Details Count #8: “Oooh… a new barn for Christmas?” Presented by MDBarnmaster

This weekly series talks about the details that matter when building or renovating a barn or equestrian facility. It’s a known fact that horses know a million ways to hurt themselves, and our best defense is to share our knowledge on how to keep our friends safe. Our colleague, noted equine facilities designer Holly Matt of Pegasus Design Group, has generously agreed to write this weekly column. Have tips you’d like to share? Send them to [email protected].
To follow up on our discussion of Fire Prevention last post, I thought it might be helpful to discuss new construction, and what it costs to have a safe home for your horses. Just in case your sweetie wants to give you a new barn for Christmas. (Hint, hint!)
First up on our list is Fire Prevention, because you only thought t’is the season of mistletoe and holiday cheer. I hate to break it to you, but it’s really the season of barn fires. Reported just last week in the Chronicle of the Horse, there were two more barn fires in KY and VA. Both fires consumed the entire facility, which is the usual outcome, but fortunately in this case, only one was fatal for the horses.(I’m fun at holiday parties! I swear! Just don’t ask me about barn safety unless you really want the answer.)
For new construction, to reduce fire risk, you need A) building materials that reduce fire risk and B) if fire happens anyway, adequate response time via early smoke detection and fire alarm systems. We’re going to talk about A today, and B later this week.
All building structure types can be a mix of materials, and all materials have a different combustibility value. Costs below include concrete, building materials, installation… all basics for a workable barn except site work, plumbing and electric, and interior finishes, which can vary greatly per your desires. These costs also do NOT include smoke and fire alarm systems, nor any add-on fire retardancy such as a paint-on product for wood.
Most AND least expensive is wood:
Timber-framed barns use large wood members that are slower to burn, with wood siding and stall walls. Overall you have a less fireproof situation, and this can be one of the more costly of the building systems, on the upper end of our range here. Pole barns (wood trusses and smaller wood post members) with wood stall systems and siding of some type (wood, vinyl, steel) are the least expensive to build, but the most expensive to maintain, and are certainly the most combustible system. These building systems will additionally require the most advanced smoke and fire systems, and fire-retardant products, which can substantially increase this range. $30-100/sq ft.
Somewhere in the middle, your best value is either block or pre-engineered steel:
Block barn: concrete blocks for walls and stalls are the most fire proof because they don’t melt, but then you have to add trusses and a roof. Your structure is only as safe as its most combustible material. Stick trusses are the least fire proof, timber next best, while a steel roof and trusses is by far the best, although it can still fail in the heat of a fire if you pack the loft full of hay (please please please don’t). Block has been the most common building scenario in the racing industry for a reason: they are more fire proof, and they last much longer than wood. Cost vary in different areas but on average you can look at $45-75/sq ft.
Pre-engineered: steel/composite panel system barns, like MDBarnmaster, have a thick steel*-sheathed wall and roof structure system for both exterior and stall walls, with a zero percent flame spread rating. As a whole they are the most fire proof of all the systems, and they are easy to maintain, so they’re growing in popularity on racetracks (and have long been wildly popular on the West Coast). They are less expensive to build than block or timber frame, and can be configured nearly however you like (RCA, courtyard barn, simple shedrow, etc). Cost for pure pre-engineered building is $40-60/sq ft.
*Don’t confuse steel-skinned or garage type buildings with what we’re talking about here. Although we’ve seen them used for horses, they don’t have nearly the ventilation, strength of materials, and other safety features horses need, and should never be considered for barn use without substantial alteration.
Basics rundown:

$ Pole barn: least expensive up front, highest maintenance costs, low longevity.
Least safety, even with after-market fire protection products.

$$ Pre-engineered: moderate cost, low maintenance, very good longevity.
Highest safety “out of the box” without additional products.
$$$ Block barn (this one shows steel truss): moderate cost, low maintenance, high longevity.
Fire safety is variable. Ranked “high” with metal trusses and roofing, moderate with wood.
$$$$ Timber framing: most expensive, moderate maintenance, high longevity.
Safety moderate, needs addition of substantial after market fire safety products.
As you can see, safety and value lies in the middle two, by a large margin! Pole barns may be the least expensive short-term, but do not offer nearly the value in longevity, maintenance, and safety for your horses. Combinations of the various systems can offer more safety and less cost, along with greater flexibility in achieving both design (for human spaces) and maximum safety (in horse areas). Your design professional can help you choose the system that works best for you and your budget.
Christmas is T-two weeks and counting! Forward this post to everyone who might be willing to stuff a barn down the chimney for you this year.
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