CONSTRUCTION PLANS AND MATERIALS
FOR NEW BARNS
New barn
construction is an area where it is very easy to get off the track and launch
into a discussion of the hundreds of options and ideas we all have about
what we want our barn to look like and the level of efficiency we require
in the layout of our barn. Our aim, however, is to optimize our fire
protection, so I’m going to do my best to keep us focused on that area.
Knowing fire-propagation
requirements enables you to minimize chances for a fire to start, so if you are
planning to construct a new barn, fire prevention should begin with the initial
sketches. I’m going to assume you have the minimum acreage required for building
a barn according to your community’s zoning codes and that you are prepared— as
soon as you have blueprints in hand--to apply for all the necessary permits. Before
the first sketches are drawn, you must check all applicable codes, including zoning,
building, and fire codes so everything pertaining to your barn’s construction is
in compliance. Don’t take for granted that your architect, professional barn-building
company, or local construction company will be familiar with fire safety codes
and construction requirements as they apply to barns in your community or fire
district.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA),
the major fire safety standards organization in the United States, has a new
Standard pertaining to animal housing facilities. NFPA 150 was formerly
the Standard on Fire Safety in Racetrack Stables, but has been renamed NFPA
150 Standard on Fire and Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities. I
am a member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Safety in Animal Housing Facilities,
who enlarged the scope of NFPA 150 Standard on Fire Safety in Racetrack Stables
to include all animal housing facilities. The new Standard then refers
the reader to other standards that cover various aspects of construction and
life safety, such as requirements for means of egress, fire-rating of particular
construction components, electrical codes, allowances for sprinklered-vs.-nonsprinklered
occupancies, and hundreds of other codes that cover every single aspect of
a building and what goes into it. No one, including building inspectors,
fire safety inspectors, contractors, and even engineers involved in fire
safety know all the codes; they do, however, know where and how to find the
proper codes. Getting things done right the first time around is crucial. If
you are constructing a commercial stable, you certainly don’t want the expense
and aggravation of re-doing parts of the construction just because a code
was overlooked or ignored. If your barn is for private use, you want
everything up to code for your own peace of mind.
As construction proceeds, inspections by the officials
having jurisdiction will have to be scheduled. In many jurisdictions, once
built and approved for occupancy, non-commercial barns can only be inspected for
fire safety upon the owner’s request, so it is particularly important that fire
safety be “built-in” as much as possible.
There are a few common rules to keep in mind at the blueprint stage. All
barns, regardless of size should have a minimum of two exits, both of which
are easily accessible and have no impediments to their immediate use. That
is, don’t locate exits in an area where they will invite clutter or become
storage areas. The common rule for number of exits is: up to 12 horses,
2 exits; 12-24 horses, 3 exits; and 36-50 horses, 5-6 exits. Ideally,
these exits should allow you to lead a horse from the stall into the aisle
way and then directly outside in a straight line. Aisles should be
wide enough to accommodate two handlers and two horses side-by-side for emergency
evacuation. A safe width would be no less than ten feet, and wider
is better if you can manage it. Doorway openings should be as wide
as the aisle to prevent “jamming” at the doorway. Doors must either
slide completely to one side or the other, or open outward, and latches must
be easy to operate with one hand.
If the stall layout is planned so there will
be a long stretch of stalls on one side of an aisle or stalls on both sides
of a center aisle, a solid partition should be constructed between every fourth
stall to separate it from its neighbor. This solid floor-to-ceiling
partition will keep flames from jumping stall partitions into the next group
of stalls. Many
people like to have only bars between stalls for better ventilation and so
the horses can see each other, but providing a floor-to-ceiling wall can
save lives. It’s not too much to give up. After all, the stalls
separated by the wall can be occupied by two horses that don’t like each
other and don’t want to see each other.
A mechanical room should be provided for the electrical panel, hot water
heater, washer and dryer, and any other non-portable appliances. The
walls and ceiling of this room should be protected with 2-hour-rated fire
resistant materials. The mechanical room should not be part of your
feed storage or tack rooms if at all possible, and it should have a rate-or-rise
heat detector that is monitored by a security company or, at the least, is
wired into an outside bell or siren so someone nearby will be alerted.
So, if you are
thinking about building a barn, have you determined what kind of barn you want? Depending
on your planned use, number of horses to be housed, and what climate you live in,
different construction methods and materials will have to be considered.
Pole buildings
are constructed around square or round wood columns or laminated timbers that are
set into the ground at intervals on the building perimeter. Wood or metal
siding is the usual exterior finishing material. The roof is normally constructed
of wood trusses and covered with metal roofing sheets or roofing grade plywood
with standard asphalt shingles. Because the interior of these clear span
buildings have no structural supports to interfere with interior positions, there
are infinite ways for the space to be used. For more information about pole
buildings, Mathew Logan has some good information at http://www.easybuildings.com .
Steel modular
buildings are stronger than wood and can usually weather the elements better than
wood. The advantage to a modular building is that you can add modules as
you need to expand your facility. However, in a fire, some metals deform
(lose their shape, twisting or bending) at relatively low (in terms of fire exposure)
temperatures. If you want a steel building, inquire about the flame and heat
testing results of the product you’re interested in.
