the village idiot

Excellent, thanks Toad. Really useful to be able to see the galebreaker in situ. Is that a fibre cement roof, and do you know how far apart you can space the 'legs' on a barn like the one in the last picture?

Excellent stuff, thanks Drinksloe. In answer to your questions: I would like to be able to store around 300 cubic mtrs of firewood in the barn, plus a relatively modest amount of milled timber. All of our firewood is sold wholesale and at least 50% of it is collected green straight after splitting. I would also like to save a bit of space for splitting under cover. The firewood that goes into the seasoning barn would stay in situ for at least a year, same with the timber. Don't intend to move it around very much. Stored in vented cubic mtr bags at present. Handling is done with my reversible alpine tractor with forklift attachment. Should be able to stack 4 high (if stable enough) with the planned roof height. Most of the processing is done adjacent to the barn site so a very short drive to the barn with the tractor. The barn would completely cover one of our rides but there are other routes to take nearby so not too concerned (see map, barn site in red).

Some great thoughts coming in. I personally probably wouldn't go for sliding doors, haven't got on too well with them in previous jobs. They could be a great option for certain setups though. I will probably leave the bay fronts open initially until I can gauge what the elements are going to do. If I have water ingress issues I can look to some form of retro fit.

Nice bit of thinking with the outer string from a staircase. Potential bay doors are going to be pretty huge (at least 5mtrs by 6mtrs) x6 in number so if I go with any sort of barrier it probably needs to be fairly light and low tech. Beau makes a good point about knowing weather conditions. I am in the driest part of the country and the barn has it's back to the prevailing winds. It is also quite a sheltered spot as it is in the middle of the wood.

That's a very nice looking store ADC, and many thanks for your input.

Yes, I like the option of having the front of the bays open or closed. Not sure if I can see myself producing louvered doors though. Possibly something less substantial. I don't have my own mill at present although I do have experience of all the different types. I am seriously considering a Lucas though.

Thanks Martin and Toad. Some photos would be very helpful.

Is the galebreaker crap or the roller shutter arrangement?

Thanks Dave, that's useful. What I have been calling yorkshire boarding on my plans is technically space boarding.

Thanks Toad. I think I have been sub-consciously wanting one of you to tell me that I absolutely must load from the side, so that that will be decision made!😃 We actually haven't cut back the vegetation very far on this particular ride but I think it is something that will be very worthwhile doing. I'd like to potentially stack my vented bags 3 or maybe even 4 high. (The eaves are planned to be at 6mtrs). This may prove to be a fool's errand, we'll have to see how we go. Pallet racking might work but I agree that it is probably overkill. Also, in my experience it doesn't much like having a tractor driven into it!😢

Interesting thoughts, thanks Lucan. Yes, guttering is a must I think. We would have guttering both sides and drain to a nearby pond. Agree with your thoughts on the cladding depth, a low concrete wall would be a good idea. I'm hoping we can space the vented bags of firewood out fairly, interspersed with drying sawn timber filled bays so we don't end up with a log bag mountain, restricting airflow too much. Do any of you stack cubic mtr bags in a barn and have issues with them seasoning?

I see where you are coming from Mik but I think Iwould prefer to keep the barn in the original location as it matches up well with the existing ride network. Revised design below with bodged amendments by me. Would appreciate any thoughts, especially if you think it would work better than the original configuration. May clad the open gable end too and reduce the number of uprights on open long side.

Thanks for your thoughts Mik What would you do about a floor for the barn if it was built off the roadway?

The floor will be a concrete roadway that is already in place. I agree that putting in some skylights would be good. I'll look into it. Starting to wonder whether I should be leaving the long side open and putting in hard standing along the 'near' side to allow side access. Could then set up a bay system which would be much easier for stock rotation etc.

Agreed. Unfortunately the shape we have had to go with doesn't really lend itself to bays, but we are still thinking about the best way to configure it inside.

Thanks for your thoughts Stere, The sketch was done by TVI 2, my woodland co worker. A clear roof would be great for heat and light but I think the woodland owner would prefer plastic coated metal sheets with anti condensation fleece on the underside. Firewood will be in fully vented bags on pallets so will get a little bit of airflow underneath. Logistics within the storage area is going to be a bit tricky. I would have loved to have gone wider than 12mtrs but don't want to encroach on the woodland soils. I may have to get a compact forklift as my alpine tractor with forks is a bit long and cumbersome. Lovely barn in the link you posted!

Understood, thanks. We wouldn't have anything pressing up against the sides.

Looks like about 5:1 Cladding:Gap. Is there a good reason to go horizontal with the cladding rather than vertical?

Hi folks, After years of having no under cover storage we are building a barn. Part workshop/secure storage, part vented firewood/timber store. Below is a sketch of what we are planning. Its 12mtrs wide and 38mtrs long. Width is dictated by dimensions of a concrete ride. My main question is to do with ventilation. We will be cladding the building with timber we mill ourselves. Does anyone have any experience of a good cladding to gap ratio for the storage area sides so you maintain good airflow but keep enough of the wet weather out? Many thanks, TVI

Well I never! Where abouts in the country are you?

Dunnock's too I believe.

Oodles of Magpies in the vicinity but they don't venture into the Woodland all that much. Jays are a much more common sight.

Thanks for taking the time to write that Steve, your words are very much appreciated. Sounds like you've got an interesting and very valuable project on your hands. Would love to come and see it when we are allowed to travel again? Interesting that the Dormouse were so quick to move in. I've got lots more survey reports from Raydon, we got quite a few done last year with more planned for this year. I'll plonk them up on my Ancient Woodland management thread.

I humbly acknowledge your gracious concession Mick

If anyone is interested, below is a breeding Bird survey from the woodland I manage. We have progressed from a dark sterile wood to a thriving bird habitat in just a few years, including 5 red listed species. "Build it and they will come" Raydon Great Wood Breeding Bird Survey 2020 - FINAL2 05.10.2020.pdf