Creating my horse barn

[EddieWalker]

After months of researching what others have done and trying to figure out why they do it that way, we've come up with a plan on what we want to do. The barn will be 12x36 with a 12x12 storage room on a concrete slab. This is at the high spot in the pasture. Then as the ground slopes down, there will be two stalls. Each stall will be 12x12 and they will be open in the opposite directions. Most of our storms come from the West. Some a little South, others a little North. Every now and then we'll get one from the East, or straight up from the Gulf in the South, but those are rare. The stalls will be open to the North and the South, so most of the time it wont matter which one they are in if they want to get out of the weather, they can.

Yesterday I set the forms and did most of the rebar. Today I'll finish the rebar and pour the concrete. Because of my work schedule and a very good chance for a lot of rain during the middle of the week, today is my only day to pour. So I'm going to do it all with 60 pounds sacks from Lowes. Cost is going to be more this way at $350 for two yards compared to $240 if I had a truck come that just charges by the yard. The other cement trucks have a four yard minimum at $100 a yard. Since neither work on Sundays, it's going to be all my and the mixer!!



Eddie

 

[s219]

Good luck! Having a mixer will help. When I did the apron for my barn, I hand mixed 22 sacks of 80# concrete -- all leftover from other projects, so was already paid for and I figured it would be good to use it up. Well hand mixing that much concrete at once, even in smaller batches of 5-6 bags at a time for the separate key-wayed sections, was a butt kicker. I had almost no energy left to finish the concrete once it was down! Next time I would rent a mixer for sure. Makes me appreciate the luxury of having a truck show up and then let you just focus on the spreading and finishing.

 

[dave1949]

Eddie, How did you skip the concrete floor versus dirt floor horse discussion? :laughing:

On horse forums it's about like the R1 versus R4 tractor tire topic.

 

[zing]

Its a small thing, but around here any horse shelter in a field like that would be called a run-in, not a barn.

 

[Stimw]

60 lb sacks!! You must be going to let your wife do the mixing??
I moved 4 60 lb sacks the other day. They seemed to be making them a lot heavier these days! Don't know if I could pick up a 90 lb anymore??? (or want to)

 

[sseelhoff]

Just remember-if the horses are going to be on concrete-they need a broom finish. If you make it too smooth, those horses will behave like they are on roller skates. I've seen it happen, with riders mounted. Horse slipped and could not get back up.

 

[QRTRHRS]

4x6 rubber mats. Costs run mid thirties to about fourty apiece. Traction for the horses and easy on the joints.

 

[EddieWalker]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. The concrete is for the storage room for tack and until I build my hay barn, where we will keep square bales of hay.

The stalls for the horses will have dirt floors and by 12x12.

I bought two pallets with 56 sacks each. I also had 25 sacks in my shop that are sort of leftovers from other things. I get one or maybe three and just keep them for those times when I need them. They where supposed to be used for my lights along the fence, but I used them too and barely had any left over for waste. It was very close and I was worried that I would have to run to Lowes for just one sack to finish it.







Eddie

 

[sseelhoff]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. The concrete is for the storage room for tack and until I build my hay barn, where we will keep square bales of hay.

The stalls for the horses will have dirt floors and by 12x12.

I bought two pallets with 56 sacks each. I also had 25 sacks in my shop that are sort of leftovers from other things. I get one or maybe three and just keep them for those times when I need them. They where supposed to be used for my lights along the fence, but I used them too and barely had any left over for waste. It was very close and I was worried that I would have to run to Lowes for just one sack to finish it.

View attachment 397108


View attachment 397109


Eddie

Wasn't sure. Re-reading, it makes sense now.

 

[s219]

Looks like a well done trowel-finish!

 

[EddieWalker]

Seems like I'm getting as little done as slowly as possible on this project. All the concrete is done and ready for framing. I wanted to get the utilities run over the holiday weekend, which I did, but it was challenging. I went to get the ditch with to dig the trench, and I blew a hose driving it from where we park it to where I needed it. So then I dug it with the backhoe, removing ten times as much dirt then I was wanting to. And of course, when digging with the backhoe, I always find those other lines that are close by. This time it was the power line to the front gate. Water line is PEX and I forgot my crimping tool at the job I'm working on, so that will have to wait until some time this week. At least it's progress.









Eddie

 

[s219]

Glad to hear your projects are as fun as mine.... I guess it would get boring if everything went perfectly all the time .

 

[EddieWalker]

We started framing the barn this weekend after I finished filling the trenches from the utilities.




Karen has never used a saw before, but after shower her once how it works, she is now a pro. I just tell her how long and it's done!!!



First time for Karen to drill into concrete. She drilled 24 half inch holes with my SDS Max




She said that after pounding all the anchor bolts in, she is going to have sore forearms in the morning. LOL



Pretty good weekend. We have the walls framed and the ridge beam in place.


Eddie

 

[lakngulf]

Looking good!

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Looks great!just don't tell her how easy it is to be a foreman lol

 

[deerseeker001]

looking good Eddie

We started framing the barn this weekend after I finished filling the trenches from the utilities.

View attachment 401635


Karen has never used a saw before, but after shower her once how it works, she is now a pro. I just tell her how long and it's done!!!
View attachment 401637


First time for Karen to drill into concrete. She drilled 24 half inch holes with my SDS Max
View attachment 401638



She said that after pounding all the anchor bolts in, she is going to have sore forearms in the morning. LOL
View attachment 401639


Pretty good weekend. We have the walls framed and the ridge beam in place.
View attachment 401640

Eddie

 

[s219]

Very nice work -- you guys are cranking along! I like the way you are building along the slope, good way to do it for a barn.

 

[Buppies]

Great pictures and nice work. Always enjoy reading about your construction projects, very knowledgeable you are

 

[MacLawn]

Wow, Eddie, y'all boys (that includes ye wife) work fast! Maybe I missed it, but is that foundation poured concrete? Not block is it? Ye footers. I like it.

Oh, and why didn't ye put anchor bolts in while concrete was wet? That's the way I do it. Then just drill holes in me bottom plate. But, ye built ye walls and stood them up I reckon, right? That'd be a bit hard to lift over bolts with my system. I ain't a full time builder like ye are.

 

[EddieWalker]

At one time I used to set the anchor bolts in the wet concrete. I still find a few of those big J bolts laying around on a shelf every now and then. The problem is getting them to stay exactly where you want them, and to stay perfectly straight up. While doable, it's extra effort that I always seem to have several sink down on my or turn, or end up being where I want a stud. It's faster and easier to frame up the wall, stand it up and then drill it in place and install anchor bolts. I have both and SDS and an SDS Max rotary hammer. They both drill through concrete like it's nothing. The Max has the longer bit, so I put some tape on it where I want to stop drilling. It's weight does all the work, all you have do to is hold the trigger until it's done.

Eddie