Pole Barns ColoradoInfo about pole barns in Colorado

by Eddie Harrison | ezinearticles.com

Across the United States, in most local building departments, there are building codes for prescriptive methods on how to build a conventional style home. In other words, stud wall construction. Most states have adopted the International Building Code, also called the IBC (by the International Code Council, the ICC), as their state code. Some counties and cities within those states may adopt their own codes if they feel that it is necessary to do so, or make amendments to the IBC as necessary to fit their geographic region.

With that said, the IBC code has prescriptive methods for how foundations are to be built, walls are to be constructed, how roofs are to be installed, etc. These prescriptive methods are represented in what is called the International Residential Code, or the IRC.

Prescriptive means a generally prescribed way to do something, that works in most circumstances and in most situations. It’s kind of a, “one size fits most” method. Kind of like a baseball cap with an adjustable strap. It fits big heads, small heads, medium heads, and square heads, cone heads – you get the picture.

Well, those prescriptive methods are conservative and can be considered over-built in many situations. In fact, most conventional wood frame buildings utilize only 40% to 50% of the design strength that they are designed to handle. Which means you invested 50% to 60% more money in wood that you really didn’t need. And we all know that we don’t have money to blow.

Because conventional wood frame buildings only utilize about half of their design strength, much of the building’s design strength is considered waste and is never realized, causing the building to be more expensive than a Pole Building design.

Pole Buildings, however, are generally engineered to utilize about 90% of their design strength. Which means less material wasted, which means less money wasted.

Many times than not, a pole building can be built for much less money than a standard conventional stud wall structure.

Colorado pole buildings are commonly used for horse barns, large garages, storage facilities, and similar structures – even commercial buildings and becoming more common for homes. These types of structures are also very adaptable to large open spaces on the interior, with walls on the exterior to protect from the elements.

With that said, however, there are no prescriptive methods for designing wood pole buildings (or wood pole barns). The International Residential Code does not cover such buildings in the code manual. Which means, these types of buildings must be designed and analyzed by civil and/or structural engineers to withstand the elements (snow, wind, earthquake, soil, etc.). This is why an engineered pole building will normally utilize about 90% of their design strength vs 40 to 50% of a prescriptive stud wall design. Because they’re engineered — the engineer analyzes each and every element and optimizes the strength of that element so that there is no “waste”.

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To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

by Anastasia S. | ezinearticles.com

Pole barns have become a popular structure that many homeowners have been opting to build. These buildings not only look good and are able to provide additional storage space, but also they add value to any property. The best part is they are very easy to build and quite affordable as well. Whether you are thinking of building the barn on your own or hiring a contractor to do the work for you, pole barn kits will definitely be beneficial. Discover the advantages of these kits and why you should consider them when constructing.

Pole barn with custom stalls, available at rockymountainbarns.com.

Why Use a Pole Barn Kit?

Nowadays there are many kits available to help builders construct certain things in a quicker and more convenient manner. This allows individuals to make use of the space for storage or other things at a faster time. These kits come with plans, step-by-step instructions, and the materials you need to ensure that everything goes smoothly when building the pole barn. They are available in different sizes too so it doesn’t matter if you are looking to build a small or a big pole barn, you are sure to be able to get just what you need conveniently.

Quality Materials

If you choose your kit carefully enough then you should be able to find one that comes with quality materials and the best lumber. These materials usually include wood trusses that obey building codes for all states, metal roofing and siding, concrete footers, waterproof touches, fasteners for the roof, along with doors and walls. With the materials come complete blueprints and detailed instructions so you shouldn’t have a hard time at all putting everything together. Kits are really handy especially if you want to get things done right away.

Variety of Shapes and Sizes

You will find pole barn kits that offer square and rectangular designed structures from small to large sizes. So if you want to build a warehouse you can find a kit to support that. Or if you just want to add a small barn to your property then there are small sizes available too. Aside from the common shapes like square and rectangle, you will also find T and L designs. These are a great unique way to make your place interesting especially when figuring out what each section will be used for. Whether it will be used for storage of animals or equipment, or even as an extended home, this type of building has proven to be very useful.

