Cooling down hot barn

[stb]

I have Ramm basket fans in each stall and a Ramm ceiling fan in the aisle of the barn. Those fans move a ton of air and are closed motor fans, so safer than standard box fans.

We also recently renovated the barn and opened up the gable ends with slats (like lattice) for increased air flow. Previously there had been some sort of solid fiberglass panel. At the same time we widened the aisle doors, which also increased air flow.

We are also getting ready to have insulation added under the roof. It will be sprayed on. Apparently the down side to that is that it could hide future leaks, but we have decided that cooling the barn is more of a priority.

[DinkyDonk]

My barn ceiling is insulated with some type of foam board covered in vinyl. I had it installed to prevent condensation dripping down on stalled animals, but it does keep the temperature 15 degrees warmer in winter and a bit cooler in summer. I also put overhead doors on each end of the barn, and with both open, it’s a virtual wind tunnel; most days I put an old truck tire under each door to leave an air gap of 10 inches or so–always a nice breeze going through the aisle, but not windy.

[dkcbr]

As mentioned earlier, a cupola could really make a difference. My retirement barn added one and the improvement was quite noticeable!