# Temperature correlation to barn color? Ventilation?



## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

:ventilation, ventilation, ventilation... that said - what region are you in?

Heat rises. Ridge vents are my preference. So are fans that pull air through. Insulation works to keep what cooling you can get.

I would go lighter on the roof.


----------



## Cliodona (Mar 4, 2021)

QtrBel said:


> :ventilation, ventilation, ventilation... that said - what region are you in?
> 
> Heat rises. Ridge vents are my preference. So are fans that pull air through. Insulation works to keep what cooling you can get.


Midwest, I'm in southwest Iowa


----------



## 4horses (Nov 26, 2012)

I would probably buy elastomeric coating and especially if you decide on a metal barn, I would paint the walls and roof with that elastomeric coating. It will lower your interior temperature. 

My metal barn is tan but is nearly unbearable in the summer. Poor ventilation and the metal heats up in the sun. If I could do it over, I would add cupolas and probably run ducts and a fan to either move cooler air in or hotter air out. Might still make some changes but it's more challenging now that the barn is already built. Would probably need a cherry picker to do the roof.


----------



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Barn is red, roof is gray. Always much cooler in the barn during the hot days of summer than outside. I don't think it's because of the colour though. Our contractor strongly suggested we get a full concrete foundation. It goes 6 feet down all around, and the stalls have concrete floors (with rubber mats and bedding of course). So it feels like going into a cool basement or garage (that would be a better comparison, since it's obviously ground level like a garage). We also have high ceilings (the building is 18 feet tall in the middle). I built a partial loft that runs the span of the middle (so over the aisle), but left the stalls open right to the roof. Windows in each stall for air circulation, and we leave the doors open 365 days a year. We only shut the horses in once or twice a year for a raging blizzard. Tons of ventilation. No cupolas, no other ventilation though I do have ridge vents. Absolutely no insulation. I have been in far too many insulated barns where the condensation is dripping from the ceiling all winter long. Warm, moist air inside meets cold air outside... so if you insulate, you must provide an air exchanger. The big, open building built over concrete and providing lots of shade is enough for us. Since the horses are free to decide if they want to be in or out, we can observe their preferences. When it gets hot in the summer, they switch over to grazing at night, and dozing in the barn during the day, away from the heat and flies.


----------



## Palfrey (May 29, 2020)

Both my house and barn have black roofs. If you insulate properly it will not negatively affect the inside temperature. I've been in barns that, regardless of color, if the metal was not insulated, it felt like a convection oven on the inside during summer and a meat freezer in winter. 

Your ventilation plans look very sound indeed! 

Good luck on your barn building!


----------



## Cliodona (Mar 4, 2021)

Acadianartist said:


> Barn is red, roof is gray. Always much cooler in the barn during the hot days of summer than outside. I don't think it's because of the colour though. Our contractor strongly suggested we get a full concrete foundation. It goes 6 feet down all around, and the stalls have concrete floors (with rubber mats and bedding of course). So it feels like going into a cool basement or garage (that would be a better comparison, since it's obviously ground level like a garage). We also have high ceilings (the building is 18 feet tall in the middle). I built a partial loft that runs the span of the middle (so over the aisle), but left the stalls open right to the roof. Windows in each stall for air circulation, and we leave the doors open 365 days a year. We only shut the horses in once or twice a year for a raging blizzard. Tons of ventilation. No cupolas, no other ventilation though I do have ridge vents. Absolutely no insulation. I have been in far too many insulated barns where the condensation is dripping from the ceiling all winter long. Warm, moist air inside meets cold air outside... so if you insulate, you must provide an air exchanger. The big, open building built over concrete and providing lots of shade is enough for us. Since the horses are free to decide if they want to be in or out, we can observe their preferences. When it gets hot in the summer, they switch over to grazing at night, and dozing in the barn during the day, away from the heat and flies.


Thank you that is exactly what I wanted to know and I think we are going to do a setup very similar to yours!


----------



## Cliodona (Mar 4, 2021)

Palfrey said:


> Both my house and barn have black roofs. If you insulate properly it will not negatively affect the inside temperature. I've been in barns that, regardless of color, if the metal was not insulated, it felt like a convection oven on the inside during summer and a meat freezer in winter.
> 
> Your ventilation plans look very sound indeed!
> 
> Good luck on your barn building!


I
I think we will definitely be continuing plans for a darker color and the ventilation. Thank you!


----------



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

So to add something to think about...
I have a pole barn, no loft but open to rafter and roof.
We have a ridge vent runs the length of the barn, minus about 2 - 3 feet either end...so pretty long.
Yes, you _can_ feel the upsweep of air movement on the ground below.
My barn is "open" entire length 4' and up above the stall walls for excellent ventilation needed in Florida. We have livestock panels where you are designing bars for the same reasons.

So...two things _are_ a must...at least to me...
*Insulate the roof* if you are using a steel roof or *lay a layer of pressboard/wood under those metal sheets for sound deadening*. Even a gentle falling rain is mind-numbing loud otherwise _{guess how I found that out!!}_
I would insulate the roof and _choose carefully_ what it is you use as moisture _will_ condense and gather on the underside during night cooling and horses especially stabled...then drips/drops off to the floor and anything in its path below once the sun starts to shine and warm the roof...drip, drip, drip....
Second is...if you get rains pushed by heavy winds...
My ridge vent is properly installed at correct width will allow a line of water to make itself known on my stable floor.
So, not sure how to prevent or work that but it is a possibility of happening.

I don't have cupolas, know nothing about them except what they are supposed to do...end of my experiences with them.
I do know they attract birds and bats...depending upon how you secure and open the barn to the cupola could mean a mess of droppings in the barn or serious stained roof from the poop of the animals...
Bat poop, and it doesn't take much_ stinks_...friends have bats in the eves of their log home and its gross, so bad they are reinforcing and now closing every gap seen and once again...having to pay someone to clean their home facade of residue stains.
Pretty sure there is disease associated to the bats poop too although they have near "0" flies nor mosquitos issue...she has installed bat house, look more like hotels and nearly every bat has relocated to those "bat hotels" as we call them leaving her home now so she is closing it up quickly before they change residence again.
We all know there is disease associated to the bird poop both to our horses and us humans 
Beware of what your design can initiate in innocence.
🐴...


----------

