Horizon Structures Presents Series: Will Your Horse Barn Weather The Wind?
Skyline Barn photo credit: Horizon Structures.
By Nikki Alvin-Smith
When construction plans are hatched for a new horse barn considerations for the wind and snow load are usually included in the engineering of the structure. Uplift of the roof caused by high winds or loss of sections of roof materials such as shingles or metal components can and does happen. But there are other less obvious aspects to the design and construction of the barn that can also be negatively affected by poor barn siting, the wrong door designs and other factors.
The Barn Roof
Despite manufacturers’ warranties or claims that roofing materials are rated to withstand certain wind strengths, while gusts of wind may not cause damage, sustained high level winds may still result in roofing material losses.
The language in many manufacturers’ warranties is ambiguous. It may state that their product guarantees ‘resistance’ to a certain wind strength and terms like, “up to” are often inserted in the same sentence. So read the fine print carefully before selecting the best roof material option for your location.
How the roof is installed is also a significant factor in its viability and durability. Gutters and downspouts can also be affixed by several different methods, so choose wisely.
Siding Your Barn
The building materials used for siding a horse barn also make a difference to the integrity of the structure. Even good quality products can come adrift in high winds if poorly installed. Always follow manufacturers’ instructions during construction of all building materials used in the barn to the letter. To go rogue and follow different approaches can void warranties.
Siting and Style Selection Of Your Horse Barn
A barn placed high on the ridge of a hill will obviously endure more wind impact than a barn nestled against a hillside in a valley. But wind direction during both winter and summer months should also be considered in the choice of location. Here is some salient advice on how to make the best decision on where the barn should be placed.
Certain styles of barn pose more issues for interference from wind than others. Consider the American center-aisle barn for example. The center aisle provides an excellent wind tunnel especially if the barn is poorly sited in its aspect. While summer breezes may float softly down the aisleway and can offer passive ventilation and welcome cooling, bitter winter winds pose quite a different question.
Fixtures and Fittings
From entry doors to stall doors to lighting fixtures, all details of barn design choice matters when it comes to how wind can impact daily life in the barn. An aluminum sliding entry door may be easier to move side to side to open due to its functional lightweight and the aluminum material might deter rusting and chalking, but it will also become a giant wind sail in high winds and become subject to damage if not properly bolted down when both open and closed.
Dutch doors that are exposed on the exterior of a shedrow barn or on exterior walls of any barn are also subject to noise annoyance with rattling and banging and should also be securely fixed when open and closed. Metals doors are particularly noisy during high winds so pay special attention to how these are fixed in place.
Stall doors such as European style swinging varieties may look pretty, but when it comes to turn out time throwing them open in a windy aisleway can result in leaving them swinging back and forth while the horse is led elsewhere. If you put horses out at the same time and each door is left open, the view down the aisleway presents a difficult obstacle course. Similarly when mucking out stalls these swinging doors can make running up the line of stalls to muck out a matter of stop and start with the need to reverse back and forth to open and close each one. The banging metal door or framework can damage equipment.
Lighting fixtures such as hanging chandeliers or other types of suspended lighting systems can also pose a risk in a center-aisle wind tunnel. A swinging light is at best a nuisance and at worst a hazard.
About Horizon Structures: One horse or twenty, there’s one thing all horse owners have in common…the need to provide safe and secure shelter for their equine partners. At Horizon Structures, we combine expert craftsmanship, top-of-the-line materials and smart ‘horse-friendly’ design to create a full line of sheds and barns that any horse owner can feel confident is the right choice for their horses’ stabling needs.
All wood. Amish Made. Most of our buildings are shipped 100% pre-built and ready for same-day use. Larger barns are a modular construction and can be ready for your horses in about a week. All our barn packages include everything you need to move your horses right in. Horizon Structures also sells chicken coops, equine hay feeders, greenhouses, dog kennels. You can also find garages, sheds and outdoor living sets available at Horizon’s sister company Stoltzfus Structures.
Headquartered in South-Central Pennsylvania, Horizon Structures, LLC was founded by Dave Zook. Dave was raised in the Amish tradition and grew up working in the family-owned shed business. He started Horizon Structures in 2001 in response to an ever-increasing customer demand for high quality, affordable horse barns. Over the years, the company has grown and now has several build shops located throughout the US enabling them to service customers nationwide.
For additional information about the company or their product line, please visit their website at https://www.horizonstructures.com
Horizon Structures LLC, Atglen, PA
Media Contact: NAS@NikkiAlvinSmithStudio.com
Tel: 607 434 4470
