Is this Pole Barn floor idea crazy?

[alchemysa]

Here is my idea, because I think the concrete helps... What if after you build the pole barn you poured a concrete perimiter inside the pole barn using the inner walls as part of your form.
Thanks,
Bill

Thats exactly how I did mine except that I poured an entire concrete floor. On the inside of the shed the concrete is about 1 cm higher than the walls. Around the outside I screwed, staked, or used stone blocks to keep the thick plywood form boards tightly in position against the walls.

In the pic you can just see the plywood across the back wall stretching to within a couple of feet of the right hand corner. Eventually the plywood went across the back and both sides. I built form work for a small apron at the front. The concrete to the left was a rough retaining wall that was required so that I could bring in dirt and pack it down hard. (The shed was built on a slight slope so it was about about a foot off the ground at the left hand end.). Lots of levelling happened after this pic was taken and reinforcing mesh was laid. When the concrete floor was finally poured it covered all the rough concrete and was level with the form work on the inside of the shallow pit.

 

[ovrszd]

I find it interesting that you are willing to spend this kind of money just to keep mice out. What will be the addition to the project when you still get mice?? Have you ever saw a mouse's skull?? If they can get their skull thru the hole the rest of their body can follow. So regardless of what you use for a floor, if there's a hole the size of a mouse skull anywhere in the building you'll have mice. Well,, I'll just go one step further. You are going to have mice in your building. Plan a method of control. I use poison and the occasional trap, especially in the Fall when they are all trying to move in. Remember, if you can stick the tip of your little finger in the hole, a mouse can go thru it.

 

[GLyford]

My little forge shed has a sand floor, but I put in a shovel width "rat wall" about 18" deep all around the perimeter, and added a 2x2 along the inside edge of the form boards to create the rat guard effect to seal off the openings in the siding. I dug an additional post hole down to a total of 4' everywhere I planned on bolting on my support poles (pallet racking). And rebar because I could. Once the siding was on, I grouted the backside of the metal openings down to the rat guard just to make sure the gaps were sealed.


My biggest reason for going with the sand floor though was to avoid concrete spalling if I ever get around to doing some aluminum casting. If it weren't for that, I would definitely have added a slab, too.

 

[GLyford]

As far as rodents, I was more afraid of woodchucks than mice. We also get skunks, foxes, and rabbits digging under sheds around here.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I am planning on a pole barn build in the near future on my hunting land. My build won't be huge, maybe 24' x 30'. I don't really care about a concrete floor except if it helps keep mice out. My dad has a pole barn about this size with concrete floor but still gets mice... UGH, I hate those things. Anyhow, this will mostly just be storage for a trailer and tractor and maybe a work bench. Here is my idea, because I think the concrete helps... What if after you build the pole barn you poured a concrete perimiter inside the pole barn using the inner walls as part of your form. Make an inner wood form wall so you could pour say 4" deep by about 6" wide. Do this all along the inside of the 4 walls and at the door, pour an apron. You will have sealed the inside perimiter with concrete. Lastly, fill the inside of this perimeter with gravel to top of your concrete. I think this would help keep the critters out and it is a small enough concrete project that I could mix the concrete and pour it myself. Is this crazy? have any of you seen anyone do anything like this? I have no idea how the mice get into my dads barn except they only need a crack to squeeze in. My idea would help stop them from burrowing under the walls. I could go around and try to seal out the best I could with a spray foam... Maybe, ha. Thanks, Bill

Mice will find a way in no matter what. If there is a area you can stick a pencil in they can get in.

Chris

 

[bfisherman11]

Lots of good ideas here. You guys are probably right about mice getting in regardless, actually I am sure of that. Like I said, my dad has a full concrete floor in his PB. He has a very nice set up and still gets those buggers. He puts poison down and when he uses pellets we sometimes find them stored in his boat, where ever. In the spring we also find the dead mice so it works. I have a couple wood sheds and only get mice in one. that was really reduced to now just occasionally after i sealed with the great stuff for rodents. I think now they get in at the door and I have a fix for that. I use bait stations because I have dogs that will eat anything (pellets scare me). Still I use my share of poison.

If the barrier idea is no better than gravel, I might as well just stick with that. Sand is interesting, maybe gravel on top of sand. I also think I will look at that jibson stone. Does that stay dusty when you walk on it after time? I have read a lot of threads about floors. Concrete adds a lot to a PB project to the point a stick build for the size I want might be just as economical. Anyhow, for what I want and to keep costs down gravel just might be plenty and this barrier idea just might do nothing.

I do think GLyford has a good concept. If I went with an all metal build (frame/sides etc) going deep with the bottom frame sitting on the concrete might be the ticket.

Thanks!

Bill

 

[ovrszd]

My building is all metal. Built on a concrete slab with piers poured where the I-beam posts are. Then there is an angle iron fastened all the way around the edge of the concrete, then another angle iron rodent guard screwed to that, then the vertical metal siding screwed to that. Nothing comes in around the base of my building. It's the doors that you can't protect. I have 3 12' rollup doors and one walk-in. Although I try to keep the seals around the bottoms of the doors in good condition I still have mice.

As for poison I use Ramik bars. They are made with a hole thru the center. I use a small block of wood with a nail drove in the top of it and the head cut off. When the bar has been ate up I simply drop a new bar over the nail. Keeps the bars where I want them. As you mentioned, pellets are not good. I noticed my best rodent control when I started controlling them outside my building. I have a lean-to wood shed on the back side. As I'm stacking wood in the shed I'm also throwing in an occasional Ramik bar. Kill them before they get inside the shop.

 

[s219]

You know, I haven't see a single trace of a mouse in my pole barn. Between the slab poured up against the skirts, and the sliding door that seal against a lip, it's very tight. But over the winter, mice ran rampant in our garage (attached to home) which also contains my workshop. I caught/killed 7-8 of them with the old drywall bucket trap (most effective by far) and another 5-6 in "tin cat" traps. Best I can figure is that they are able to squeeze under the rubber gasket for the overhead doors.

 

[ovrszd]

You know, I haven't see a single trace of a mouse in my pole barn. Between the slab poured up against the skirts, and the sliding door that seal against a lip, it's very tight. But over the winter, mice ran rampant in our garage (attached to home) which also contains my workshop. I caught/killed 7-8 of them with the old drywall bucket trap (most effective by far) and another 5-6 in "tin cat" traps. Best I can figure is that they are able to squeeze under the rubber gasket for the overhead doors.

I don't get them in my machine shed either. But there's not much in there to draw them and it's not climate controlled. My 70 degree shop on the other hand is a mouse magnet!!!

 

[s219]

I don't get them in my machine shed either. But there's not much in there to draw them and it's not climate controlled. My 70 degree shop on the other hand is a mouse magnet!!!

That's got to be a big factor in my winter-only mouse problem too. I only turn on the workshop heat when I am actually working out there, but it does stay quite a bit warmer than the outdoors the rest of the time.