensive air sealing also played a critical role in bat mitigation, preventing wildlife from returning while supporting long-term durability. This renovation demonstrates how flexible insulated framing solutions can support historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and energy-efficient design.

Honoring Historic Character While Planning for Modern Use

The barn had been standing for nearly 140 years, and from the beginning, Mindy was committed to keeping its original look and feel intact. After spending years updating the main house on the property, the barn renovation became the next chapter.
 
The vision was ambitious but clear:
  • Lower level: a cozy studio apartment to be used as an Airbnb rental
  • Upper level: a gathering space for entertaining, hosting, and enjoying the property with friends and family
The challenge? Making the barn comfortable year-round without erasing the character which made it special. Traditional renovation approaches didn’t offer a satisfying solution. Contractors proposed methods to bury or replace the existing interior boards, altered exterior proportions, or required extensive labor with questionable performance results. Mindy needed a way to keep the barn looking old—while making it perform like new.
When Mindy’s family purchased their property more than a decade ago, they weren’t just buying a house—they were becoming stewards of a historic homestead. One of the most striking features of the property was a large horse barn dating back to 1887, officially recognized on the historic registry. While the charm and craftsmanship of the structure were undeniable, time had taken its toll. Preserving the barn’s character while adapting it for modern use would require thoughtful planning, creative problem-solving, and the right building system. This project ultimately became a powerful example of how historic preservation and modern building science can work together thanks to the flexibility of the InSoFast X-Bracket System.

Air Sealing an 1887 Structure Without Sacrificing Character

Air sealing was one of the most critical components of the renovation. Like many historic barns, this structure was never designed to be airtight. Gaps, uneven framing, and decades of settling made insulation especially challenging.
 
The breakthrough came through collaboration. While working on a separate garage project, Mindy’s spray foam contractor suggested looking into a system he vaguely remembered from YouTube- something to preserve the existing structure while still allowing for continuous insulation and air sealing. He forwarded the InSoFast material to Mindy. After reviewing videos and project examples with their general contractor, the team landed on the X-Bracket System.
 
By installing X-Brackets over the existing framing and pairing them with closed-cell spray foam, the team was able to:
  • Create a continuous air and thermal barrier
  • Maintain the barn’s original interior boards
  • Avoid excessive taping and secondary framing
  • Achieve modern insulation performance without altering the barn’s exterior footprint
Even before permanent HVAC was installed, the results were noticeable. With new windows in place and the upper level largely sealed, a temporary kerosene heater was enough to warm the space—an impressive contrast to the barn’s former drafty condition. For Mindy, this early performance confirmed that the approach was working.

Rethinking Framing: Horizontal X-Bracket Installation
One of the most unique aspects of this project was how the X-Bracket System was installed. In most residential applications, X-Brackets are oriented vertically. However, historic barns often feature widely spaced beams and unconventional framing layouts which don’t align with standard residential dimensions.
 
In this case, the barn’s beam structure required the brackets—and framing members—to be installed horizontally instead.
Rather than being a limitation, this became a key advantage of the system. The X-Bracket’s design allowed the contractor, spray foam installer, and InSoFast technical team to collaborate on a solution to work with the barn’s structure rather than against it.
 
This flexibility solved a common problem for barn renovations and barndominium-style projects: traditional rigid insulation panels are often too short or incompatible with nonstandard framing. The X-Bracket System bridged the gap, opening the door for insulation and air sealing strategies which simply weren’t possible before.

Sealing the Barn - and keeping the BATS out!

brown bats
As if insulating a 19th-century barn weren’t challenging enough, the project came with another complication: bats.
 
Before construction began, the barn housed a significant bat population. While beneficial to the ecosystem, bats pose serious concerns for occupied spaces, especially due to guano accumulation and health considerations. Finding professional bat mitigation services proved difficult, so Mindy and Ben Johnson with Chalupsky Landscaping, took on the project!
 
Timing was everything. Construction began as bats were preparing to migrate, and the disruption—combined with increased light from new windows—encouraged them to relocate naturally. But ensuring they didn’t return was critical.
 
This is where comprehensive air sealing became about more than energy efficiency. Bats can enter through incredibly small gaps, and once they establish a roost, they return year after year.
 
By sealing wall-to-roof transitions, foundation connections along the base and former gaps at soffits and framing extensions …the renovation effectively closed off access points bats rely on.
 
When spring arrives, the barn will be ready: warm, tight, and no longer accessible to unwanted guests.

A Bluepring for Historic Barn Renovations

This 1887 barn renovation demonstrates what’s possible when preservation goals meet adaptable building systems. Through collaboration, thoughtful detailing, and the flexibility of the X-Bracket System, Mindy was able to:
  • Preserve the barn’s historic character
  • Achieve modern air sealing and insulation performance
  • Adapt framing orientation to a nontraditional structure
  • Mitigate wildlife issues through comprehensive sealing
As more property owners look to restore barns, convert agricultural buildings, or reimagine historic spaces, projects like this offer a compelling blueprint. With the right tools—and the willingness to think beyond conventional methods—even a 19th-century barn can be transformed into a comfortable, efficient space built for the next century.

The InSoFast Team Connection

Projects like this 1887 barn renovation underscore how great building outcomes are rarely the result of products alone—they’re the result of people working together to solve complex challenges. This spirit of collaboration, backed by responsive InSoFast technical support and a willingness to think creatively, is what allows our systems to succeed on unique projects like historic barns, barndominiums, and adaptive reuse buildings. It’s not just about delivering materials to a jobsite—it’s about helping customers find the right path forward and seeing their vision through to completion.

If you have a project you’d like us to collaborate on, please contact our team at 888-501-7899 or request a quote from our website. We’d love to hear from you!

Contractor Shout Out

The success of these types of projects isn’t possible without the support of great building science and the experts who collaborate. Here’s a shout out to some of the contractors who made this project a success. If you have a project in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area, Mindy would recommend them as members of your team!

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(888) 501-7899