Nissin huts, why did they go out of fashion?

[two-cylinder]

Exactly the same happened to ours. Grandad put the inner skin in and the sheets disintegrated.
I understand the inner sheets weren't galvanised and condensation between the two skins caused rapid rusting.

 

[David.]

They were multiples of 6ft bays, that was enough room for a single bed and locker in each, when used as sleeping quarters.
Some came with window kits, with wire reinforced panes to contain the glass in an air raid, some didn't.
We had about 9 of them when I was a kid, some with deep litter poultry in, a 120ft long one with part wooden boarded floor for storing sacks of grain and the old 780 combine parked in the open end, which was then packed with bales of straw to keep out the weather. One had concrete block pig sties built inside it and a inner lining.The lining sheets sat on the flange of the tee-section of the hoops, and were sleeved and seam bolted together and held in position by wires tensioned by radiuseurs that pulled them tight down like a belt round your trousers.
The inner skin was not galv and eventually fell away in chunks. I best remember as a child the sound of rats running between the two skins.
All were built on cast in situ walls about 1ft high with the bottom timber and then the hoops bolted to the top of the wall.
It is forgotten today how bloody tight things were financially after the War, and how much Forces surplus came to the market at that time, James at Newport Pagnell was indeed the Nissen hut king, and a lot of dry floor space that was accessible to the machinery of the day, could be made cheaply and quickly with farm labour.
I spoke to a man a bit back whose boss in the 50s had dealt in Forces surplus;
He went to a base one day and had to bid on complete Nissen huts full of assorted mystery contents, he opened the door on one successful bid to find the shed stuffed to the gunwales with Harley Davidson despatch rider bikes.
Cannot imagine the likes today, can we.

 

[Selectamatic]

I wonder what new ones would cost...?

Is it a doolally idea to have one to keep some livestock, grain, bales etc?

 

[glasshouse]

Father built one to store spuds in about 1970.
About 80 ft long 16ft wide.
Windows every ten ft
It now houses sheep yards

 

[Nearly]

I wonder what new ones would cost...?

Is it a doolally idea to have one to keep some livestock, grain, bales etc?

Yes.

 

[glasshouse]

I wonder what new ones would cost...?

Is it a doolally idea to have one to keep some livestock, grain, bales etc?

Better things out there now , poly tunnels, blueline sheds, cheap portal frames
Try buying a used one

 

[glasshouse]

That reminds me of a mad black bullock we had which tried to jump said nissen hut.
Broke its leg

 

[David.]

Knew of a Miracle Span quonset type shed put up as a potato store locally, and the condensation in there was terrible. Ithink there was enough ventilation through a leaky Nissen to keep things sweet.
PS.
There's a couple of bundles of hoop steels here if anyone wants them

 

[multi power]

I wonder what new ones would cost...?

Is it a doolally idea to have one to keep some livestock, grain, bales etc?

No ventilation for cattle, but fine for storage

 

[Selectamatic]

No ventilation for cattle, but fine for storage

Open door either end...?

 

[multi power]

Open door either end...?

Nowhere near good enough

 

[glasshouse]

I wonder what new ones would cost...?

Is it a doolally idea to have one to keep some livestock, grain, bales etc?

Good idea, it would cost you very little if you built it yourself.
The davy broon would be snug in it.

 

[two-cylinder]

Knew of a Miracle Span quonset type shed put up as a potato store locally, and the condensation in there was terrible. Ithink there was enough ventilation through a leaky Nissen to keep things sweet.
PS.
There's a couple of bundles of hoop steels here if anyone wants them

We used those hoops to get the curve profile when making a roll over sheet end

 

[PSQ]

Ours was previously the canteen at RAF Charterhall. After the war it was relocated and became over time the potato grading and bagging line, seed potato store, and then a GP shed where the Clayson combine and Drott were kept. It was also where we held the post harvest parties with the farm staff and the girls from the tattie machine
It succumbed to tin worm about 10 years ago.

 

[Flat 10]

Knew of a Miracle Span quonset type shed put up as a potato store locally, and the condensation in there was terrible. Ithink there was enough ventilation through a leaky Nissen to keep things sweet.
PS.
There's a couple of bundles of hoop steels here if anyone wants them

No condensation in Blueline shed here which is similar. really pleased with it.

 

[Y Fan Wen]

I think I've seen one near here that has been re skinned with new corry.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-69628565.html
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4051120
SS

 

[Shorty]

Got 48' of Romney open to sensible offers, 35' wide. Complete with sheets/angles/ just needs bolts and standing back up.

 

[J 1177]

We had a asbestos nissen hut ontop of brick walls. Think it cost £62. It had brick wall at the back and timber doors at the front. It was used as a machinery store in winter and wet grain store in summer. In later years (when the timber doors had disintegrated it was used as a fattening shed for pork pigs (they did well in it). There is now a 25x60 portal frame on the site where it stood.

 

[renewablejohn]

Have done the same using polytunnel frames and horizontal corrugated tins fixed with exhaust clamps.