Damp stable - wet bed

horsehelper

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I have a problem my stable has two outside Walls which are breeze block and seem to really hold the cold and wet. There are rubber mats on the floor but I have yet to be able to maintain a full/normal shavings bed it seems to be constantly wet I think this is because of the damp the bed just can't dry out. Now the pony isn't particularly dirty or wet but I would like to be able to give her a decent bed to rest on. Before i spend more money i would appreciate your help.
I'm thinking of buying rubber matting for the Walls do you think it would reduce the cold/ damp? Any recommendations?
Can anyone suggest a waterproof sealer for breeze block?
Thanks
 

eggs

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We had a moisture problem in our breeze block tack room. I bought some sealant paint from a local DIY store which worked well.

Are you sure that your wet bed isn't due to your horse? Another cause of water is condensation from the roof.
 

Izzwizz

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Im sure there is a product you can buy to paint on walls to stop damp getting through. Try your local B & Q, bet they will be able to help you. Only thing I can think to do otherwise is to put a layer of shavings on the matting to soak up the wee and then put straw on top to create a dry bed, see if that works.
 

horsehelper

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Thanks guys pretty sure it's not the horse as shes been in other internal stables and never been an issue. With a full bed it's just cold and damp I've tried different bedding and deep litter as this has been an issue for over 4 months now and i believe it's causing her skin problems as shes in a damp environment. She has a drain hole to remove wee out the stable and this seems to work. I feel it is a wall problem as breeze blocks are very pourous and the stable is always cold.
 

Cuffey

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Google Stokbord to line the inside walls
Also think about your roof ventilation--most stables allow air to escape through vents at the highest point. If this is not happening it could explain the condensation.
 

soulfull

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I painted mine with some black stuff from a builders merchants, it needs to be done in summer though as it takes a few days to dry. But it worked great
 

diet2ride

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I had a similar problem a while back, and he,s stabled in a barn with rubber matting and very nice boxes but the bed just seemed to be getting so wet and I would of sworn there was a leak in the roof...

I,m a bit of an obsessive when it comes to mucking out I would lift the bed everyday and take out all dirty... As you can imagine this was costing a fortune...

Recently I,ve been leaving skipping out everyday and taking the solid wet out every other.... This way it's bedded down and i can just scrape of the clean shavings and dig the wet out. (I know this prob sounds standard stuff, but it really has been a fine line to get it right) the yard I,m on put 2 bales of shavings a week, I can't afford that And keep it to one. we use hunter shavings

Oh and the other thing is he is wetter at the moment, I,m putting this down to him not wanted to get a chilly willy. ;)
 

horsehelper

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Thanks,
Cuffey the stable is very open 5ft breezeblock then slatted wood with slight gaps for air flow but not wide enough to let in rain upto a corrogated iron roof. I thought it may have been a roof problem but the stables next to me dont suffer I will google stokboard.

Soulful was that bitumin based paint? ive been looking into that but I would have to wait till summer like you say.

Diet2ride...sounds similar to me mats on the floor fussy owner lol!! I thought the roof was leaking to but the defrosting snow soon proved that wrong as none came through! First thing I tried was to build a base and do it that way (like the old days before mats came along lol!) but the bed just got very cold and wet and although I treat my horse as a horse i just couldnt leave it more than a month. Ha at least you have a gentleman I have a typical mare who will wee when she needs to and is not shy although in her stable its always neatly in one spec ;)
 

jendie

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You can buy tins of 'rubberised' paint, it is used for flooring in kennels and stables. You'll have to wait for summer but then paint the floor and a couple of feet up the walls. I'd then put down some rubber matting and have the bed on top of that.

Good luck
 

Ginge Crosby

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We had a similar problem at my livery yard. the back wall of my stables and the sides of the corner boxes were external breeze blocks like yours. when we complained that we were wasting so much money on shavings because the wet was coming through the walls we were told that it would cost too much to reproof the exterior wall (i don't quite believe this but hey what do i know about running a livery yard....). So at the end of the summer last year they installed kickboards (as we'd suggested as an alternative to reproofing), only about 2ft high, of rubber strips. I think its the cheaper version of the rubber stable mats, EVA stuff? it only goes as high as the banks on our beds, but it has eliminated the damp bedding problem. That said, we have good ventilation and drainage, and i have rubber matting on the floor too. When we have prolonged wet weather, my bedding gets damp but i think its because im on paper which tends to draw moisture from the atmosphere anyway....

Hope your problem gets sorted.
 

diet2ride

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I had a similar problem a while back, and he,s stabled in a barn with rubber matting and very nice boxes but the bed just seemed to be getting so wet and I would of sworn there was a leak in the roof...

I,m a bit of an obsessive when it comes to mucking out I would lift the bed everyday and take out all dirty... As you can imagine this was costing a fortune...

Recently I,ve been leaving skipping out everyday and taking the solid wet out every other.... This way it's bedded down and i can just scrape of the clean shavings and dig the wet out. (I know this prob sounds standard stuff, but it really has been a fine line to get it right) the yard I,m on put 2 bales of shavings a week, I can't afford that And keep it to one. we use hunter shavings

Oh and the other thing is he is wetter at the moment, I,m putting this down to him not wanted to get a chilly willy. ;)
 

Echo Bravo

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Have rubber matting, kept them on shavings for a year, have gone back to straw. also My breezeblock has also let the damp through so shall try sealants for the breezeblocks, you learn something new everyday. Thanks guys:):):)
 

horsehelper

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Thanks for all your suggestions Ive gone for putting EVA mats on the inside walls so the blocks are still able to dry out then in summer the outside walls will be painted so i will have to wait and see...

ED you can get a concrete preserver but you might have to wait like me until the blocks dry out.
 
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