@Madhouse Can you confirm your rubber roofing idea is still working well for you? I’m planning my hay storage area and intrigued with your idea. Thank you!
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Since you bumped, I reread and was surprised at the reaction to my suggestion. That hay has been in my garage for 5 years now, no smell whatsoever. True it takes up space, but 1) I haven’t had to dispose of it yet and 2) I haven’t lost another bale to mold. I never disturb those bales so I don’t know how others have problems with smell/allergies/asthma.
I used to use pallets in stalls but hated them. Stalls are rubber matted, and over them I use “cull lumber” from the hardware store–2 x 10 x 10 untreated boards that are warped, have an edge splinter, etc. I use 2 under each row of hay, so there is a 1.75" gap under the bottom row/layer. Works great–no mold, boards are easy to move and store. I do have pallets in my dedicated hay bay with plywood permanently screwed to them to make a solid floor.
I have leftover heavier plastic tarps that I found in my building when we moved in on one side with decently slatted pallets double stacked and hay stacked on the cut side. Its a 10x12 area with about 6inches on each side and the hay goes up about 6ft. I can stack 50 bales tightly and have no issues. An awning supplier gave me a couple rolls of leftover material and that covers it. Its still breathable but protects from dust and heavy moisture.
The other side I have no tarps but heavy duty pallets, the slatted are right next to each other, again double stacked with awning material over them. This summer I am going to use better tarps over the hay and one large tarp under the pallets. My building is metal but channel n 2x6 up a little over 5ft so I worry about the metal sweating and touching the hay.
Here was my random thought tonight while unbagging my tsc… since those type of feed bags are pretty much waterproof, could I collect them until I have enough to make a 10x12 area by cutting them open and connecting them with duct tape or pond liner heavy duty tape and use that under my pallets instead? I could always wash down the side that the feed has touched so rodents dont get the sweer scent and then use the outter wrapper side to lay the pallets on top of?
That’s really interesting. It’s interesting the variability of what people experience in their hay keeping.
I’m currently accumulating free pallets and plan to cover them in plywood and was then thinking of trying to find used rubber roofing idea on top of the plywood. But intrigued on the roofing material right on the floor as it seems critters will build housing under the pallets?
In what kind of building/what kind of floor? (sorry if I missed it?)
If it’s humid, I think the air barrier below the pallets is helpful. In a dry climate it probably doesn’t matter as much.
I stored hay in my garage for less than a season and it turned moldy. But it has a concrete floor and log sides (house is log cabin). Just too humid in there I guess.
Well that’s great that it works for you but it doesn’t for the majority of us. Makes me wonder if your hay is truly moldy because NO one would keep moldy hay around and think that’s okay - especially if you have asthma/allergies. :rolleyes:
Right. Storing on concrete floor.
I just saw that this post was bumped forward. Yes, I’m still in love with my rubber mat directly on the dirt floor.
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@Madhouse Curious to know your climate? What humidity do you get? Is that a factor is why it works so well for you?
I really don’t want to use pallets.
So glad this got bumped! We’re preparing a section of our barn for a hay delivery this weekend, and we don’t have pallets and I really didn’t want to use them… thinking I’ll try this out instead. One thing I am a little worried about is the floor is not totally even… I’m not exactly sure what it’s made of, a mix of dirt and either veryyyy old concrete or rock hard stall mats… I’ll have to look again tomorrow. Hopefully it being uneven isn’t a huge issue! Thanks for the idea.
I’m in central Minnesota. Hot and humid in the summer, cold and dry in the winter and a combination in the fall and spring.
Like I said in my original post. I had some hay stored directly on concrete at the farm that I grew up on, in my Dad’s old but still water-tight granary, also in Minnesota. The bottom layer was junk. The following year I put a tarp between the concrete and the hay - No mold. I concluded moisture was coming up through the concrete.
I read on a different post on here of a hay farmer put asphalt/pavement/bituminous (depends on your location) in their sheds because it provides a vapor barrier between the ground and the hay.
I put two and two together and put a vapor barrier between the ground and my hay. It has worked well for me.
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We are thankfully dry here, so storing hay most anywhere, dirt or concrete floors, is fine.
What we don’t do is use pallets anywhere, because they become mice homes and for us that means rattlers come to the mice buffet.
Not worth even if we had a moisture problem to run the rattler gauntlet any more than we already do by providing them with extra food under those pallets just to keep bottom bales from getting bad.
Interesting on using that rubber membrane roof product.
Wonder which kind of many such some are using?
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Thanks all! I’m gonna contact local roofing companies for some used EPDM rubber sheets and will report back later. @Bluey I cannot even begin to imagine rattlers. Growing up in Ohio means I’m a weenie when it comes to all things dangerous.
I just got done doing a combo of rubber roofing and double super closely slatted pallets over stone dust that I added to since my barn has settled since being put up last fall. I love it so far. My pallets are dry and my hay will be too once the new load comes in!! One of my roof contractors fed ex’d me a 10x12 section, that stuff is heavy duty and amazing!!!
His 10x12 measurement was off a bit lol. So I used old feed bags cut flat for now.
Well done @carman_liz Those looks like sturdy pallets. Will be good data to follow your storage idea and situation too.
If concrete was poured without a moisture membrane between the ground and the cement, it will wick moisture. And for those of you who aren’t in a position to get the rubber roofing membrane, another thing that helps keep moisture from wicking is to throw tarps down under your layer of pallets. I found that allows for easy clean-up in the spring too. (I’m in Michigan). Nothing beats rubber roofing membrane though.
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Thanks to this thread we decided not to move pallets to the new barn! I’m worried about the mouse issue with pallets in the warmer climate. I just ordered my EPDM today!
