Friday, March 12, 2010

How to build horse stalls on a budget

In these tough economic times, trying to build horse stalls can seem like a project beyond your budget, but it really doesn't have to be.
One of the major costs is lumber. Many people believe you must use a hardwood like oak to build your horse stalls, but in reality you can use a yellow pine or ponderosa pine with excellent results. We do not suggest a white pine as it is too soft for building horse stalls.
Tongue and groove boards are the best as they interlock together and are much stronger than dimensional cut 2 x 4 or 2 x 6. Using dimensional cut lumber, the boards will bow and gap as the wood shrinks and swells with the humidy in the barn.
The only boards that should be treated lumber are the bottom board of the stall. This is the area that will be subjected to urine and manure and the treated boards will help delay wood rot. The rest of the boards should NOT be treated lumber so the horse can not ingest the treating chemicals if they crib or chew on the wood. This can save you money as the cost of untreated boards are much less than treated boards.
Need help planning your horse stall project? Talk to the experts at http://www.countrymanufacturing.com/ They have many years of experience in horse stall building and can help you decide what products you will need to stay within your budget.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Horse Stalls Modular or Support Post Style

As we are edging closer to spring, many horse owners are looking at adding new horse stalls to their barns. The question becomes what is the best type for my needs?
Horse stalls are available in 2 main styles in terms of construction: Modular and Support Post.
A Modular Horse Stall is a pre-fabricated stall front or wall that is bracketed together and needs no support posts set into the floor to be installed. Modular horse stalls can normally be installed in 1/4 of the time compared to a support post style of stall. Modulars have the advantage of being able to be moved easily and sections or walls can be added or removed for converting the stalls into a foaling stall easily. People who own open-span or pole barns favor the modular stalls because they do not need support posts to get their strength. Modular stalls CAN be attached to existing support posts if they are already in place.

Support post style of stall construction is much less expensive than modular, but this savings is off-set by the amount of wood and labor needed to build the stalls. Support Post style of stalls DO require posts to be set into the floor. The stall grills and wood are attached to these posts to provide the strength for the stall front and walls.

Need assistance with your horse stall project? Visit http://www.horsestalls.com/ or call them toll free at 1-800-335-1880 M-F 8am-5pm EST. They have over 30 years of experience and will help you decide the best types of stalls for your needs.