Tack Room Roof

[EverElite]

I am hoping to crowd source ideas from people far smarter than I am! I have a 6-stall raised center aisle barn. My tack room does not have its own dedicated roof, except for the barn roof, of course. I am having a hard time keeping up with the sheer amount of dust and grit that settles as a result of the open-air design of the tack room.

Has anyone had this problem, and come up with a decent solution? My first thought was to find a way to rig a sun shade sail and hope that blocks at least some dust from settling. Given my arid climate, this is more than the usual dust and cobwebs that are part and parcel with a reasonably tidy barn. I can use the blower until the cows come home, but it’s settling into every nook and cranny and driving me nuts.

[AwiUsdi]

It sounds like you already have a tack room with walls, correct? But it’s open at the top (though covered by the barn roof)? If that’s the case it should be relatively easy to install some joists, possibly on a ledger board if your current setup doesn’t have an existing roof support option, and cover with plywood to make a permanent solution. You may even get fancier and insulate/seal the whole tack room for climate control and to deter insects and critters. Either way it sounds like an easy weekend DIY project, or to have someone local do it for you.

IME, half-measure temp solutions nearly always end in frustration and aggravation (I could write multiple essays on my diy-on-the-cheap failures), so I’m now of the mindset to do things once, correctly, and spend the money needed. I learned basic carpentry for this reason, since I’m not able to hire out all the jobs I’d like to have done.

[wsmoak]

I enclosed my tack/feed room by adding plywood on the ceiling, but my barn is a regular pole barn with roof trusses that have horizontal ceiling joists right where I needed them. If your construction is different then you’ll have to install those joists somehow.

Visit your local home improvement store and look at all the Simpson Strong Tie things they have.

There will be something that lets you put up the horizontal boards (joists) that you need to attach the ceiling to. One possibility…

Amazon.com: Simpson Strong Tie LU26 20-Gauge 2x6 Face Mount Joist Hanger 100-per...

If you’re not already experienced with construction and have all the tools… this will be cheaper to pay someone else to design and install.

[FitToBeTied]

It’s not hard to add a roof. I will advise to make it very sturdy as flat surfaces in a barn tend to become storage areas.

[NancyM]

We built something similar, inside a coverall arena. Horizontal joists, plywood on top, insulation, and “cabin grade” pine ceiling board on the inside. We are experienced with the pine ceiling board, and it was cheap (in those days- a dozen + years ago). Looks nice from the inside, cool in summer, easy to heat in winter, and storage space above.

[QHEventer]

So glad you asked this, as my tack room is the same and the dust does get bad! My plan is exactly what @wsmoak suggested. If I ever get around to tackling another project…

[EssexFells]

How tall are your sidewalls? If just putting a flat cap on the stall wall would create a really low ceiling, you could use storage shed roof trusses instead of straight joists. (another disadvantage of a flat ceiling that won’t have much human activity near it is that it’ll become an inviting home for critters like racoons).

Since there’s no structural load, you can just space the trusses to match what you’re using for roofing material (ie 4ft if you’re using plywood sheets), so it’d only take a few to cover the tack room. (Or use polycarbonate greenhouse panels as your roofing material and you’ll get lots of ambient light from the barn.)

[trubandloki]

I agree with all the above posters. Just install a ceiling in your tack room.

I think you will find something like a sun shade will get too messy after a short time. Put up joists and a ceiling.

[FitToBeTied]

@EssexFells

Since there’s no structural load, you can just space the trusses to match what you’re using for roofing material (ie 4ft if you’re using plywood sheets), so it’d only take a few to cover the tack room. (Or use polycarbonate greenhouse panels as your roofing material and you’ll get lots of ambient light from the barn.)

I will disagree with this. If you are going to put a roof on it, do it right. Sooner or later someone is going to want to store something up there. Thecost of doing it right versus the cost of doing it sheap isn’t much different.

[endlessclimb]

And once you put a proper ceiling in, make sure it’s strong enough to store stuff on top. Blankets, etc etc. Add a simple ladder on the outside and voila.

[avjudge]

@EssexFells

(Or use polycarbonate greenhouse panels as your roofing material and you’ll get lots of ambient light from the barn.)

I don’t believe this would work as a light source long-term in an enclosed space, particularly a dusty space like this one. It will soon enough get so covered that no light comes through.

[PaddockWood]

I would add if raccoons can climb up to do a physical block. New barn built a couple years ago. Mine climbed the wall of my barn interior and over to the ceiling over the tack room I have a porch off my tack room and they settled in over the lean for a few months once babies were born. Hubby engineered a clever physical block and hopefully that does not happen again.