Do-it-Yourself

The biggest benefit of pole barn kits is that you will be able to easily do the project all on your own. This saves time since you don’t have to hire others to do the constructing for you, especially since all the instructions are readily provided. These kits really offer homeowners easy, affordable solutions to build efficient structures that can be used for a variety of things. Plus if you enjoy building or doing woodwork then doing it yourself is certainly a great option.

It is clear that there are several advantages you can get from using pole barn kits to build Colorado pole barns. There are also garage kits, carport kits, and other kits for similar structures depending on what you are looking to build. If you aren’t willing to spend for a contractor it doesn’t matter because with the use of these kits you can do everything on your own. The best part is that it comes with absolutely everything you need for you to start and finish the project with no glitches.

Using pole barn kits to build your pole barn is a wise choice.

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To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

by Adam Quillon and Linda Layne | horses-and-horse-information.com

Fall is the perfect time to start that run-in shed project for your horses. So often the need is not realized until after the bad weather has already arrived and by then building sites are covered with snow or mud and delivery of building materials to the site is further complicated. If you’ve ever tried to tackle any maintenance or construction during the winter months, you’ll easily recognize that an early start on this type of project is not only necessary for you but also for your horses that are anxiously waiting for a warm, dry place to seek shelter from the storm.

The following material list and instruction guide has been prepared to construct a 24′ x 24′ x 12′ post-frame run-in shed. The structure is a 3-sided building with open front. You may customize this building to include windows, a stall or even use it for farm equipment. It’s a very popular and versatile 2-man building project that takes only about 5 days to complete. The cost for materials may vary depending on your location but generally you can estimate about $2,000 for materials and add whatever labor costs you normally incur.

Before beginning this project…

As with all complex projects, there are tricks to the trade. If this is your first attempt at building a complete structure or a post-frame structure, consult with a post-frame building professional before beginning this project to achieve successful results.

The material list and instruction guide is based on building environments on the East Coast. For areas west, where snow loads and wind gusts are stronger, other engineering factors may need to be considered. For this particular project, post holes are approximately 3-feet deep. Areas west of Mississippi may require post hole depths of 5-feet, thus requiring additional concrete mix as well.

Site selection is very important for three-sided buildings. Obviously, with an open front, you want to shield the horses from the elements, especially those cold arctic winds. Consider the prevailing winds and position the building’s opening away from the wind. Whenever possible, utilize existing wind breaks, such as trees and other buildings. Also, consider a site where in the deep of winter you can easily access your building by food or by vehicle. Convenience to water hydrants is a plus. In one case recently, a horse was down and the veterinarian was unable to back up to the front of the shed with his trailer because the owners had positioned the opening of the building next to a steep embankment leading to a pond.

Construction should begin on a level, elevated site. If the site is out of level, additional post length and skirt board may be necessary to compensate for grade. If site is severely out of level, have grade leveled by a qualified excavator. The money spent will be saved in the long run. An elevated site will allow water to flow away from the building, thus extending the life of the structure.

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To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

horses-and-horse-information.com

There are several different ways a horse barns Colorado can be constructed, depending on the number of horses you own, the amount of money you want to spend and the amount of space you have.

Horse barn in Bloomfield, Colorado. (Picture courtesy of rockymountainbarns.com)

It is possible to use a structure that is already standing on your property. If you’re going to do this be sure to look the building over carefully first to ensure that it is suitable for horses. Check out doorways to make sure they’re wide enough and check to see that the horse will not have access to any dangerous wires or nails.

Okay, let’s get to specific kinds.

3-sided “Run-in”

If you plan to have a barn built, check your zoning laws. Find out what kind of permits you need.

If you have limited space, consider a three-sided run-in shelter. Even in severe weather, horses will do fine. If you will have 2 horses, you will need one built that is at least 12×24 feet. By puting a panel down the middle, you can always convert this setup to 2 stalls.

