Has anyone built new stables recently?

[TJ&Ozzie]

I am going to be putting 2 12x12 stables up in the next few months and am trying to work out if it is cheaper to;

a) buy the timber and get OH to put together - timber being expensive atm, OH doesn't really have the time and the cost of all the door furniture/kick boards/guttering etc
b) Oh puts up half block/half timber stables - saving a bit on timber but again OH hasn't really got the time same again with door furniture etc.
c) Get a company in who would have them up in a day and it comes with all the furniture etc but it comes at a price too.

I just wondered if anyone had been in the same predicament and what people thought?

 

[Brigadoon]

My OH built ours to my very exacting description and it was much cheaper than any company. Even than their budget ranges.
Called in a few favours from family members who helped.
It means you get totally what you want. My OH is busy too but very much enjoyed the finished article. He could go into business building stables as I have had lots of compliments.
I bought a field shelter when we first moved and its rubbish really. The company put it up and it blew down. Hubby worked his magic and its much better.
Or you could look out for second hand ones. They would go up quicker.
Good luck xx
Builders supply type places and places such as screwfix do really cheap door furniture,guttering etc. Horsey retailers are pretty expensive.

 

[YorksG]

We built one last year, it does need a bit of modifying, as the enormous mare has pushed the boarding off the back However it was cheaper than buying a ready made one, has an earth floor (which we prefer) and built to fit a 12' by 15' space. We made the roof from acrylic panels so it is very light and airey. We bought the door furniture from a local agricultural merchants, so it is stronger than from DIY stores and cheaper than from equestrian suppliers.

 

[Archina]

Quite interested in this thread as I am looking to get a block of 4 stables built in front of my existing ones. Been looking on ebay at second hand ones though a lot of them you have to go dismantle yourself which is a bit of a headache.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

If your OH is a competant DIYer then build your own. You will find that it will be built from sturdier materials that many bought stables. Additionally many 12' x 12' stables are smaller than you think as they are 12' x 12' externally. By the time you take off the width of the timber frame, external boarding & the kick boards the stables will be nearer 11' 3" square. As has also been said, when you build them yourself they will be the size & style you want, with the ventilation you want, you won't have to settle for someone else's idea of what you should have. Good Luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Henbug]

If you have somebody that is capable of building them to a good standard then this will without a doubt be your cheapest option BUT be absoloutley sure that they will be substantial and well built is isn't something that it's worth taking a chance on. I recently put up two new stables and lacking anybody to build them for me I bought them. After a lot of research I found a company selling off their ex-display unit at the end of summer that had only done one county show (so not be put up and down loads of times!). A lot cheaper and unlike second hand ones the company will still deliver it and assemble. For me this worked out the best and cheapest without having to compromise on standard - but I didn't have the other options of somebody helpful that would build them for me or dismantle, deliver and re-assemble second hand ones.

 

[just-me]

My oh has no interest in building anything so have to take matters into my own hands!

I have no carpentry skills yet replaced the floor in my horsebox and built my set of show jumps and fillers

I have just cut up 240 odd feet of his 4x2 making the walls of my mobile stable! he will be few ply sheets down as well by the time I’ve finished

It has been really basic so far (a static one would be even easier) will be much stronger than most of what you see advertised and at a fraction of the price. The main cost is going to be the tongue and groove cladding.

Its basically a big shed without the floor- http://www.howtobuildashed.explained.org.uk/how_to_build_a_shed_instructions1.htm

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I think the key decider is the skill level and enthusiasm level and available time of you/whover is helping,

Without all 3, better off buying but only from a well recommended company who you have seen other stables they have done for customers and who are flexible enough to adapt to your requirements.

For ours, our stable builders (Saltire) were able to do a larger box for the big chap, fit windows in the external top doors that open on the outside of the stables (it's a mini barn so main stable doors are inside), build it as a portal frame for flexibility for other uses if we ever move and new owners arent horsey, fit extra strength kick boarding and also they agreed to use screws not nails on the wall boarding as we were fitting insulation behind it but not all of it had arrived yet (we are in Cairngorms so that was important).

We certainly couldnt have built what they built, nor for the cost they did it. The groundworks on our sloping site didnt cost much less to meet all the building regs.

