Materials You Can Use for a Sturdy, Durable Barn

If you are looking to build a strong barn that will stand the tests of time, you might be worried that the material you need just isn’t out there. Barns need to be able to withstand brutal weather, harsh winds and blowing gales.

They need to house precious assets, from beloved livestock to expensive machinery. You need to build something you can rely on to protect your income as a faulty barn could mean the end of your year’s crops, your young herds, or your crucial machinery. Clearly, choosing the right material for the job is crucial.

The good news is that there are options out there, you just need to educate yourself on what is available in order to make a wise and informed decision. With your budget, your goals and purpose in mind, you need to weigh up the choices available and pick the one that’s best for you.

We’ve listed a few of the main materials below, along with a brief assessment of the pros and cons. Hopefully, this will just give you the direction you need to start your investigation into the building materials of a strong and sturdy barn you can depend on.

Wood

Wood is likely the first material people think of when pondering the construction of a barn, and though it is the traditional material it is still useful, strong, and durable. It’s resistant to fire, offers acoustic insulation, and is extremely adaptable. From 6×2 treated timber to solid wood panels, there is a great deal of potential when it comes to using wood in construction. The two subcategories of wood that can be used for barn construction are as follows.

• Hardwood. This strong and robust material makes a great framework, capable of building dependable, lasting structures. Woods like maple, walnut, mahogany, and beech also look more luxurious, but also carry a more luxurious price tag with them.
• Softwood. This lighter wood is best used for doors and wood frames, partitions, and inner walls. Woods like pinewood, cedar and fir are cheaper than hardwood, but not as durable.

Stone

Stones are natural available, strong and fire resistant, meaning they are great materials for building a barn. Stones like ballast, limestone and granite are common in the construction industry. Different stones have different qualities which can be used for different aspects of barn construction. While stones do come with a heftier price tag, the durability makes it a worthwhile investment if you have the budget to do so.

Bricks and Blocks

Bricks and blocks are also common building materials that can be used to build barns. They are even more durable that wood. Traditionally they are made of clay, though these days they can be made from soil, sand, and concrete and either be left unfired or be fired to finish them. While they are certainly strong and heat resistant, they are also brittle and probe to breaking which wouldn’t be ideal in an area that experiences earthquakes.

Steel

One of the most popular metals used in construction is steel. Steel is an alloy or iron and carbon and thus benefits from the attributes of these materials, before being enhanced by other materials that can be added. As an example of these, stainless steel is made by adding steel with chromium and nickel. This creates a robust form of steel that is resistant to corrosion. Not only can reinforcement bars be made of steel, but also smaller devices like pipes, nails, bolts, nuts, screws, and wires can be made of steel.

Cement

One of the oldest construction materials is cement, a fine powdered material often used to bind other materials together. Cement can be used to made sturdy floors, walls, and ceilings, as well as strong joints for drains and pipes.