A limitation of small stalls is there is no room to groom or tack up your horse, and no room to store grain and hay.

If you get plans for a run-in shelter, a local carpenter can easily build it for you.

Barns

A barn can be as big and elaborate as your space and budget permit. Some even will install mirrors on the walls, and provide a heated viewing area. There are equine barn-builder specialists who can lay out the multiple stalls, tack rooms, washrooms, sprinkler systems, and overhead hay storage. These builders advertise in local and national horse magazines. They also know how to safely install light fixtures, and know just how high and wide the doors need to be, and provide for proper ventilation.

Barn Floors

Dirt floors are fine, but you can’t wash them down. Wood floors are also fine, but be aware that over time, urine and manure will rot the floor. Concrete is hard on a horses legs, so it should be covered with rubber mats and a deep layer of bedding.

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To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

by Chris | fivestarranch.com

I recently built a new horse barn in Texas where 105 degrees is a regular event in the summer. Before I built, I toured a number of barns in the area for barn design ideas. I visited some gorgeous barns that I could only dream about owning.

While I was checking out barns, something that amazed me is how certain design elements could increase the comfort level of the temperature inside the barn. I also discovered that many people didn’t take the climate into consideration when they designed their barns so they missed out on incorporating something that might not add any cost to their barn, but could make a substantial difference in how comfortable the barn was in the warmer seasons.

I saw a number of barns that would have been more appropriate for a cold New England climate than in Texas. This made me think that some people may really not think much about building for climate when they are designing their barns. They might be focusing on the size of the stalls or the color of the tackroom walls and completely disregard elements that could increase ventilation, reduce inside temperature, and generally make working in the barn more pleasant.

If you’re in the barn design phase and live in a hot climate, I’ve compiled a list of barn design elements you might find helpful to think about before you break ground. If you’re going to build a barn anyway, considering climate early could increase your happiness with the barn.

Here is a list of barn design elements to consider when designing a barn for a hot climate.

1. High roof – Warm air rises. Give it a place to go that is out of your work zone. Low roofs trap hot air in the main area and can turn a barn into an uncomfortable sweltering oven in a hot climate

2. Cuppola & Exhaust fan - Give hot air a place to go. A Cuppola in the roof with an exhaust fan can draw the hot air out of the barn and pull in cooler air. If you have ever had a whole house fan you probably know how effective these are to replace air in a structure. They work better than ceiling fans which just move air around without getting the hot air out.

3. Light color on roof and exterior – light color reflects heat. Every little bit helps in a hot climate.

4. Insulated roof – a must for helping keep it cooler inside a building. Also helps keep noise down when it rains.

5. Covered Porches – these are wonderful shelters to keep the air around the barn cooler and provide a shaded place for horses to stand besides their stalls. A shaded porch also makes a great place to saddle and groom a horse out of direct sunlight.

6. Plant shade trees in the area around the barn. Yes, you will have to fence off the trees or the horses will eat them, but the trees can provide cooling shade on the barn and the surrounding paddocks.

7. Face angle of the summer cross winds -Taking advantage of natural ventilation was a tip my farrier mentioned to me when I was walking my land to decide which angle to place the barn. I was very focused on drainage which is important, but my farrier mentioned to me to alter my barn direction slight so I’d catch the summer breezes. Since I hadn’t started building yet, it was a no cost modification to move the angle of the barn slightly and its paid off. My new barn stays more comfortable because we get the summer cross breezes now.

8. Wide doors with air flow gates to increase ventilation - good air flow is the secret to keeping a barn comfortable in a hot climate. As much as you can, make it so air can enter the building.

9. Stalls open to outside – All my stalls have two doors. One doorway into the aisle and one doorway to the outside. This allows me to use my stalls as places of refuge that my horse can escape to when biting flies or too much sun drive my horse inside. I let my horses have free rein to their stalls. If you only have stall doors to an aisle, you never have the free access option.

10. Stalls with air flow bars on top. This is preferable for several reasons. First, the bars allow for better air flow and ventilation and second, horses are social animals. They like to be able to communicate with their kind in the next stalls. I’ve seen horses relax when they can visit with their own kind in the stalls adjacent to them.

