Building a new barn...

[dmkrieg]

Hello everyone, I am getting ready to build an affordable barn and stalls. I think I am going to go with a standard poll barn but has anyone ever heard of the modular barns and does anyone have one? I was wondering about cost of the modular barns.

Lastly, I was going to build new stalls but then I started thinking maybe I would buy stalls pre-fabed for minis. Do they make such a thing??

 

[justaboutgeese]

You will not go wrong with a pole barn but making it the ideal structure adds considerable expense to the cost. One redeeming factor is that you can erect the structure then work on getting it finished. To be a good year round building to house animals in most parts of the country it should be insulated to moderate temperatures and prevent condinsation. Then the interior walls need to be covered atleast to the height horses can reach to protect the insulation and the exterior wall from damage from the inside. Dollar for dollar the steel covered pole structure is the best bargin in farm buildings theses days. Stalls can be made permanent or portable to suit your needs. Hog or cattle panels along with plywood or dimension lumber can be used for either. I saw a barn full of prefab stalls made of tubing and were sturdy but the everpresent danger of a foot or leg getting stuck was my first thought but the owners stated that had never happened.

 

[dmkrieg]

thanks..I am debating on what actually to do. I want it all to look nice just not spend a fortune.

 

[Miniv]

I agree that a pole barn is the least expensive. The down side to a pre-fab barn is that you don't have as much freedom to plan your doors, ect....

Two things that I think are a must for any barn is extending the roof-top out to create a loafing area all around.....and to build some back doors for at least some if not all of your stalls. By doing both, this opens up all sorts of possibilities for how you want to design paddocks and runouts.

The other must-haves for a barn is a water spiggot (frost-free if you don't live in the south) and several electrical outlets placed in several locations around the barn. If your barn is going to be more than 4 stalls, you might want more than one water spiggot!

And finally, I highly recommend at least one barn entry to be wide and tall enough to allow a full-sized pickup truck to be able to back through it safely.

MA

 

[OhHorsePee]

Ours is from 64 Metals. We even had light panels which make it really nice. They are guaranteed for 25 years. They have a huge selection too.

Fran

http://www.64metals.com/HORSE_ARENAS_STALL_BARNS.htm

 

[Marty]

You are very welcome to take a stroll through my website and click on "diary of a barn" and see mine in progress. Our new barn was well thought out and planned right down to the dollar. But there are still things that I wish were different, but I am not complaining.

I can tell you that bigger is better. Whatever size you think you need, make it bigger. You will find that you never have enough storage space or stalls.

You will also find that no matter how much money you plan to spend, count on it costing you double that.

When Geese said "condensation" that really struck a nerve:

it should be insulated to moderate temperatures and prevent condinsation

My old pole barn was built "on a wing and a prayer" and we just used whatever we could afford at the time, which wasn't much.: plywood, 2 X 4's and 4 X 4 posts and a tin roof. But that darn tin roof I swear. When snow would melt, it would literally "rain" inside the stalls getting the horses and bedding wet. It's been horrible and nerve racking.

Right now, steel and concrete seem to be holding their prices while wood continues to sky rocket.

Be aware that if you buy anything pre-fab that the price will be way high due to the built in price of insullation. So you may want to see what you can do on your own. If you can swing a hammer without busting your thumbs, you may be in luck. Go online and you will find some plans to look at.

Do a google search and put in words such as "barn buildings, horse habitats, metal barns" etc and see what is out there for ideas.

 

[wildoak]

Right now, steel and concrete seem to be holding their prices while wood continues to sky rocket

Steel is holding it's price.....right against the ceiling LOL. We started getting quotes on barns back about the time it doubled (almost overnight), and have been a little flabbergasted at how much they have gone up in the last year. We are looking at building a pole barn with metal siding, about 38 x 96, and estimates have been in the $35,000 range. That's just the shell, now add in foundation and finish out......yikes!

Jan

 

[OhHorsePee]

We bought a liner for our roof that was only 17 cents a linear foot that stops condensation! And it is quaranteed as well.

Fran

 

[wcr]

I have mentioned on here before that if I was building another barn I would leave the stall area open and use chainlink panels that I could move around and reconfigure the stalls. You might want permanent stalls for foaling to make them safer but I have seen the panels and it really gives you alot of variety with what your needs are. Also if you are storing hay I would make an entry big enough to squeeze shoot the hay without having to stack it your self.