Doing up wooden stables.

[poiuytrewq]

My wooden stables are beginning to look old and a bit weather beaten!
They were due a coat of creosote last summer but never got done so that’s a definite on the list.
We did cut windows out of the back and add Perspex sliders as bit of an upgrade but they just look a bit dingy inside.
They are kick boarded to half height then the top Is just the single shiplap wall. Has anyone painted wooden interior walls?
Is that a terrible idea, will it be one of those awful takes forever jobs?
What would I use?
Any photos would be great!

 

[The Xmas Furry]

If you creosote the outside, then it's not worth painting the inside at all, unless you have lining board from floor to ceiling height. If you try painting the upper half of walls, the creosote runs through.... been there done that on my oldest pair.
Can you get a quote from a builder or roofer to remove 1 roof sheet (if they have corrugated sheets on) from front or back of each box and put in a clear big 6 sheet? Yes, they become brittle over time, but if you dont hit them with fence posts etc (I've never done this, oh never... ) they keep on going. My oldest clear sheets are 1986 vintage on a 3 block and I've only had to replace one.... from where I stored fence posts in the corner and was casual about getting a long one out...
Dont change them if in direct sun tho as they allow much more heat in.

 

[meleeka]

I have my kickboards painted in dark oak fence paint and the top half in cheap white satin emulsion. The first time it takes a while (as it soaks in) but I do it every year snd it’s easy to re-do. It brightens up the inside of my dark stables well.

 

[Marigold4]

Watching with interest as I'm in the same boat with my woodlined stables. I thought of using woodstain but I'm not sure if it's safe. Do you have to get special horse safe paints/stains in case they lick it off?

 

[poiuytrewq]

@The Fuzzy Furry that was my worry, that the creosote would seep through and wreck the white paint. I’ll rethink that. I might board the top half maybe.
I actually had them made minus the clear panel because my old block used to get oven hot.
How on earth did you manage to put a fence post through a roof panel ?
@meleeka That looks much smarter! I figured the first time would possibly be a nightmare.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Watching with interest as I'm in the same boat with my woodlined stables. I thought of using woodstain but I'm not sure if it's safe. Do you have to get special horse safe paints/stains in case they lick it off?

Not sure about wood stain type stuff but normal emulsion should be ok. We paint (well not me personally but someone!) paints the concrete stables at work every year with emulsion and never had any issues

 

[The Xmas Furry]

@The Fuzzy Furry that was my worry, that the creosote would seep through and wreck the white paint. I’ll rethink that. I might board the top half maybe.
I actually had them made minus the clear panel because my old block used to get oven hot.
How on earth did you manage to put a fence post through a roof panel ?
@meleeka That looks much smarter! I figured the first time would possibly be a nightmare.

Lol, picking up an 8ft post from the back corner, swinging round and it slid a litte, so I hoisted it up and..... boomph, it bumped the clear panel, cracking it badly ?
I have clear panels, 1 in each box - 2 stables that are under the trees that are cool, and the 3 opposite can get very warm on hot days till lunchtime. Could have done with a clear panel in the hay barn as that's shaded by trees, but I decided not to for security etc when I had them put up in 96.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I'll take some pics tomorrow. When the internal windows were put in I also painted the insides white like Meleeka has.

 

[FFAQ]

One of my clients painted the inside of her wooden stables and did the bottom half blue and the top white. It makes such a difference - they're so much briggter that i'm planning on doing mine! She just used emulsion.

 

[poiuytrewq]

One of my clients painted the inside of her wooden stables and did the bottom half blue and the top white. It makes such a difference - they're so much briggter that i'm planning on doing mine! She just used emulsion.

Are hers boarded inside to the full height?

 

[meleeka]

You should be ok at the top provided you do the outside first and let it dry properly before doing the inside. I used a shed and fence brush, which is quite big, to make it quicker.

 

[Hallo2012]

Mine are sage green and white....yes the creosote seeps through slightly in to the white so always best to creosote first THEN do the white but its not super noticable and its much brighter than dark wood.

 

[canteron]

Slightly off track - but the roof is the most important thing as if they go it all goes!
Just in the rather tedious process of reroofing ours - after 20 years!!

 

[Xmasha]

we get a lot of people ringing and asking whats best to put on wooden stables. The overriding issue people have is that if they use emulsion it comes off. Especially over winter when the horses / rugs are wet and they rub up against it.

Masonry is slightly better as it is more robust .. but it does come off. The next best thing to try is parlour paint. ( what they use in dairy parlours) Weve had a lot of customers try that and so far everyone has been very happy with it. Its more expensive, but the rubberised resin is much more robust, so will withstand more abuse. Non of these products are suitable to be licked ..( we get asked about that too, but to be fair if you spoke to the manufacturers of the emulsion/masonry they wouldnt guarantee that either )

However.. you have to remember that if you have wooden stables .. by the very nature of wood its porous so if your stables are exposed you run the risk of the rain seeping through and pushing the paint off inside.

There is a paint specifically for inside of stables that if horses lick/chew the wood its safe ( apparently) Just google Teamac. We dont stock it,purely because when weve looked at getting it in for people they are put off by the price.

 

[cobden]

Mine were boarded to half height with kickboard so I lined them with thin rubber matting then painted the top half white - they looked much lighter and quite smart inside ??

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Pic. The white does make them much lighter compared to how they were when they were unpainted.