What material to put over slatted wooden drying floors for commercial storage?

[Feldspar]

We have some old grain stores with slatted wooden drying floors which we are thinking of renting out for commercial storage. I'm looking for a cheap but effective way of covering the slatted floors to create a flat floor which is hard wearing. Some stores we might use the drying floor again and other stores the store will never be used for grain storage again. Does anyone have any good suggestions?

 

[Lincs Lass]

If you use a grain storage shed for anything other than agricultural use ,,wont it affect your farm assurance

 

[Feldspar]

If you use a grain storage shed for anything other than agricultural use ,,wont it affect your farm assurance

Good point. Need to check the rules on that. That's why I thought about covering the floors up to prevent contamination. Would probably rent out for 3 years and then possibly return to using it as a gain store.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Depending what other items or products would be stood on it ,,cover it first with visqueen and then lightly fix plywood sheets over it ,,if anything leeks fluids ,it would soak the plyboard and not get into the grain flooring

 

[Clive]

If you use a grain storage shed for anything other than agricultural use ,,wont it affect your farm assurance

why would anyone volunteer such information ?

Before anyone uses the word integrity please remember what a load of meaningless bullshite it all is anyway !

 

[Flat 10]

Take it out and sell it (I might know a buyer...)

 

[Feldspar]

Take it out and sell it (I might know a buyer...)

I send you a message about this.

We have a few stores, some with new drying floors (or parts of) and some with older ones at the end of their lives. Some we would / might wish to use again, but others, due to other factors, we will never use again for grain storage. This thread was to find a route to temporary storage with the option of going back to grain storage.

That said, given the economics of grain vs commercial storage, if you can get the latter, then you might just build a new grain store if you needed more grain storage (a move known as the Clive).

 

[glasshouse]

I send you a message about this.

We have a few stores, some with new drying floors (or parts of) and some with older ones at the end of their lives. Some we would / might wish to use again, but others, due to other factors, we will never use again for grain storage. This thread was to find a route to temporary storage with the option of going back to grain storage.

That said, given the economics of grain vs commercial storage, if you can get the latter, then you might just build a new grain store if you needed more grain storage (a move known as the Clive).

What about rates?

 

[Andrew]

How flat is the floor? Could you just put some ply over the top with a self tapper in each corner? Or are the laterals slightly recessed and it’ll break up

 

[FIL46]

Wont't affect farm assurance in any way as long as correct clean up is undertaken before grain is back in. But your local council will take a dim view if you are found out to be storing anything apart from farm stuff in the shed, change of use and planning will be required at a cost then rates every month after that . If it's worth it in the long run go for planning and rent the shed full time. I did this 20 years ago and I tell you that shed has paid more money in rental income than grain would ever make. Just watch yourself.

 

[Feldspar]

What about rates?

Tenants get charged rates.

 

[Feldspar]

How flat is the floor? Could you just put some ply over the top with a self tapper in each corner? Or are the laterals slightly recessed and it’ll break up

The wooden boards sit the most proud with the metal air vents recessed below. I think ply would be a good option. Thickness on the likelihood of sharp impacts or extreme pressures from weight being borne by sharp edges.

 

[Andrew]

The wooden boards sit the most proud with the metal air vents recessed below. I think ply would be a good option. Thickness on the likelihood of sharp impacts or extreme pressures from weight being borne by sharp edges.

Depending how much the wood sits proud you put a layer of thin ply on top of the laterals, to make the floor flat. Then put the ply on top of that?

 

[Flat 10]

Tenants get charged rates.

When occupied

 

[glasshouse]

Tenants get charged rates.

So the building will be rated?

 

[Feldspar]

So the building will be rated?

Easy to revert back to ag use and then rates are not due.

 

[Feldspar]

Depending how much the wood sits proud you put a layer of thin ply on top of the laterals, to make the floor flat. Then put the ply on top of that?

I'll take a picture of ours. I think a decent thickness of ply straight on top should be OK for most uses. One person we talked to just wanted to store old clothes so hardly high impact.

 

[glasshouse]

Easy to revert back to ag use and then rates are not due.

how much are the rates?