11. Add solar protection to any windows that get direct sunlight. Tackrooms frequently have windows and many people don’t put anything over the windows to limit direct sunlight. This can heat up a room substantially. If you’re designing a tackroom, think twice about adding a window in the room. Windows can be a security risk to expensive saddles and also a source of heat from direct sunlight. If you must have a window, be sure to incorporate solar protection.

All barns are hot in the summer, but when ventilation is optimized and passive cooling measures like shade trees and porches are in place, your barn can still be a place of relative comfort and a welcome relief from the sun.

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To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

horses-and-horse-information.com

A barn is one of the single most expensive items you will build for your horse. To this end, it is wise to do a lot of planning on paper before you put in your order for materials. Failure to do so will result in expensive additions, modifications, and in extreme cases will force you to scrap the whole project and start over again.

Horse barn in Peyton, CO, constructed by rockymountainbarns.com.

Here are some tips on how to avoid pitfalls and instead plan for that perfect barn:

• Plan the size of the barn with the number of horses you will have at any time in mind. Additionally, consider what you will be doing with your horses, and what additional amenities – if any – your use of the horses will necessitate.
• Pick the proper and legal location for your barn. Check about the local zoning ordinances and if advisable, get your neighbor’s input before you break ground.
• Remember that there is more to a barn than just a collection of stalls. You will also need to plan for a tack room, an area to wash the animals, and also a storage area for feed. Carefully consider ventilation, since it is an important key to a functioning barn; it may be a mixture of forced air and natural ventilation or one choice thereof. The other amenity that needs to be carefully planned is drainage. Lighting is often much easier to plan for, and when doing so make sure that it is adequate in any corner of the barn. Water sources are another important amenity that will need to be carefully planned. Do not skimp of safety features, such as smoke alarms and maybe even a sprinkler system.
• Visit other horse owners’ barns and see what you like, and what works. Make a note of what you dislike and the things that simply do not seem to work. If you hire someone to do the building for you, make sure it is an experienced barn builder rather than a jack of all trades. Referrals will be worth their weight in gold!
• Build a good relationship with the barn builder before she or he breaks ground. Both sides need to understand the scope of the barn builder’s involvement, and also the tasks that are left for the horse owner to finish.

Of course, even the best design will need to be reevaluated if you change your mind on the kinds of horses you want to purchase. After all, different sizes and kinds of animals affect the needs they will have. You may be tempted to complete your barn project in sections, depending on your financial prowess. While this is an attractive solution, it is important to remember that many a half-finished project will sit unfinished for a long time simply because funding was not properly planned. Make sure you also include your finances in the planning process.

Generally speaking, the outside of a barn is usually made of metal, while the individual stalls inside are made from dense lumber. This will increase the life of the building while also making the maintenance easier on the owner. There are several books and websites that offer a number of great suggestions on the proper planning and building of horse barns Colorado. Include them in your planning process to assure that you are getting the best living quarters available for your animals.

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To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

barntoolbox.com

Definition of Modular Barn

Modular Barn is the barn that’s either delivered completely built or delivered partially built in sections and assembled on site.

Completely Built Modular Barns may include portable horse sheds, shedrow barns, small storage barns and similar buildings that are built at a manufacturing facility and delivered on flat bed trucks & trailers. These types of barns are delivered fully built and in most cases may be put in use almost immediately. The advantage of such barn is its affordability and fast turn-around. In most cases, barns like these can be completely built and delivered within 2-3 weeks from the order date. We think it’s worth mentioning that most of the manufacturers offering these types of barns are located in Pennsylvania and are mostly built by the Amish craftsmen.

Partially Built Modular Barns include, but not limited to center aisle horse barns, barns with big front overhangs (lean-tos) and in some cases storage barns. These types of barns are generally larger and require some on-site assembly. As you can see from this picture, the modular boxes were delivered completely built and the roof is being built on-site. There are some barn manufacturers that might partially or even completely build the roof and put it in place by using the crane or forklifts. A Modular “Monitor Barn” is a good example of a pre-built roof where barn lower sections and the center upper section are delivered in 3 pieces and connected together usually in 1 or 2 days.

