Horse Barn Winter Draft Protection

[incubus2432]

The upcoming winter is our first with our new barn and horses. It's a metal pole barn with sliding doors on the ends and a gravel floor. With the latches securing the doors the overall "seal" is acceptable. The issue is the bottom of the doors......even if I add some gravel to bring it tight with the door the first time the door is used there will be gaps again. My plan is to just stack some hay bales along the inside/bottom of the door. Any other suggestions?

 

[MF1652]

Without seeing the door, I'm thinking maybe get a long strip of rubber and screw it to the bottom of the door to act as a flexible wind baffle.

It depends on what type of horses you have but most northern breeds are very well suited to the cold. A minor draft isn't always a bad thing. It helps keep the air quality better in the barn. We keep 8 horses in one barn and when i go out there in the winter morning it's always much warmer than outside with several substantial vents in the roof. You don't want a horse barn air tight.

 

[incubus2432]

Oh, it won't be anywhere near air tight. There is a substantial gap at the moment (which I will minimize) but I just want to limit severe wind from blowing loads of snow into the barn or making the horses unnecessarily uncomfortable. I realize they are hearty and I'm probably a bit too concerned but I just don't want to screw anything up.

......and thanks!

 

[GPintheMitten]

You don't want to build the gravel up to the door. When the ground freezes you will have uplift and may not be able to open the door. Trust me, this happened to me before. It is not fun trying to hack away at frozen ground trying to get enough clearance to move a door.

You could set a few bales of stray down if you really want, or lay one or two loose 2x4's along the door way. But air exchanges are necessary in a horse barn.

 

[Sheddiver]

I've used old conveyor belting which I've cut into strips and attached to my barn doors. It might be harder to find than rubber strips. It seems to hold up better than rubber though.

 

[Tony_S]

You could trench in a treated board or 2 on edge under where the door tracks to act as your "floor". It would be better than dealing with gravel when you slide, and you could likely make it a decent fit for draft abatement.
:2cents:

 

[grsthegreat]

North Idaho here, we get lots of snow and lots of cold winters. I had to eliminate the idea of installing the side stall doors on my barn cause it would get too stuffy in the barn. Closed quarters with damp animals, manure and urine = ammonia smell big time.

The animals are alot healthier with a slight breeze in the barn, and not all closed in. I try to prevent snow from coming in, but a small amount does get in. It gets cozy ion the barn, but do the horses appreciate it.....nope. They go and stand out in the snow all day long.

Little spoiled brats is what they are.

 

[kthompson]

I had family with horses in Dayton Ohio and that barn was reasonable open also. However in this area they like to use the white moisture barrier that goes under vinyl siding to protect poultry in the winter. Cost if low and it blocks wind well but will let moisture vapor leave.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

The upcoming winter is our first with our new barn and horses. It's a metal pole barn with sliding doors on the ends and a gravel floor. With the latches securing the doors the overall "seal" is acceptable. The issue is the bottom of the doors......even if I add some gravel to bring it tight with the door the first time the door is used there will be gaps again. My plan is to just stack some hay bales along the inside/bottom of the door. Any other suggestions?

Stack the hay bales a foot or so away from the door so you don't block the ventilation. As long as the horses are out of direct wind, they will be fine, and will be healthier for the fresh air. Any ammonia at all will cause lung problems, and if you have a horse with sick lungs you have a sick horse.

Tight barns were a myth of the last century. The best thing for livestock is a lean-to shed and a wind break. GRS was right on - horses will wander around blissfully in the middle of a blizzard, though they appreciate shelter when it's cold and raining. Once it gets below freezing, their coat stays dry and given adequate feed and shelter from direct wind, they will be fine.

 

[SandburRanch]

The upcoming winter is our first with our new barn and horses. It's a metal pole barn with sliding doors on the ends and a gravel floor. With the latches securing the doors the overall "seal" is acceptable. The issue is the bottom of the doors......even if I add some gravel to bring it tight with the door the first time the door is used there will be gaps again. My plan is to just stack some hay bales along the inside/bottom of the door. Any other suggestions?

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To prevent wind, rain or snow from blowing under the door, the barrier needs to be placed on the outside. Pictured is a simple drawing attempting to show the arrangement. If it's too small to see let me know.

By placing a 2x4 against the door (where the X is ) or other suitable material on the outside, the wind has to make two 90° turns to enter the building. The only critical element is the barrier needs to be just a little taller than the bottom of the door. As little as a quarter inch works. Air is real stubborn about changing directions and this is a form of labyrinth seal that makes that concept work.

Horses need good fresh cold air but I don't much care for it on my feet.