Spring is the season of change. The weather warms up, fields change as crops are planted, and cattle are moved out to pastures. Farms change a lot in general when spring starts up, but that change doesn?t have to be limited to just grains and livestock. You can change the farm itself and expand your operation by adding a new farm shop.
There are many factors to consider when planning a new farm shop. Dan Nyberg, sales trainer for Morton Buildings, says two of the most important factors are choosing the right lighting options and doors, as you can never have enough lighting in a farm shop.
?Now, windows are a good source of light,? Nyberg says. ?And so, when possible, install thermal pane windows on the south side to help provide both light and warmth during winter months. General indoor lighting options include a half-watt fluorescent per square foot of floor area, or two watts incandescent per square foot of floor area. Now for energy savings, consider LED lighting which also has an instant on feature. To compare various types of lighting aim to have 50 lumens per square foot as the minimum. For general outdoor lighting, use 200- to 400-watt high-pressure sodium or metal halide lamps. And plan an outdoor area near the shop doors where you can have good lighting for quick repairs that don?t require pulling into the shop.?
When it comes to selecting farm shop doors, Nyberg says energy efficiency and size are important considerations.
?Overhead and entry doors must be as energy efficient as possible, since the overhead door is one of the largest areas for heat loss in the building,? Nyberg says. ?Always go wider and taller than what you feel is needed. There is nothing worse than having a beautiful, energy-efficient shop that won?t accommodate your newest piece of equipment. A 24? foot wide by 15-foot-tall overhead door should be a minimum. Size your door with at least two feet of side clearance and one foot of head clearance for largest equipment and always consider future trade in?s and trade up?s. Have one smaller overhead door for your pickup so you don’t open the large door just to pull that in and consider another if you have a side-by-side or other regularly used smaller equipment.?
For additional farm shop design recommendations, visit MortonBuildings.com/blog.
