When you think of metal barns, you might be thinking of the classic red metal barn. However, barns are no longer these old-fashioned red barns, and they are constantly changing and innovating as technology improves. Barns now are more durable and elaborate, providing more space to grow your agricultural area and have enough room for storage too.
If you’re bursting into the agricultural industry, you might be wondering what kind of storage facility you need. To help guide you, we’ve compiled a brief guide on how metal barns and sheds have evolved over the years and how they became a staple in the agricultural community.
How Are Loafing Sheds Different from Metal Barns?
A close sister to the metal barn is a loafing shed. While not as popular as metal barns are, manufacturers specifically design loafing sheds to house animals, instead of a barn which typically houses agricultural supplies. These companies produce loafing sheds to protect animals from the elements and keep anything put in them safely.
Over the years, these loafing sheds have also evolved to be more durable and versatile. Loafing sheds are different from traditional barns in that they only have three sides instead of one, giving animals access to the outdoor world. It also allows people to easily feed and take care of the livestock housed within the structure.
What Can I Use Each One For?
There are many different purposes that these different buildings you can use for. Loafing barns are a lot smaller than metal barns, but you can also use them for a lot of the same purposes. If you are looking for a space that isn’t going to utilize a lot of area, a loafing shed is probably the way to go. However, if you want an all-encompassing shed, a metal barn is likely more up your alley.
Loafing sheds have different roofs shapes than metal barns. Metal barns have a full roof, while a loafing shed has a slanted roof, and they are much shorter. Loafing sheds are used as a horse shelter, and this provides you with the opportunity to expand from just agricultural storage.
Metal barns are better suited for feed storage, as they will keep feed dry and safe from the elements. It can also be used as a multi-purpose storage space, as opposed to a loafing shed which is much smaller and doesn’t provide as much room for you to store things.
A metal barn may also be a good choice when looking for a structure that you can use for livestock storage and keeping your valuables safe. This is due to them being enclosed structures that offer more square footage than loafing sheds.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Loafing Shed or Metal Barn?
There are many benefits to each of the different spaces. One of the benefits that both spaces provide is protection from the elements. While this aspect might be slightly more prevalent in a metal barn where it is all enclosed, it also applies to a loafing shed because it will keep anything underneath the roofed area safe.
Both of the options are also sustainable and affordable. This is due to the fact that the buildings are prefabricated steel structures and cost a lot less to maintain, therefore making the initial investment well worth it in the long run. This also means these structures are fireproof and pest-resistant since steel is not porous and is less vulnerable to decay than wood would be.
You have the flexibility to utilize this steel structure as any type of building that you want it to be, all while having it be much more durable than a traditional wooden building. These few key aspects are what make it a lot more efficient than building a wooden structure, which can make it easy to lose your investment.
How Do You Choose?
With the options available and the various uses these buildings can provide, it can be easy to become overwhelmed when deciding. However, hopefully with the information outlined above, you now have a deeper understanding of loafing sheds and metal barns, what they’re used for, and can better decide which best meets your needs.
This is entirely up to you, as you must carefully analyze your specific needs for your area. If you are primarily looking to store horses or some other type of smaller animal (i.e., not livestock), you’re going to want to spring for a loafing shed. If you are looking for extra storage in addition to storing livestock, you are going to want to spring for a metal barn.
Either option can be extremely beneficial to build, depending on your need.
Metal Barns and Loafing Sheds from Steel Carports Are the Best to Buy!
If you’re in the market and need to add one of these buildings to your property, Steel Carports is here to help. They offer some of the best customer service in the industry, as well as one of the best ranges of quality prefabricated structures around. Providing you with high-quality metal structures and free, on-time delivery, metal agricultural buildings from Steel Carports are the way to go to meet your agricultural needs.
Call today at (833) 647-8335 to speak with one of our friendly and helpful customer service teammates. Steel Carports also provide a 20-year warranty and a customer satisfaction guarantee, so you can rest easy knowing your building will last.