American barns are popular structures in the United States for stabling horses in separate stalls under one roof. While built for American standards, this barn design is taking off in other countries. In Australia, the American barn has become popular for riding schools, agricultural purposes and accommodation such as holiday homes.
When using the American barn design to protect horses, equipment, or feed or to serve as living quarters in Australia, it’s important to factor in considerations such as Aussie weather! How do you build American barn sheds for Australian conditions? Keep reading to find out more.
To construct American barn sheds suitable for Australian conditions, it’s crucial to adapt the design for the local climate. This involves selecting durable roofing materials, ensuring proper ventilation, adding insulation, and using weather-resistant materials to withstand Australia’s diverse weather patterns. Security features should protect equipment and feed, while sturdy construction and regular maintenance ensure longevity. Adapting American barns to Australian conditions allows them to serve various purposes, including housing horses, equipment, and living quarters, making them versatile and resilient structures in the Australian landscape.
6 Ways to Build an American Barn for Australian Conditions
1. Identify the Purpose of the Barn
Before building an American barn, you need to identify the purpose of this shed. Will you be using it to stable your horses and store riding equipment or are you looking for a unique holiday home design? Knowing the purpose of your barn shed allows you to decide what features you want to include such as:
- Doors and windows
- Roof ventilation
- Interior walling
- Skylights
- Concrete, natural or mezzanine flooring
- Insulation
Another great feature to consider is professional-grade colour options. Pick a colour that best suits your location and the purpose of the barn.
Customising your American (and Aussie) barn sheds gives you more flexibility in design and functionality. Make sure you work with experts equipped to offer custom designs.
2. Consider the Australian Climate
Australia is known for its harsh climate and structures such as barns need to be built to withstand the elements no matter which season it is. Identifying a barn manufacturer who understands the Australian weather ensures you get a sturdy and long-lasting structure no matter how hot, cold, wet or windy it gets in your region.
Australian-made American barns should be constructed with durable, all-weather materials such as premium-quality RHS galvanised steel. This type of material can tolerate rain, harsh UV radiation and tropical cyclones. Structures should be engineered to meet the highest wind rating for safety and compliance purposes.
3. Ask for Site Specific Engineering
When designing your American barn, you need to consider factors such as location. Working with a team that provides site-specific engineering ensures your structure is suitable for the area. They can custom design and manufacture your American barn so that it’s solid, can handle the Australian environment and last a lifetime.
Tailoring your American barn shed to your particular location ensures you get a design that’s suitable for:
- Environmental factors
- Geological conditions
- Regulatory considerations
Aussie locals understand what it takes to get this right. So, working with reputable local designers and manufacturers ensures your barn shed meets these criteria.
4. Consider Security Features
Consider adding security features if it’s necessary. With crime on the rise, securing your valuable assets has become more important and it’s wise to include features such as:
- Roller doors: Protect your personal possessions, livestock, equipment or feed with an additional barrier that can be closed and locked at night or when you’re not on the property. Roller doors can be closed manually with chains or automatically by remote control.
- Lockable doors and windows: Prevent criminals from entering the barn with lockable features that secure doors and windows properly.
If you’re using your American barn as a holiday home, you’ll need to keep it secure when no one is occupying it. Security features give you peace of mind that your property is safe while you’re elsewhere.
5. Request Easy-to-Assemble Structures
If you fancy the idea of constructing your American barn on your property, ask for an easy-to-assemble structure without compromising on quality or features. Pre-made structures that come with a site-specific instructional booklet that’s easy to follow make it possible to construct your barn as a DIY project.
However, if you prefer to hire the services of an installer, find out if your barn shed manufacturer can recommend experts in your area to do the job. When picking one of the numerous building teams across Australia skilled in building barn sheds, make sure they’re registered to do the work.
6. Work With a Local Australian Manufacturer for Best Results
Factoring in the various conditions mentioned above is essential if you want to protect your investment and safeguard your assets. It’s important to make adjustments to the original American barn design to meet local Australian standards.
Working with a local barn shed manufacturer who understands the Australian environment guarantees that you get a product that’s durable, functional and compliant with building regulations. For example, subframes need to be of the highest quality to withstand Aussie weather while using the latest technology in laser cutting ensures strength and precision finish.
Summary and Final Tips
Building an American barn for Australian conditions is doable if you work with professionals in the industry. Factors such as Category 2 wind rating, Bluescope Colorbond cladding materials and optional extras ensure your barn will be suitable for the country and serve you well for a long time.
Final tip: consider partnering with a reputable and local Australian barn manufacturer who can offer customer support and technical advice from the outset.
