OneFineAcre
Herd Master
Keep up the good work 
Carport Barn
- Thread starter SheepGirl
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #102
Got 1/3 of my hay delivered this am 
I have to get some more pallets to put it on though.
I have to get some more pallets to put it on though.
bonbean01
Herd Master
Nice!!!!! Good feeling to put hay in your new barn I bet!! Congrats Sheepgirl It would be advisable to place the bales on top of pallets to prevent moisture vicking from the soil and then mold growth on the bottom bales. also space all of the bales by about 2+" apart so that air can circulate or risk spontaneous cumbustion of the hay.Got 1/3 of my hay delivered this am
I have to get some more pallets to put it on though.
View attachment 6236
- Thread starter
- #105
Yes Bossroo I know. I fixed it this am after i got some pallets from my friends work. I was in a rush yesterday because I was already late to work.
OneFineAcre
Herd Master
Pearce Pastures
Barn Babe
I love pallets! When they delivered our barn, they had a dozen or so really solid ones that came along with it and started saying they would help me to move the materials off of them if we wanted them to take those out of our way...no way! Those puppies are nice to have around, for hay, making quick pens when you need one, keeping stuff dry during rainy season. Have you seen the neat furniture people make with them too?
bonbean01
Herd Master
Pearce, we use them all over the place here!!!! And yes, have seen the furniture and may just try that this coming summer for the back porch
babsbag
Herd Master
I need some dry ones right now and regretting the fact that I left all I had out in the rain. I would love to store hay on them this winter. Instead I will just have to put it on a tarp and feed it so fast that it has no chance to get moldy. Not too much of a problem with 25 goats.
Barn is looking good.
Barn is looking good.
Devonviolet
Herd Master
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2014
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- Location
- East Texas - Near Sulphur Springs
Hey SheepGirl! Sorry I didn't see this sooner. I just realized you were posting updates. 
I'm sorry to hear that you have been having problems with leveling issues.
I showed the thread to DH, who has dealt with erosion issues in the past and he came up with some suggestions, for minimizing future problems:
** The suggestion to put gutters on the facia, to redirect water runoff from the roof, is a good one. It's important to make sure you direct the water at least 4 feet away from the foundation, so it can't cause erosion. I really like the suggestion to run the water into rain barrels, to use for watering your garden or livestock. We plan to do a lot of that with our out buildings - and even the house, for that matter. Water here, in Texas, is a precious commodity and water bills can get up there real fast.
** Using a tractor, push dirt up to the base of the carport/barn. Pack it down tight. Basically level it out at least six feet, so gravity doesn't cause water to erode the soil. However it is important to have it graded 1/2 - 1" per foot, away from the barn, to allow water to flow away from the barn and not puddle or create gullies. Level the dirt inside the barn (to the base of the carport frame) as well.
** if you leave bare dirt, you are asking for problems to occur. It is best to cover that dirt with something like a sand base with gravel (1-1/2 to 2") on top. Or my preference of a fast growing grass/ground cover that will have a nice root mass, to hold the soil in place.
** As far as the gaps between the panels, he suggested putting 1X4" boards on top of all the joints between panels, with adhesive, to act as a sealant. The benefit of having wider boards is that you can screw the vertical boards to your panels, to make it more secure. This also adds stability to the walls. On the corners, as @Baymule suggested, butt the boards (again with adhesive and screws) to cover those gaps. @OneFineAcre 's suggestion to fill the gap at the top, with a trim board, is also a good one.
** DH thinks your plan to paint it all is a good one. At least two generous coats of oil based paint is essential. As is making sure to fill any cracks/joints with paint, to seal out water/moisture.
Since we are planning to do the same thing, for our barn, it is exciting to see your barn take shape, and gives us hope that it is possible for us to build our barn, once we get settled (as in fence built, chicken coop built, and LGDs and livestock bought). Hopefully after we get our garden in this Spring, we can get started on our barn. In the mean time, we plan to store hay in the big shed, that the previous owner built.
Keep up the good work SheepGirl. As @bonbean01 said, we aren't engineers, and we learn as we go. We are grateful, that you are going through this, and sharing your progress with us, as we are able to think some things through, and readjust our plans a bit.
Thanks! 
I'm sorry to hear that you have been having problems with leveling issues.
I showed the thread to DH, who has dealt with erosion issues in the past and he came up with some suggestions, for minimizing future problems:
** The suggestion to put gutters on the facia, to redirect water runoff from the roof, is a good one. It's important to make sure you direct the water at least 4 feet away from the foundation, so it can't cause erosion. I really like the suggestion to run the water into rain barrels, to use for watering your garden or livestock. We plan to do a lot of that with our out buildings - and even the house, for that matter. Water here, in Texas, is a precious commodity and water bills can get up there real fast.
** Using a tractor, push dirt up to the base of the carport/barn. Pack it down tight. Basically level it out at least six feet, so gravity doesn't cause water to erode the soil. However it is important to have it graded 1/2 - 1" per foot, away from the barn, to allow water to flow away from the barn and not puddle or create gullies. Level the dirt inside the barn (to the base of the carport frame) as well.
** if you leave bare dirt, you are asking for problems to occur. It is best to cover that dirt with something like a sand base with gravel (1-1/2 to 2") on top. Or my preference of a fast growing grass/ground cover that will have a nice root mass, to hold the soil in place.
** As far as the gaps between the panels, he suggested putting 1X4" boards on top of all the joints between panels, with adhesive, to act as a sealant. The benefit of having wider boards is that you can screw the vertical boards to your panels, to make it more secure. This also adds stability to the walls. On the corners, as @Baymule suggested, butt the boards (again with adhesive and screws) to cover those gaps. @OneFineAcre 's suggestion to fill the gap at the top, with a trim board, is also a good one.
** DH thinks your plan to paint it all is a good one. At least two generous coats of oil based paint is essential. As is making sure to fill any cracks/joints with paint, to seal out water/moisture.
Since we are planning to do the same thing, for our barn, it is exciting to see your barn take shape, and gives us hope that it is possible for us to build our barn, once we get settled (as in fence built, chicken coop built, and LGDs and livestock bought). Hopefully after we get our garden in this Spring, we can get started on our barn. In the mean time, we plan to store hay in the big shed, that the previous owner built.
Keep up the good work SheepGirl. As @bonbean01 said, we aren't engineers, and we learn as we go. We are grateful, that you are going through this, and sharing your progress with us, as we are able to think some things through, and readjust our plans a bit.
Thanks!
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