Modular Barns vs. Pole Barns

It is hard to say with certainty which barn is built better or which barn is more affordable. The quality of construction and the price varies from builder to builder. Generally though, modular barn has to be built sturdier in order to withstand stresses during delivery and unloading. When building modular barn sections (boxes), manufacturers normally use more material throughout construction and brace the walls better in order to make the sections sturdy.

Pole barns, available at rockymountainbarns.com.

As for the price, modular barns are not always cheaper, however. One might think that modular barns should cost less than Colorado pole barns, since manufacturers save time & money by building most of the modular barn components at their location. But when you figure delivery costs associated to deliver oversize modular boxes, required concrete foundation, and in some cases equipment rental (crane, forklift, etc.), the cost might end up being the same or in some cases even higher than a regular pole barn built completely on site.

In addition, the construction of a modular barn requires better site access in order to deliver the oversize boxes and other components.

The modular barn, however, has few advantages over the pole barn. These advantages include faster turn-around and less time spent on site by a construction crew.

Our Advice

If you are looking into purchasing a modular barn, try to weigh all the options, compare the price, and most important, compare the construction specifications to make sure that the barn you are buying is properly built. And remember, it is wrong to automatically assume that a modular barn is less expensive and that it’s not built as good as any on-site built barn. We have seen some modular horse barns that were built significantly better than any pole barn, but, we have also seen some modular barns that were built very poorly in order to keep the cost down. This is why it’s so important to get a detailed list of construction specifications from the builder and to see how their barn is built.

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To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

barntoolbox.com

A Post & Beam Barn can be described as a barn that’s built using heavy wooden timbers, joint together with ether carved wood joinery (such as pegged mortise & tenon) or metal heavy duty plates & hardware, forming an exposed structural frame.

In most Post & Beam Barns, the whole frame, including posts, girts, headers, loft joists and even rafters are build with different sizes of heavy wooden beams. This gives the barn a very distinctive and appealing look. This kind of construction is far more expensive than a Colorado pole barn, but does provide a very solid barn frame and a feel of a well & a heavy built structure. The timbers used in a Post & Beam barn are generally larger compared to a conventional barn construction.

The family of Post & Beam Barns includes well known names such as Timber Frame Barns and Mortise & Tenon Barns. It’s important to understand that Timber-Frame Barns and Mortise & Tenon Barns are both built with heavy timbers throughout construction, and either of them may be called the Post & Beam Barn. It’s the difference in the way the beams are connected is what separates a Timber Frame Barn from a Mortise & Tennon Barn.

Even though different builders might use different type of timber connection techniques, it’s generally known that in a Timber Frame Barn, the beams may be either connected with heavy duty metal brackets or with mortise & tenon joinery. In a Mortise & Tenon Barn however (as the name implies), the beams are always connected using mortise & tenon joinery technique (see image) where posts and beams are both notched out to create a “male” & “female” connectors and then held together with wooden pegs.

In Mortise & Tenon joinery connection, the “male” projecting end is called tenon and a “female” opened slot is called Mortise. The mortise & tenon joint provides a very strong connection and has been used for thousands of years all around the world.

“StrongTie” metal plate brackets are used to connect beams in one of the Post & Beam Barns. Some builders may use a combination of mortise & tenon and metal plate connectors on the same barn. In such case, you may call this barn whatever you like. The proper name though, in our opinion, would be a Post & Beam Barn, which basically describes that the particular barn is built with heavy wooden timbers, but does not tell you how these timbers are connected together.

Other builders might build only barn walls with heavy timbers and the rest of the barn with lighter material. They may build the roof with either regular trusses or 2×8/2×10 rafters and the loft might be built with 2×10 floor joists. This is all just fine, but we can not call this type of barn a True Post & Beam barn, no matter what the builder might call it.

