About

Welcome to Barn N Bytes! I’m Salim Haniff, a maker with a background in IoT and DevOps, currently tackling my biggest project yet: restoring and modernizing an old 1800s house. This blog documents the journey of merging the old with the new—where historical restoration meets cutting-edge tech. Whether it’s using 3D printers to fabricate custom parts or integrating IoT systems to optimize everything from heating to horse care, I’m all about applying modern solutions to classic challenges.

At Barn N Bytes, I explore how technology can elevate even the most traditional environments. My projects range from creating open-source tools for rural living to developing custom contraptions that solve unique problems around the property. This is a space where DIY meets digital—where you’ll find everything from building jigs for renovations to setting up IoT devices for real-time monitoring and automation.

This blog is just the first step. Each post serves as a launchpad for more in-depth content on YouTube, where you can see these projects in action. Whether you’re interested in IoT applications, maker culture, or the technical side of home restoration, there’s something here for you. Join me as I dive into the practical, the technical, and sometimes the downright geeky aspects of bringing an old property into the future.

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From Basic Tools to a Functional Workshop: Part 1

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Introduction : Coming from an IT DevOps background, I’m no stranger to the feeling of starting daunting new projects. In DevOps, each project presents unique challenges, but with every completed task, you add another tool to your toolbelt. Over time, you build up a reliable toolchain, allowing you to bootstrap future projects with confidence and efficiency quickly. I wanted to take this DevOps approach and apply the iterative process to help me with the countryside renos. Much like adapting tools and scripts in DevOps to fit different environments or project needs, the same principle applies when working with physical tools in the workshop. It’s all about creatively using what’s available. Take the old, discarded bench left by the previous owner—most would see it as junk, but it became a makeshift jig. It’s like finding an outdated script in your Git repo and repurposing it for a new build—just flipping the mental model to apply to the physical world. This crossover between...
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Renovating the Workroom: A Battle with Ventilation and Odor

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Intro Before starting renovations or building projects, we knew a functional workroom was essential. Therefore, we began our renovations by prioritizing improving its conditions. The previous owner used this space as a workshop before subleasing the property. Before they subleased the property, they had tightly insulated the room, which left virtually no ventilation. As a result, the air quality in the room was poor, and a lingering odour made it uncomfortable to spend any time there. The room remained in this state for more than a decade. The Importance of Proper Ventilation Proper ventilation is crucial in any space where people frequently work or live for comfort and health. Without adequate airflow, a room's air quality will drastically deteriorate, leading to respiratory problems, allergies, and even more severe health conditions. In addition, poor ventilation can cause structural damage and create a generally unpleasant...
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My Voyage into the World of rustic (?) Window Renos

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Introduction: While we wait for the workroom to air out to assess further work there fully, we have continued our ongoing renovation journey. We tackle another window located on the house this time. Even though I have torn down the window and framing in the workroom, there are still a few unknowns for me as I have never worked with a window like this, and I don't have a reference to the era-style window construction. Each window on the house seemed to have differences, making it hard to determine what the original design would look like and what additions were made. This makes it more complicated as we want to maintain the museum preservation of the windows. One way to quickly figure out what the ideal window is supposed to look like is to visit the old towns nearby to check out what the windows look like from other buildings. Unfortunately, this would prove futile as the windows in the old city would have either been modernized to help prevent water dam...
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