# Advice and ideas for new barn



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I happen to love the look of some of the Horizon Structures barn layouts. They are practical and space saving. They have a website that is easy to use and pricing is available for many areas for their products.
It would give you some #'s and $$ figures to compare.
They also have a list of "options", some of which are crazy and others I wish I had thought to do myself.

There are so many horse barn builders especially in your area. Details that a regular builder isn't aware of because he does homes and you are doing a barn...check the guys in your area and indeed search the WWW for suggestions and things some of those "specialty" builders do we would never think of...
I would want to actually see some of the barns he constructed and speak to several of his past finished projects to ask questions of them, see his work and attention to details and how good his warranty is what he has made...I would also be checking with the BBB for complaints or if he is a member...
There are books published on barn layouts you can find in the library...all good ideas others have had built...gives some ideas, pros and cons of many layouts and information on best building materails and grades of wood to use...all things that can make or break a successful build.

Enjoy your project and remember some pictures please.._.love to look at pictures!!_


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## PDGx (Mar 24, 2013)

Make sure you have adequate slope in your floors by area to drain water when cleaning up. Flat floors let water (and pee) go wherever it wants to go.
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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

one thing I would really like is an exam chute, so you may want to configure that in your wash rack !


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## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

I would never do concrete in the stalls. It terrible on their legs. It will also run around 10K just for that. I don't even like concrete in the aisle way. Seen too many slip and falls with shoes on. I would do the wash area and the feed room, dirt that drains everywhere else.
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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Only problem with dirt is that it's dirty!! I am in love with the rubber bricks and have seen them in a few barns, but it can be pricey! You can also do the pour/spread rubber composite (Mike Holmes did this in a barn - looked awesome) or if all else fails wooden floors are great (except in the wash bay). I would put rubber matting in the wash bay regardless, and for the stalls, either rubber mats over clay, or look into installing SoftStall. I would not stable on rubber mats over concrete.

Good luck! Pics are required!
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## Shosadlbrd (Nov 3, 2013)

Contractor coming tomorrow for first face to face meeting on the barn. Have plans in hand and list of notes, along with some pictures I have pulled off of net that I want incorporated in my barn. 
He will view the place where I want the barn. =)


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## Shosadlbrd (Nov 3, 2013)

Decided to go with 12 feet high rather then 10 feet. 
Anyone have any experience with Southern Building Systems in Blountville, Tn. I was hoping to use their stall fronts. 
What stall front have you gone with and why?


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## Shosadlbrd (Nov 3, 2013)

Got my quote. About $12,000 more then hoping for, but with a little tweaking, we are a go. They should be able to start mid summer.


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

Just a couple of things that should have been done where I board.
-Install as many of the translucent roof panels instead of shingles wherever you can-they will let light in, save you tons in electricity and make your barn light & airy
-Make sure all concrete areas are at least slightly rough finished. Smooth concrete is incredibly slippery for both horses and humans.
-Build to agricultural standards-our barn has no ventilation and has been built to non-agricultural standards. The walls sweat or form ice and the whole structure is falling apart after only 15 years. The water faucets buried in the concrete now leak all over the aisles even when turned off. The drains were not put in correctly and in some cases not put in at all.
-Make sure the barn is built above the level of the surrounding ground (although that seems obvious, where we are all rainwater runs instantly into the barn & stalls. If you have any concrete pads outside especially for a wash rack make sure they drain and angle away from the barn.
-Concrete for the stalls is fine as long as you have good quality mats. The horses in our barn are stalled on concrete 24/7 with no ill effects. Seems like a no brainer but, make sure you first build your stalls and then put in the mats. There are many stalls at our barn where the BO built the stalls on top of the mats and they are horribly warped. You cannot get them out or flat unless you cut them out.

A lot of this seems obvious but our BO built everything on the cheap and now he has a stable that is so broken down that he can't afford to fix anything. The water leak at 1 faucet alone is $10,000 to repair!


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## Shosadlbrd (Nov 3, 2013)

A description of my barn plans...Hoping to begin early to mid summer. 
My barn will be 40 x 60 x 12 all with concrete floor and insulated ceiling. Upon entering the 14 ft. wide hallway, the 12x12 tack room is on your left and the 12x14 feed room is on your right, both of these will have ceilings and storage above, for tack trunks, etc. (Feed room will have an enclosed toilet along with a utility sink plus washer and dryer.) Both feed room and tack room will have one window each, plus the feed room will have a walk-thru door to the outside. Just passed these is an open 12X12 area with 4x4 window on the left for storage of carts, wheel barrow, tools, etc. On the right is a 10 x 12 wash stall with a utility sink plus a dutch door to the outside. And then the rest of the barn is three 12x12 matted stalls on each side of aisle. All with 4x4 windows. The last two on both sides will also have Dutch door into paddocks and pasture. Doing all wood in yellow pine tongue and groove. Stall fronts and dutch doors will come from Southern Building Systems in Blountville, TN. (they have a website if you want to check them out. )
SO NOW...some questions: 
My contractor does not recommend skylights due to them leaking. So we discussed the sidelights. With all my windows would I need the sidelights? Are they worth the money for the amount of light they would add?
How much space will I need for the enclosed room with toilet and then the wall space for washer/dryer and utility sink. Plus I guess my hot water heater will go in the feed room as well.


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