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To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

by Keystone Barns | barntoolbox.com

There are many builders that specialize in construction of pole barns (post-frame buildings), and even though different builders use different techniques, the idea of a pole barn is basically the same. The typical pole barn is constructed with pressure treated posts placed in the ground (approximately 48” below ground level). Posts of most of the pole bans are usually spaced 8’ on center. On outside of these posts you’ll find 2×4 girts that are fastened 24” o.c. (the siding is fastened into these 2×4 girts), double 2×12 headers to support trusses, and 2×4 purlins (or plywood) on top of trusses to support roofing material. Pole barn is probably the least expensive and the simplest way to build yourself a nice building (garage, horse barn or any other type of building).

If you are looking for a small building and can’t afford to hire a contractor, you can probably have one build yourself, perhaps with the help of your friends – you’ll need at least 1 helper to build the frame and 2 helpers to set the trusses up. If you have enough money to hire a contractor or simply don’t have time to build the barn yourself, then you’ll need to find the right contractor for the job. If you are like me, or like most of the people, you probably want to spend as little as possible and build the barn as nice as possible. Well, that’s what we all wish for, but it doesn’t always work like that. Did you ever hear of the saying “greedy pays twice”? Being in construction business for a while, I personally know of several customers that “tried to save money” on either site excavation, foundation or some other work, by having their “friends” or “someone they know” to do the work. Guess what? These customers ended up paying more than the quote given by us, since their “friends” didn’t do the job right and we either had to redo the excavation (how can we put up a building on the site that’s 2′ or 3′ off level?) or fix the foundation. The bottom line, if you want to keep your friends, don’t hire them.

Building a pole barn in Sedalia, Colorado. Picture courtesy of rockymountainbarns.com.

What to look for in a quality constructed Pole Barn

Consider these options and features for your pole barn Colorado:

1. Perma-Columns – Instead of placing your posts in the ground, you can now choose the concrete columns to avoid any possibility of rotten posts. A Perma-Column is basically a manufactured concrete column with a U-shaped metal bracket on top. These concrete columns go in the ground and your wooden posts are placed on top of these columns and are bolted into U-shaped brackets. See www.permacolumn.com for more information. Keep in mind, Colorado pole barns built with Perma-Columns cost more. Plan to spend $120 – $150 per each post extra.

2. “Glue Laminated Posts” - Instead of using regular 4×6 or 6×6 pressure treated posts that have a tendency to twist, crack and bow, glue-lam posts are stronger and have a lot less chance to twist or bow. Different sizes of glu-lam posts are available on the market. For smaller buildings, you can use 3 or 4-ply 2×6 posts, for larger and taller buildings you will need to use 3 or 4-ply 2×8 posts. The other advantage of glue-laminated posts is only the bottom of these posts are treated (in case you decide to put them in the ground).

3. “Use Proper Bracing” - Make sure your pole barn is built with proper bracing. Tell your builder to install side braces and truss braces if you want to have your barn withstand strong winds. Installing metal hurricane ties is also a good idea, especially in hurricane-prone areas. Believe it or not, some builders do not bother to install truss or side braces to save money. If you have ever seen a collapsed pole barn after strong winds, it’s most likely due to improper bracing techniques used.

4. “Use Reflective Insulation and Ridge Vent” - Now, I know you don’t want to spend more than you have to, but believe me, reflective insulation placed under metal roof will help keep your entire building cooler in hot summer days. So would the installation of a ridge vent. If you don’t know what reflective insulation is, just Google it and you’ll find all the information you need.

5. “Overhangs” – By all means, please do use overhangs on your barn or any structure you build. Don’t know about you, but I personally can’t look at the barn that doesn’t have any overhangs. Honestly, it looks like crap. Be aware that some builders would include overhangs on the eaves in their quote, but not on the gables. If you want overhangs on the gables, they’ll charge you extra.

6. “Compare Construction” – Don’t get too excited when you find the builder with the cheapest price for the pole barn. Beware of those salesmen and companies that get you on the hook with a “cheap price” and than start charging you extra for different features and options that should have been included in the price in the first place. If this happens to you, forget about that builder. The bottom line, compare construction specifications and features, not just the price.

