Help finish my feed room interior walls and floor

[wsmoak]

I need suggestions on materials to finish the walls and floor of my 12x13 feed and hay storage room in the barn. See below for photos of what it looks like at this point. Or watch a short video tour: https://vimeo.com/355816177

The floor has a moisture barrier on top of the wood deck, then plywood. I’m considering just painting the floor with Behr DeckOver [1] and calling it done. What other floor coverings would you suggest?

It’s going to have metal trash cans dragged around, rolling carts, and hay bales brought in and stacked, and abrasive crushed granite tracked in. So it needs to be tough, and not slippery.

It is going to get dirty with the hay and dust from alfalfa pellets, etc. I want to be able to sweep it out regularly, and to occasionally remove everything and wipe it all down with vinegar (This is the humid southeast. It’s a given that eventually I will have moldy hay in there.)

Then what about the walls? Tongue and groove fir is on the list. Some kind of paneling is also fine, but not something that’s going to warp and look bad after a while. The room has doors and insulation, but it’s not air conditioned. It will be humid, especially with hay in there, though not as bad as outside. Again, something that can be painted and wiped down.

There is currently just a storm window on the outside, so it will need a good regular window installed.

And the ceiling needs trim on all the seams and the edge, that’s just plywood nailed up to the rafters. Why yes, it does have a skylight! That also needs more trim. And possibly a vent installed in the side of the ‘tube’ going up to it.

The barn does not have power, though I can run an extension cord or use the small generator if needed. I’m debating putting in some sort of pass-through for a cord so that if I do need to run a dehumidifier or something, I won’t have to make a hole somewhere. (It would likely just drop through the ceiling if done after the fact!)

Your ideas please! Thanks.

[1] https://www.homedepot.com/p/BEHR-Premium-Advanced-DeckOver-5-gal-SC-145-Desert-Sand-Smooth-Solid-Color-Exterior-Wood-and-Concrete-Coating-500005/308486737

180623_5070 by Wendy, on Flickr

190825_6274 by Wendy, on Flickr

190825_6275 by Wendy, on Flickr

190825_6276 by Wendy, on Flickr

[wsmoak]

I’m hesitant to go with beadboard because it’s just pressed sawdust and “Recommended for interior spaces only”. I’m worried it’ll just melt in the humidity!

https://www.homedepot.com/p/EUCATILE…-759/205669196

But pre-painted and just nail it up on the walls is very, very compelling. I hate painting.

I’m now seeing there is HDF (high density fiberboard) as opposed to what I always called ‘pressboard’ or MDF (medium density.)

I still think I need to go one grade up from to something that is actually plywood / paneling, and not fiberboard.

Ah ha! Upgraded from Home Depot to Lowe’s and found some

https://www.lowes.com/pd/47-9687-in-x-7-997-ft-Beaded-Ann-Arbor-Birch-Wood-Wall-Panel/3140641

[Guilherme]

You’re going to need to paint your floor with something or it won’t last, particularly in our humid Southeast! Just what you use, whether or not you need to prime first, and what quality you need is a question for the paint vendor (and before I take Home Depot’s word for anything I’d ask a real paint vendor what they thought; the quality of advice in “big box” stores can be very “spotty” and you won’t get the same answer from the night crew on Sunday that you might get from the regular crew on Tuesday).

Regarding the walls, how much you want to spend will determine what you use. A good quality plywood will not be cheap, but likely cheaper than drywall and you can nail or screw into it (within reason, based on what you use). You’ll still need to paint it to protect it and that will mean primer and surface coat. Again, a real paint store will be a good source of information. My first thought is use a semi-gloss, vice a flat, finish as the semi-gloss will clean more easily.

For additional ease of cleaning I’d consider a drain in the floor. That way you can use a hose (with or without a pressure washer) and that will make cleaning a lot easier. You don’t need a septic tank for the drain water; a rock filled sump next the building will do.

Humidity in the Southeast is the enemy of about everything we need for horses (forage, fodder, leather, blankets, pad, etc.). While not cheap, if you can put a electric line to the building with enough capacity for a dehumidifier and a couple lights you will be very happy. Even happier if you can also put a refrigerator out there.

Good luck in your project!

G.

[clanter]

It will be humid, especially with hay in there

since the room is sealed/insulated … it might not be a good place to store hay, at least I would be hesitant

[wsmoak]

It’s not airtight or anything! I’ll probably put a screened vent in the box that goes up to the skylight. I just don’t want the moisture from outside coming up from the bottom or through the walls. The room stays fairly cool and dry as it is. (The ceiling isn’t insulated either, it’s just 1/4" plywood.

[fourfillies]

My trainer has her tack room interior lined in “Smartside”. It looks sharp, comes primed. Big step up from plywood but goes up just as easy.

[Bombproof]

Spray-on truck bed liner.

[js]

We did the walls in our feed and tack room with water resistant and fire proof drywall; available at any local building supply. Its Gold Bond Fire Shield dry wall. Painted the walls, and left the floor cement as is, would look nice to stain a cement floor if you go that way.

[DinkyDonk]

I have plain plywood walls coated with a clear polyurethane. Working out great. Ceiling is painted with an off white semi gloss paint. Working out great. Cement floor is covered with an inexpensive sheet vinyl that is just laid down and held in place with baseboards…not holding up well and never looks clean. I’m debating about pulling it out and just putting down stall mats cut to fit–cushioned, good traction, easy to vac/sweep, will hide dirt better than sheet vinyl.

[fordtraktor]

My floor won’t help you – it’s concrete, and I plan to leave it concrete. But the sides of my new barn are going to be T&G on three walls and plywood behind the row of tack lockers (T&G is more expensive but more attractive, I think). I am going to use an all in one deck stain product on the T&G.

My dad is a retired contractor and does not recommend polyurethane to coat, because you can’t restain it later, the poly will bubble up underneath. He also says to stain it after it goes up or the nail holes will be visible (and if you touch them up, it will be obvious because those areas will have another layer of stain which can change the appearance). Good luck with your project!

[mellsmom]

I put vinyl snap and lock planks over my concrete floor. Easy to sweep and to wipe down, In the last tack room I put sheet linoleum over a wood floor and painted my plywood walls. This current tack room has particle board walls… they really soak up the paint and are a PITA to get good coverage, so I would suggest a smooth plywood wall.
FYI all in one products: I used one on my stalls. It flakes off…I used a top quality one. In the next barn I will stain then poly.

[wsmoak]

@fourfillies

My trainer has her tack room interior lined in “Smartside”. It looks sharp, comes primed. Big step up from plywood but goes up just as easy.

Thanks for the recommendation! This is what we went with… the barn exterior is T1-11 so it’s the same sort of design, but much smoother and already primed. It’s OSB on the back and then a thinner wood paneling on the front, but is rated for exterior use.

Walls going up!
190929_6394 by Wendy, on Flickr

We did the two ‘easy’ walls today – the back and side that have no doors or windows.

Also… RIP my Paslode nail gun. I really need a Milwaukee M18 30 degree framing nailer to exist, but alas, it does not.