Concrete block
or brick structures are excellent choices for their insulating ability. They
tend to stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter, and the exterior may be less
likely to burn, but an interior fire will burn “hotter” due to better heat containment
of the concrete block. That is, the fire, heat and smoke will have less chance
to escape to the outside by breaching a wall and creating its own opening so temperatures
will rapidly rise inside bringing the interior contents to ignition temperatures
much faster than if the fire elements were allowed to vent.
Wood is usually
the material of choice for stall construction and interior structural components. By
using fire retardant treated wood (FRTW) or fire retardant paints and varnishes
that can be applied on both new and existing structures, your barn can be made
more fire resistant.
Fire retardant
treated wood is lumber and plywood that has been pressure treated, by one of several
methods, with a fire-retardant solution which is absorbed into the wood’s fibers. Pressure
treated wood meets model building code requirements because all the surfaces are
protected: treatments such as spraying, painting, or application with a fogger
may only protect one or two sides of the material. Different formulations are used
in exterior (weather-exposed) and interior (weather-protected) products, so you
must make certain you purchase the correct type of product for your intended use. Most
FRTW is classified as a slow burning material by the Insurance Services Office
(ISO) and most insurance coverage; check with your insurer to find out if you can
benefit.
FRTW can be used in just the same way as untreated
lumber, including millwork and can be stained, varnished, or painted the same
as untreated wood either before it is used in construction or once the untreated
wood is in place. All FRTW is stamped for identification with its rating and
other identification. If
you specify FRTW, check the lumber or plywood to make sure the stamp is there;
if it isn't stamped, don't accept the delivery.
Applied fire retardant coatings are excellent for use
in already-constructed barns which have not been previously painted. They
are relatively inexpensive, easily applied, and come in an attractive range of
colors. There are a few things to consider about fire retardant coatings,
though. You must be careful to apply an adequate amount of coating to all
exposed surfaces (you will not be able to protect unexposed surfaces with coatings). Like
regular paint, the coating does not last indefinitely and must be reapplied at
intervals. The coatings (also like regular paint) are susceptible to damage,
so the surfaces covered will require some maintenance over time.
The type of
fire retardant coating of greatest practical use in a barn is in tumescent paint,
which does not react to heat under approximately 440° F. This coating expands
from a paint-type coating to a thick puffy coating that will, to varying extents,
insulate the wood from high temperatures, exclude oxygen, and reduce the production
of flammable gases. The coating will not maintain its integrity completely;
sustained heat or very high temperatures will cause it to break down and of course,
any areas not adequately coated in the first place will be open to the effects
of fire.
Before leaving
the topic of treated or coated lumber, I want to make you aware of the dangers
of other treated lumber in a fire because, if you have an already-existing barn,
you may have older treated lumber in place. Railroad ties—real ones, not
“landscape” ties—are soaked and/or covered in creosote, a preservative obtained
by distilling coal tar. In a fire, creosote gives off a very dangerous carcinogen,
benzoalphapyrene, and several other chemical compounds which researches have determined
increases the risk of skin and genital cancers. Pressure-treated deck wood
releases chromium-copper arsenate gases (CCA); arsenic causes neurological and
medical illnesses in people who come into contact with it, even in very small amounts. Firefighters
have become ill from exposure to the burned wood and have been advised to wear
self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) while fighting fires where pressure-treated
deck wood is involved.
Use a mask if you must saw or otherwise handle pressure-treated lumber. When
disposing of railroad ties, telephone poles, scrap pressure-treated lumber,
and similar items, put them in your regular trash pickup. Do not burn
them, especially in a home fireplace. The gases given off in CCA-treated
lumber are toxic when they collect in an enclosed area. Some of the
illnesses resulting from the burning of treated wood are pneumonia, bronchitis,
blackouts, gastrointestinal problems, nosebleeds and muscle cramps.
If you are considering using any kind of foam
insulation—reconsider. Horses
need wind protection more than added heat, and in most barns the horses themselves
will raise the temperature to above freezing, which is quite comfortable
for them if they haven’t been body clipped (in which case, using blankets
will take care of that problem). Insulating foams, even the self-extinguishing
foams, often burn very fast and produce dense black smoke, sometimes becoming
fully involved in little more than a minute. Some types melt and drip
when exposed to fire and falling brands will spread the fire even faster. That
means you will have almost no chance for evacuation!
If you have insulation in your barn, it would
be best to remove it (your insurance company may demand it be removed) or
cover it with half-inch gypsum board, half-inch fire retardant plywood, half-inch
asbestos cement board, or with a half-inch layer of a cement based mixture
applied directly to the foam insulation. The best thing, though, is
to remove all foam insulation if it’s already in your barn and don’t install
it if you’re building a barn.
And finally,
here’s something to remember from the start of construction or remodeling: you
will be using tools, paints and varnishes, and other products during construction
that will result in scrap lumber and other debris. You may even need to use
a propane or kerosene heater so you can work during the winter months. This
accumulation is an expected part of the construction process, but bear in mind
that before the first horse enters the barn, every bit of construction-related
accumulation must be gone.