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To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

By Chris | fivestarranch.com

You’ve finally done it. You bought the land you’ve always dreamed of and now you want to build a barn so you and your horse can live at the same address. Deciding where to locate your new barn is the next big step and its a decision that should be well thought out. Building a barn is an expensive endeavor and once the barn is built you can’t move it around. There are many factors to evaluate when selecting the location to build horse barns.

Custom stalls for your horse barn, available at rockymountainbarns.com.

Having owned a number of different barn properties in my life I’ve learned a few things that will hopefully be helpful to you in your barn site selection process. In many cases I’ve learned the hard way, but often those are the most important lessons.

Drainage

One of the smartest things I did in selecting a site location for my last barn was to walk the proposed site location in a heavy rainstorm. I got wet, but the rain showed me exactly how the natural water drainage was in the area. Sure, I could have done some expensive terra forming to steer water away, but the more modifications you have to make, the more dollars you will spend.

What you do not want is a barn located in a spot that collects water or you’ll end up breeding insects and live in a mud hole for weeks after a rain. If the only location available is an area like that, then bite the bullet and budget for bringing in fill that will elevate your barn.

High ground

One of the best ways to ensure you have a location that drains well is to pick the high spot in your pasture. This works well in mild climates, but if you’re building a barn in the mountains in Colorado where the winds can be fierce in the winter, you might opt to build the barn not on the top, but on high ground below the crest of the hill so the hill can act to shield your facility from the direct winds.

One other tip you might use in selecting your barn location is to look at your land in Google Maps with the terrain mode. It shows contour lines and you may be able to determine the high ground from the computer. You’ll still want to walk the property, but the computer could help you eliminate areas that might become bogs after heavy rains.

Convenience

You want your barn to be convenient to existing driveways and your home. There is a happy medium where it is close but not so close that your guests smell manure. Personally, I like to be able to look out my window and see my barn. My horses tend to congregate around the covered overhangs in front of my barn so I can easily check my horses without even going outside. Having the barn close to the house is also nice if I have to go out and feed after dark or if I have a sick horse and I’m coming and going a lot checking on the animal.

Also consider convenience to your pasture or turn out when selecting the barn location. Growing up we had converted an old dairy barn on the property into a horse barn. It was not in a convenient location to our main pasture and made life a pain moving the horses from the barn to the turn out area where they spent most of their time. What I learned from that is that the dairy barn may have been convenient for the old dairy farmer because it was next to the road, but it wasn’t where the pasture was so the location was a daily hassle for us until we were able to build a fence that connected the barn to the pasture so the horses could go back and forth on their own.

Proximity to road or driveway

A few weeks back I spent the night with a friend in her barn doctoring a very sick horse. We had to run IVs all night and had to keep the horse sedated so we didn’t want to leave the horse alone.

I was really glad the driveway ran up to the barn so people could come and go easily. The vet came by several times in the course of the 18 hours when the horse was in crisis (the horse had severe colic, but lived, but it was touch and go for awhile) – because it was so convenient, the vet could pull up to the barn door to bring us more IV fluid at two in the morning. Okay, so the hour wasn’t convenient, but I think the vet would have been less likely to come if she had to trek a mile into a pasture to get to the barn. A nice driveway or road that gives easy access to your barn can be a life saver. Its also nice when you are bringing in hay or horse feed not to have to carry it too far.

Security

It is unfortunate, but security is now an important consideration when selecting your barn site. I like my barn in view of my house so I can keep an eye on it. I’ve heard of break-ins into peoples tack rooms and of their trailers being stolen. I positioned my latest barn inside my locked pasture gate where they have to drive by my house to get to the barn. The times I’ve had problems with people coming into my barn is when I’ve had remote barns. Sometimes that isn’t something we can control….the best location may be out of view of the house, but if you have a choice its nice to have a good view of the barn.

