Building stables

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Ghostietheghost

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Hi, we recently bought a property big enough to keep our horses on (yay).
We are planning on building about 6 stables in an L-shape with outdoor pens behind so the horses can choose to be inside or outside at night.
I wanted to ask it there is any big cons to using timber? Should I be considering other materials?
We live in Ireland, so cold and wet climate.
Thanks for any help anyone can offer.
 
Using timber - you have to treat the wood yearly. Some horses chew it. Rats do chew it. The roofing needs replacing every 8-10 years ( unless a storm rips it off earlier) The stables can get very, very hot when it's sunny ( I know you said Ireland, but worth considering!) If money us no object, go for brick with a tile roof.
Sounds idyllic - hope you have many happy years in your new home!
 
It often depends on your local planning department as to what you can use. We could only use timber. But they’ve been up 20 years and are still in great condition. I do creosote them most years, and we did replace the roof about eight years ago. They do get very hot in heat waves, but that’s only a couple of weeks a year, let’s face it! But if I had the opportunity I’d change them for stone.
 
My timber stables were here when we moved in 34 years ago. They are under oak trees so don't get hot and my horses are out 24/7 in summer anyway.. We have replaced floors and roof once. Creosote every couple of years which is quick to do.
 
Brick is best if you can, but if going for timber line the roof or use steel rather than just onduline. Also now summers are getting hotter add a little vent into the roof if possible for hot air to escape out of as wooden stables do get very hot 🔥 🥵

I used to stablecoat mine every few years and they looked great even after 10 years 😀
 
Echo what the others have said. Brick or stone and breezeblock are best. That said ive seen low breezeblock partitions collapse after a cob has rubbed his tail on them so if using use to full height.
 
I recently drove past my old house and was delighted to see that my old wooden stable block was still in use. It is 40 plus years old and has clearly been maintained, but as others have said, buy the best you can and make sure that you have a great base to work from.
 
I have an L shaped block of 6 boxes plus tack room and feed room. They were built in 2012 and look pretty good still. We treat them every year or two, make sure the gutters are kept clean etc. The original supplier fitted them with some of the timber covered in aluminium but I added some more to any exposed timber that they could reach from the stable ie round doors. I also clad the bottom 4 feet internally with eva mats which have been great, plus obv. well fitter rubber mats to floor. I didn't know the roof should be redone every x years, my onduline is OK but I can see it might need replaced at some point.
 
I live in Ireland and I’ve gone for a 3 sided steel clad shed with stables fitted into it. The stable infills are plastic rather than wood.

I can power wash it whenever I want and there’s almost no maintenance. I would have gone for block built but it was way out of budget.

I wouldn’t touch wood, yes it’s cheaper in the short term but if you can afford something else, the maintenance just isn’t worth it in my opinion.

Edit: just to say my horse is a known to eat wood so it was never really an option anyway. I also feared that it wouldn’t stand up to her enthusiastic butt scratching 😅
 
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