Good evening, I am in the process of planning a new shop/barn.It will measure 50'x125' consisting of 25' width bays and be an engineered kit. I plan to have reinforced concrete on the floor of two bays for conditioned shop area with a partition wall. To save money I am considering a dirt floor in the barn area which will have overhead doors. I am concerned about moisture problems in the dirt floor area. Anyone have any experience with this, or advice? South Texas is quite hot and humid. Thank you
put down some heavy plastic on soft sand and cover with a few more inches of sand, compact it down, then crusher run can be spread over the sand, a few inches and compacted down, it will be almost like concrete but not the cost..will this area have vehicle traffic?
Storage of tractors and implements only.
ok, crusher run will work great for that, I think just dirt you will end up going crazy with all the dust that will cover everything..
I did an 80' x 100' floor in 1/2 concrete and the other 1/2 compacted base rock, It stays hard if you get enough water and roll with a smooth drum vibratory. Happy so far in the 3rd year.
Any screenings or asphalt millings around your area? They compact quite well too. If you're lucky the millings can be had very reasonable especially if there's a road being milled out before a repave. Same as above, moisture and compaction and it's a nice solid all but dust free surface.
I left our barn with a 2" minus floor to keep dust down and to give a more solid floor easier to level, still gets moisture to it. Wish I had just concreted the whole of it and may yet as the base is now quite set.
We've got 3 sheds with dirt floors for storing equipment. Moisture doesn't seem to be an issue as far as long term rusting issues. The floors are absurdly dusty though. Just walking across the barn kicks up a dust cloud. But, for storing off-season Ag equipment, they do the job quite well at no cost beyond initial grading. If we're concerned about the dust on something, we just hose it off when we go to use it, which is once per season. Then everything gets washed well before putting away for the year . We save the concrete for the areas it serves us best, under the cows or the work shop.
please post pictures and cost if you want. .the plastic under the dirt will slow the moisture but need something on top or you will hate the dust location also as i am pricing a 50 x 100 pleasanton area