Proximity to electricity and water

You can have a barn without lights and convenient water, but it’s a royal pain. You will want electricity and water at your barn so plan on it early. If you can position the barn where you can tap into existing water and electricity that will keep costs down, but usually getting utilities to the barn will require an additional pole or ditch dug. The closer you can position your barn to an existing source, the less you have to dig and the cheaper it will be. If two locations are equal in all other respects and one is next to a utility pole, go with that one.

Proximity to existing buildings and structures

Are there existing hay barns or storage buildings on the property? How far away is your round pen or riding arena? You want the barn in a convenient location to your hay barn if you’re going to have to pull hay on a frequent basis. Consider these buildings in the overall plan.

Expansion potential

Today you may only be focused on getting your barn up. However, don’t limit yourself now by not considering at some point you may want to expand your facilities a bit. Pick a location that will allow you to add a riding ring or paddocks down the line. Who knows you may be the next owner of a fancy indoor riding arena. Somebody has to win the lottery, it might be you.

Flat or sloping

Ideally you want to build your barn on a level piece of ground. If your property isn’t level naturally, you’ll need to bring in fill to make the location level. Site preparation is expensive, but necessary, so try to reduce how much fill you need to bring in by trying to find a fairly level spot to start with. My current pasture doesn’t have a level spot in it so I’m having to bring in about 20 loads of dirt. It adds to my barn costs, but it should make the finished barn location level and with good drainage.

Direction of Barn and Climate Considerations

People move around a lot these days. Something I see frequently is people forget to factor in the conditions of their current location and climate. I’ve seen people from the north build air tight barns in hot climates. They forget that the barn style and considerations that are appropriate for a cold climate are not the same considerations you would use in a hot climate. Try to keep climate conditions in mind when selecting where and how to place your barn.

For example, when I built a barn in Kansas and Colorado I built for warmth. I wanted as much sun exposure as I could get so I positioned my barn facing south to take advantage of solar heating and designed a barn that had a solid wall against the prevailing winter wind.

In hot Texas I had to design my barn and site selection completely differently. There I avoided facing the stalls to the West because of the hot afternoon sun and I tried to position the barn to capture prevailing breezes. With my Texas barns I always try to include 12 foot porches so the horses can stand in the shade but catch a breeze. My farrier loves the porch too – there is better light than in my center aisle and there is always a nice breeze.

Zoning and HOA

Know your zoning and HOA rules when selecting your barn and its location. For instance, one Texas town I lived in only let you put your barn behind the house (couldn’t even have it next to the house – had to be behind it.) Many zoning regulations dictate how close to the property line you can build and the size of the structure. I had one friend have to come back and brick her nice Morton barn because the HOA complained the barn didn’t match her house.

View

If you’re one of the lucky people who have a nice view of mountains or woods, you want to make sure your barn complements the view. Selecting colors that blend with the country side or using landscaping to make your barn look integrated to the surrounding area, can keep your view lovely and make sure your investment enhances your property, not detract from the value.

When we were getting ready to build our latest barn, we took several pictures of our back pasture and stitched the pictures together in a photo editor. Then we dropped in a scaled picture of the barn structure. We could move the barn around in the picture to see how the barn looked in different places on the property. It was a fun exercise and helped us find a workable location that didn’t ruin the view.

Location of manure

Okay, this is one of the last things we think about when we are looking at all the glossy brochures from the barn companies, but think about where you will put manure when you are making your site selection. Obviously you don’t want it in full view, you want it out back, so make sure there is a place that is convenient for your manure pile. I like to make sure there is truck access to the pile because I have a number of friends who will come and take manure regularly if I make it convenient. I’ve done this in several barns now and never had a large manure build up. Make it easy and they will come.

Ready to Build Your New Horse Barn

Having a horse in your backyard can be one of the most enjoyable elements about owning a horse. I find my blood pressure drops just by looking out the window and seeing my horses grazing peacefully. Building a barn and placing the barn in the best position possible can add to your enjoyment. Hopefully this article has stimulated some additional things to consider when selecting your barn site location.

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To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.