5 Essential Features To Consider When Designing Your Custom Steel Barn

Whether you need a space for agricultural storage or for parking your farm vehicles, custom barns made with top-notch steel quality are best suited for farms’ multi-purpose applications. Traditional barns, made with timber, are susceptible to many vulnerabilities, such as damage from termite colonies, pest infestation, risk of fire, and extreme weather conditions.

What Size Barn You Should Pick?

The size of the barn depends on the following factors:

• Budget
• Land availability
• Purpose of barn
• Additional storage requirement
• Local municipal laws

Our team can assess your requirements and design custom barns that fit your needs well. For assistance, call (704) 579-6966. Our custom barn construction features large doors that easily accommodate tractors, harvesters, crop dusters, etc.

Here Are The Top 5 Salient Features You Must Consider For Metal Custom Barn Design

1. Structural Strength

The longevity of a barn is reliant on its structural strength. Timber is a porous material in stick-built structures that absorbs moisture from the surrounding environment, causing expansion, twisting, bending, wrapping, swelling, and potential shrinkage. This can lead to rot and decay, implying frequent repairs and replacements.

Structural steel is 25 times stronger than wood. It is robust, dense, and non-porous. Because it does not absorb moisture from the air, frequent repair is not necessary. Opt for high-quality steel with a 12-gauge thickness for maximum durability.

For extreme weather-prone areas, we offer engineer-certified steel that can withstand wind speeds of 170 miles per hour, snow loads of 40 lbs. per square foot, and seismic activities. So, don’t forget to check them out.

2. Vent For Air Flow

Farm barns are places where farmers and rancher keep their crop sacks, farm vehicles, livestock, etc. That’s why they need to be well-ventilated to enable air circulation. There are two kinds of ventilation systems:

Active

This type of vent system requires power to run. It is good for areas surrounded by buildings and with no source of incoming natural air.

E.g., inlets, electrical roof vent, AC, exhaust, ceiling, floor fans, etc.

Passive

This type of vent system requires no power to run. It is ideal for a custom barn construction site that is open from all sides.

E.g., windows, louvers, turbine, ridge, gravity vents, etc.

Custom barns made with metal frames and panels are anti-fungal and do not support mold & mildew growth. Metals do not emit toxic fumes with time during fire and waterproof coating either. They are healthy and safe for human occupants and livestock.

3. Lighting

No matter what the barn’s purpose is, the interior is often low-light, and visibility reduces after sunset. So, a lighting source is necessary. Depending on the use case, you can opt for one of the two or both. A well-designed lighting system boosts safety and productivity.

Natural Light

Natural light brings indirect sunshine inside, reducing the use of bulbs during daytime and saving on energy bills. Some sources of natural light are solar tubes, skylights, roof daylighting, ridge lighting, translucent panels, windows, clerestory windows, and light interior color to reflect sunshine.

Artificial Light

Opt for a light source that consumes less power, generates less heat, has a longer lifespan, and offers bright light for working. Some sources of artificial lights are LED lights, light transmitting panels, mobile LED lights, etc.

Note: We suggest incorporating Energy Star-certified appliances into your custom barn design. This will lower your energy bills. Did you know Energy Star-certified lights last up to 80% longer than traditional bulbs?

4. Flexible Design

Custom barn design helps you shatter the cookie-cutter persona of a steel barn. You can incorporate several features into your barn to increase functionality and aesthetics. Here are some of the customization options:

Windows: They bring in natural light and fresh air, and if you are using a barn for livestock, you can install a stall window for animals to peep through.

Doors: Adding doors does not require extra frame materials. Steel is lightweight and can bear more load than wood. You can choose door styles such as sliding, overhead, hydraulic, hinged, walk-in, roll-on, or double barn doors.

Gutter with Downspout: Stop the drip! It is necessary to keep your barn moisture-free. A gutter redirects all rainwater and melting snow toward the downspout. You can collect, filter, and use this water for irrigation.

Insulation: It helps maintain a regular indoor temperature and humidity by slowing down heat transfer from and through the panels. It also prohibits the growth of molds and mildew.

Expansion:

1. Consider preparing for future expansion when designing a steel barn for your farm.
2. Ask your metal builder to add removal end walls to the design before starting custom metal construction.
3. Plan your foundation accordingly.

5. Accessible

A farmer needs to access the barn every day for regular operations. Opt for a wide door to accommodate vehicles of any size. Metal barns are easy to clean and maintain, so you can ask metal dealers to add a lean-to to store items that are not temperature-sensitive.

If possible, choose a clear-span design, as you can easily add or remove sections as needed. False (mezzanine) flooring will also help create a livable space up and a storage area beneath it.

Various Applications Of Custom Barn Design

1. Horse barn
2. Livestock shelter
3. Crop storage
4. Dairy barn
5. Metal barndominium
6. Processing facility
7. Sheltering farm vehicles & tools

Protect Your Farm Tools & Vehicles With Our Quality Custom Barns

Our excellent custom barn design is tailored to your needs and budget. We offer a range of color options from traditional red to contemporary look. You can contact our team at (704) 579-6966 for more details or a free quote. So, what are you waiting for? Contact us today!