Concrete Floor for Pole Barn

Machold · Feb 9, 2012

I am hoping to start a project in the spring: pouring a floor in the old barn. And I am hoping to soon add pics of the current state of the barn.

OLD 30x60 barn with 2 bay doors on side; made with rough timber some 60 yrs ago or more; cobbled together, metal clad, metal roof; still standing despite high winds; houses tractors & implements. Catch a glimpse here:
Page6a Riverfront Refuge Wellandport, Ontario

Floor: gravel
Problem: water table can seep up through the floor making it damp
Solution: needs re-grading around the outside; gutter on one side (back side too uneven for gutters)

Concrete floor: go down 16", lay weeping pipe in a sock; fill with stone, add mesh, pour.

True?

sailfast · Feb 9, 2012

Machold said:
I am hoping to start a project in the spring: pouring a floor in the old barn. And I am hoping to soon add pics of the current state of the barn.

OLD 30x60 barn with 2 bay doors on side; made with rough timber some 60 yrs ago or more; cobbled together, metal clad, metal roof; still standing despite high winds; houses tractors & implements. Catch a glimpse here:
Page6a Riverfront Refuge Wellandport, Ontario

Floor: gravel
Problem: water table can seep up through the floor making it damp
Solution: needs re-grading around the outside; gutter on one side (back side too uneven for gutters)

Concrete floor: go down 16", lay weeping pipe in a sock; fill with stone, add mesh, pour.

True?

Unless you actually WANT a concrete floor rather than gravel...

I would try the grading to fix the drainage problem before investing in the concrete.

SandburRanch · Feb 9, 2012

Good for you. A barn that old that still looks straight and square needs to be rehabilitated. When you get finished it will probably be better than new so rehabilitated may not be the best word of choice. Your drainage correction is a great first step. Go for it and keep us updated if possible. Thanks for the pics. I love to see old buildings brought back to life.

Egon · Feb 9, 2012

Concrete floor would be nice but with some grading and drainage do you need it?

Ken45101 · Feb 10, 2012

I agree, your problem is drainage, not the floor material. We have three barns, ranging from hand hewn mortise and tenon (48x36) to 1970s construction (146x32) to a new construction pole barn. None have any wet issues.

The only problem I had was the oldest barn had one bay where water drained into it. I raised the dirt to stop that and it has been dry like the other ones.

I also think your going down 16" is way excessive **IF** you solve your drainage problem first.

Ken

Machold · Feb 11, 2012

MANY thanks. The Drainage has to be done, regardless.

The concrete floor: so I can pull out the MMM from the little Kubota; AND, so I can remove the FEL off big Kubota. Removed it once on the gravel; took over and hour to put it back on.

Without a level floor, the FEL can't be "easy" on and off.

Machold · Feb 23, 2012

ANOTHER OPTION:
wood plank floor
viable?

rambler · Feb 23, 2012

Wood floor = nice for a wood working shop; = not so good for tractors, etc. most of the time, gives, kinda dangerous when you drip oil, fuel, etc.

If it's wet, be sure to include a vapor barrior below the concrete floor. Putting drain tile around the outside is good, get water away - drip line of the roof area is a good place for drainage tile to get water moving away. Doing the dirt work to grade it away is of course real good.

--->Paul

Canada_CT230 · Feb 23, 2012

I don't think a wood floor is a fire hazard. If you have leaking/dripping fuel then you should fix the problem on the tractor. An odd drip or even a cleaned up spill is no worse for fire hazard than an old wooden barn that is probably full of old paint cans, etc., etc.