I think its easier to DIY with looseboxes tho perhaps but mini barn - stable builders every time.

 

[McNally]

I have recently (last Summer/Autumn) done both!

Firstly i bought a block of 2 budget range stables 12x12 with kick boards and all furniture. The company came out quickly and erected them all we had to do was to provide a suitable base. Very very easy option and in general i'm happy enough with them apart from a few issues.
1- the roof was too low for my bigger (16.2) horse, the measurements were obviously from the outside, the actual stable space inside is smaller.
2- the plastic type sheeting on the roof whilst letting in a lot of light turns the stable into an oven in the hot sun
3- they are for horses that are quiet in their stable Its not the toughest of buildings (big horse windsucks and bends the door with each suck!)

So we build him a bigger stronger stable. Lucky for me a lot of the stuff was sourced by my partner who works on various farms all of which had stuff lying around (with permission!!) All i bought were kickboards, a smallish amount of timber, we used corrugated metal stuff on the roof which we were given free and the door consists of a metal frame made from scaffolding poles welded together and aand covered with wood then a gate catch. Its super strong, bigger, higher and useable in the summer!
personally we wish we had build ourselves in the first place, yea its not as smart but i prefer it!

I think i paid about £200 in total but like i say we had a lot of materials for free and obviously our time etc
The built stables which are brilliant now its winter for our 2 smaller horses cost £1650 delivered and erected but the guy did say he had to increase his prices this year

 

[Merlin11]

I had mine put up by Saltire about 5 years ago. Not cheap but they were up in a day and a half and they are still in good nick and have withstood a few severe gales. They are building a haystore for us next week which will only take a day. Their materials are good quality. Stables have a high ceiling and large overhang, vents, and good roofing with some clear panels to let in light. I think it is worth paying to get good quality that will last unless your OH is very good at DIY!
Also need to be careful that they will be strong enough for the horses kicking, barging etc.

 

[Honey08]

Its interesting that everyone has ended up with smaller stables, ours were bought and errected by a company. We know the owner, and he said, so you got planning for 12x12, lets do them 12x14 - nobody will notice! We did, and the measurements are inside! The roof is perfectly high, although they seem to have a much more sloping roof than a lot I've seen, and the overhang is hollow, so I can use it as storage for rugs etc.

You really have to do your research and view stables in the area that they have put up if possible..

 

[rockysmum]

Haven't done it recently but I was in the same situation 30 years ago. I lost my temper with OH and built them from scratch myself.

Took a couple of months and I called in a lot of favours from OH's friends. But the result was far better than anything you could buy and cheaper.

Standing the test of time too. I'm not there anymore but someone else is still using them and they look nearly as good as they did 30 years ago. It was at the top of a moor too where all the sectional ones tend to blow away

 

[Penniless]

We made our own stables including making the doors - which everyone says are better than they've seen professionally. They were so easy to make as well. We did get a friend put the bolts, kick bolts, etc on as didn't have have a metal drill bit at the time. Got local business to make us up made to measure anti-chew strips to go down the doors at the sides, and all in all, we saved thousands. Find out about the price of timber, because we've been told by our local wood merchant that it is the cheapest it's been for years.

The only thing we can't/couldn't do is the roof but otherwise give it a go. If you want any more advice, feel free to PM us.

 

[TJ&Ozzie]

Thanks for all the replies. I am going to price everything I think and see what is going to be the cheapest. OH and father-in-law are more than capable of doing it all but I would here about it forever! lol

 

[Miss L Toe]

There are some yards which sell second hand timber, I would look at this as you will be getting a more substantial building in the end, also agree 12 by 12 is too small, go for 12 by 15, beds are cleaner and more room to work around the horse, also he can turn round more easily.
Make sure the roof slope is reasonable, for ventilation and to stop snow overloading the roof.
I like a hinged window at the back which can be left open ten months of the year, but you then need an overhang at the back and the front, to prevent rain driving in.
Gutters are essential at the front, also make sure you don't have sharp edges externally on the roof which you could hit your head on.
You can have a partition wall between horses, or have a grid so they can talk to each other.
Wooden stabling must be easier to make than breeze block, if deciding on breeze block make sure walls can't fall down if a horse leans on them.