Any suggestions? My barn sits in direct sunlight. Right now my paddocks are under water due to 4 inches of rain yesterday. Everyone is in stalls but it is miserable, even in the barn. Even with fans. I’ve honestly been thinking of removing boards from the wall. I’ve put up stall chains so the doors can be open and so far that seems to help a little. The barn walls are solid wood so there’s not much airflow.
Do you have a loft or ceiling in your aisle-way or is it open above?
Invest in a couple GOOD fans with enough power to move significant volume of air in a large space. They’re not cheap.
Look at the CFM (how much air it moves) of this 36" fan vs your standard 20" box fan from Walmart: 13,200 cubic feet per minute vs 2,500 CFM.
It won’t cool the air down if it’s just as hot outside as in. But it will promote evaporation, so when the horses sweat it will be effective at cooling them.
Rather than removing boards, can you cut windows into the stall exterior? They’re really pretty easy to install. Put a transom window up on the wall, high enough that it won’t be kicked (and you can get them in safety/tempered glass if you want to spend a bit more). Having exterior windows would really improve the effectiveness of the aisle fans recommended above.
The “V” word: Ventilation.
Fans, direct, exhaust, or “un-powered” (like turbovents) are a good idea but have limits. Windows designed to prove cross-ventilation are a better idea under most circumstances.
Is the roof insulated? What is its composition? How tall is the barn and is there a functioning loft? If so, what’s in the loft? Lofts are great places to store hay and the hay can act as a dandy insulator. This is great in December; it SUX in July.
Do an “energy audit” on your barn as you would do on your house. Then decide what you can do to deal with heat without unreasonably damaging winter management. Remember that, as a rule, horses handle cold much better than they do heat. So if you have to bias in favor of one season or another, better to take more cold in the winter for more cooling in the summer than vice versa.
G.
I’m wondering if adding shade sails in front of the barn will help cool things down? I could easily add 4 posts in front of the barn. Something like this:
You need circulation/ventilation. The reason I asked about what was above your aisleway, is if there is a ceiling there, you can install a fan that blows air UP into the loft area, and as it does, it sucks air into the aisleway, creating a breeze. An exhaust fan is one way, but nearly any commercial grade fan that will really move air will do it mounted safely and correctly. You may have seen these types of fans in the eaves on the ends of indoor arenas. They come in all shapes and sizes.
In addition, adding a small “window” opening on your stall outside walls will help increase air flow. But if your stalls have runs, if you already have exterior dutch doors, just leave them open and use stall guards or chains.
I’m not sure sails will do much good. The horses would probably enjoy the shade, but not sure that would cool your barn much.
And although it looks peculiar, painting your barn roof white (with appropriate roofing paint) will reflect the beating sun. There are several barns in my area like this. When I first moved to our farm ages ago, I thought, boy that’s weird looking. lol But I totally understand why now!
No loft. It has a gable roof.
Can you post a pic of your barn (front and side). It might be easier to formulate suggestions that way.
I have not done this but it is in the planning to coat the metal roof with a product like "Henry 887 Tropi-Cool " which is designed reflect heat and UV rays
https://henry.com/retail/white-roof-…e-roof-coating
We have removal able 2ft high panels ALL the way around the barn …and commercial grade fans in each stall that can move a LOT of air.
Horses prefer to be stalled in the afternoon to keep the flies away. They like their personal fan.
We were able to effectively ventilate hog barns using a flexible poly tube system. (J D Manufacturing produces highly effective, dependable and cost friendly products). Installation is a very simple DIY afternoon project, plus a professional to connect electrical. High volume variable speed fan, connected to thermostat, responds to changes in barn environment.
The shade sails help, but only if there is adequate ventilation. I like to use them over stall windows and exterior wash stalls. I like the recommendation of adding windows.
Short term, if your barn set up allows for easy removal of boards, yes I would remove some. And the quickest way to drop the temp is the old trick of watering the barn aisle several times a day.
Barns need inlets, vents, or windows where fresh air can enter, complemented by sufficient outlets where warm, stale air can escape. For maximum efficiency, these should be close to the roof to allow air to enter the barn, dip down, and then rise to exit once it becomes warmer.
http://www.barngeek.com/barn-ventilation.html
https://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-improve-gambrel-roof-ventilation
YEARS ago I recall an EQUUS article discussing the merits of installing small vents (maybe 6" X 6") near the bottom of each stall’s exterior wall. These were then adequately screened for safety, of course. This allowed cooler air to be pulled into the stall by the warm air that is rising inside the barn and then venting out through ridge vents or other ‘higher’ ventilation tools (cupolas, for example). Their air quality tests were impressive and I"ve always remembered that article.
Interesting concept but I can’t find anything on price of the poly tubes.
G.
I looked very carefully at the barn today. I believe the roof is trapping the hot air, like an attic does. No cupolas are on the roof. Has anyone tried a squirrel cage fan? As I could attach ducts to that and run it up to the ceiling, to remove the hot air from collecting under the roof.
I think that moving the location of my fans- so they blow south to north, may help as well.
I would much rather avoid climbing on the roof, or painting the roof in the hot summer. That’s a winter job.
I think the shade sails will help, as the aisle is in full sun in the morning. I will add that last if improving the ventilation doesn’t help.
Google “turbo vents” and you’ll find a number options. You can also add a cupola; we did that in our barn 15 years ago and it did make a major, positive change.
G.
Too late for you, now…but we have put insulation in the roofs of the last three barns we built. Also have HUGE sliding doors that open to the feed and hay room on the north, east and west at the center aisle…and open stall doors with half screens to the south. Our ventilation is AWESOME!! Even in Texas heat! Everything closes up tight for the cold weather.
Tube ventilation is very cost effective. Poly tubing cost is roughly $1 per foot. Hangers are required about every 10 feet. They can be purchased at low cost. Think plastic hoop that tubing passes through suspended from ceiling. Ventilation is very pleasant, and feels similar to a room with ceiling fans. No blasting jets of air.
The expensive part is purchase of the fan, and controls.
Years ago I planted two river birches on each side of our barn entrance and they absorb some of the afternoon heat. We have a fan installed over the barn entrance and fans from Ram Fence in each stall that can be angled down to the horses, so much better than box fans. We also have a big fan from Tractor Supply that has a timer under the overhang outside the stalls in the pasture with rubber mats on the cement for the horses when they are turned out. Keeps the flies off. It’s just hot, y’all. The barn stays pretty tolerable , but it is still hot.
I guess your roof does not have a ridge vent?