flooring for field shelter

F

Field04

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 September 2011
Messages
309
Visit site
I cannot decide on the flooring for my field shelter. I was originally planning on building it from breeze block with concrete floor inside and hardstanding outside. I am now wondering if I should a; build it from breeze block but leave the floor inside earth and do a hardstanding area to the front and side or b; build it from wood with a earth floor and hard standing area to the front and side.

Please let me have your views on which is the best way forward, would really appreciate it.

Thanks
 
Mine is wooden but on metal skids. It has an earth floor with rubber matting and shavings on top which works well. I have wood chip on the outside to keep the entrance firm.
 
Remember if you do concrete hard standing it will get slippy in winter from ice and snow. Remember also that if it is not mobile you'll need planning permission.
 
I am in the process of applying for planning permission, well have the forms and am doing the drawings. Hence why I need to make a decision!!! I had not thought about it getting slippy, thats a good point. I wanted breeze block so I could also tie up from the side of the building and also so my itchy pony did not knock it down with her scratching!!! I think I would like a structure with an earth inside, wood chips to the front, and a seperate hardstanding area to the side to tack up on, shower etc. Does this sound like a feesable idea?
 
What's your soil like, ours is heavy clay and we have to move the field shelter to roll the moon crater like ruts that they make inside in the winter!

If you really want more of a stable that you can leave the door open so they can wonder in and out I'd concrete base and breezeblock - if you can get planning.

It's well worth getting the planning officer to come out for an informal chat before you put the application in - it'll save you time and money if the local council have a policy of only allowing X or Y materials/ size/ location etc.

A quality wooden one on metal skids won't get knocked over by scratching (my 17hh+'s have tried!) - but they are £s. No planning to worry about tho.
 
I have planning permission for a large wooden field shelter which will be attached to wooden sleepers and will have a scalpings base so it will be raised and therefore drier but should be less slippery than comcrete. Currently I have a wooden shelter on metal skids which was earth but with rubber mats inside and a few outside. It got too wet in winter so we recently put left over arena sand inside and out and that has worked much better than the rubber mats. I usually put straw on the mats but haven't put anything on the sand as yet.
 
If you get planning permission, then build it from something more solid and durable than wood, which always needs so much maintenance (my whole main yard is wood and I would swop it in a heartbeat!). I would also go with your plan of concrete inside and hardstanding outside. The concrete won't get slippery if you make it rough concrete rather than smooth (same as you'd get in a cattle yard - with small ridges across..) and the hard standing will prevent a lot of the immediate mud being trodden in..
 
Yes. You're idea does sound feasible. You can always put some fencing round your side area where you want to tie up. A decent canopy across the front will help keep that area dry. My friend has concrete floor but always has lots of bedding in winter to help floor not to get too slippy. I prefer rubber mats though.
 
Honey08 said:
The concrete won't get slippery if you make it rough concrete rather than smooth (same as you'd get in a cattle yard - with small ridges across..) and the hard standing will prevent a lot of the immediate mud being trodden in..
Click to expand...

I inherited a field shelter with a concrete floor and it never gets slippy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top