Multiple post-frame building components, from the ground up, play a vital role in your pole barn design:
Every post-frame building should sit on a firm basis. When prepping your pole barn, you must establish a finished floor (FF) elevation to determine the grade board location. This benchmark varies by the type of pole barn flooring.
This article discusses the four most common pole barn flooring options in post-frame construction. Please keep following along or watch this short YouTube video for the pros and cons of each one.
There are multiple pole barn flooring options used in post-frame construction. The four most common types of pole barn floors are:
Asphalt is an affordable substitute for concrete, but its soft composition is susceptible to cracking or crumbling.
Ultimately, the post-frame building use will determine which pole barn flooring option best fits your farm shop, commercial business, garage, or equine facility.
Editor’s Note: Most post-frame builders specialize in the building shell only. However, they should be able to connect you with reliable flooring contractors within their network.As mentioned above, you must build your pole barn on a firm pad (e.g., dirt, clay, sand, or stone). Aside from the foundation, this raised area is the basis for your post-frame building. A solid slab can be achieved through proper pole barn site preparation.
The overarching goal is to ensure your post-frame construction project runs smoothly (on time and under your pole barn budget).
This section briefly details the site preparation steps involving the post-frame building pad and future flooring.
Editor’s Note: Do you need help finding an excavator near you? Your post-frame builder can provide a list of reliable operators in the surrounding area.
First, you must identify the exact location of your new pole barn. As you select its final resting spot, please consider the following factors:
Your Project Sales Consultant (PSC) can draw an extensive site plan to share with the excavator.
Furthermore, you can use our Design Online Tool and place the pole barn design (true to scale) on your land using Google Earth.
One of the many beauties of post-frame construction is its ability to build a pole barn year-round.
However, your excavator may shake their head in disagreement. Breaking frozen ground during the winter or digging in the mud created by spring rain showers can hinder your site preparation.
Prime excavation weather is during the summer and fall months. Typically, this time of the year is drier than others, which keeps your post-frame building perimeter accessible for construction crews and their equipment.
Avoiding weather delays will reduce associated labor costs or potential re-work regarding pole barn site preparation (i.e., ruts).
An ideal pole barn location? Check. Hired and scheduled a start date with the excavator? Check. Now, you can focus on how to structure your post-frame building pad.
The table below highlights five factors that significantly minimize condensation and strengthen your pole barn’s structural integrity.
| Elevation | Crowning your building pad from the center will direct water away from the pole barn. Proper grading will help achieve the desired elevation. |
| Size | Widening your building pad on all four sides by 10' minimizes erosion. Gradual tapering will occur. |
| Compaction | Stabilizes your building pad and reduces damage caused by common post-frame construction movement (less re-work). |
| Fill Type | Using the correct granular fill is crucial. A layer of coarse stone over the soil base creates a capillary break and promotes drainage. |
| Drainage | Corrugated tile improves subsurface drainage. Connecting the downspouts to a tile system will direct water to strategic areas. |
Altogether, your post-frame building must sit on a structurally sound foundation with a good drainage system.
Pole barn site preparation may sound tedious, but it doesn’t have to be. Download our FREE “Site Preparation: Unlock a Successful Building Project” e-book for additional post-frame construction tips.
Once your post-frame building pad is complete, you can explore your pole barn flooring options.
Again, we recommend keeping the use of your post-frame building at the forefront of your decision-making process.
Answering these simple questions will help you make an informed buying decision. Let’s get to the point of this article, shall we?
Popular examples of post-frame buildings include cold storage machine sheds and horse barns. Farm equipment can be stored in a dirt-floored pole barn. Horses can move freely and rest comfortably on a soil-based surface.
Naturally, the ground contains moisture, so grading and draining are crucial. We recommend incorporating pole barn ventilation features into your post-frame building design to avoid moisture damage.
Moreover, you can always upgrade your floor from dirt to gravel, stone, or concrete.
Unlike dirt, gravel is a superior material in terms of compaction and drainage. Plus, gravel will keep your heavy equipment relatively clean.
Over the years, you may have to rake, level, or haul more gravel inside your pole barn. But it’s still relatively low-maintenance.
Stone is the by-product of rocks being mechanically crushed. A popular type of crushed stone is limestone (1 ½” to dust).
It’s widely available and incredibly versatile. Plus, it’s less wear-and-tear on farm equipment compared to larger rocks.
Like gravel, stone is a superb fill that will manage moisture levels inside your post-frame building.
Whether you’re constructing a horse barn with an indoor riding arena or a cold storage machine shed, stone is a reliable finished floor.
It reduces the following annoyances associated with dirt, gravel, and stone flooring:
Consequently, a concrete surface is often installed in farm buildings, commercial businesses, garages, and workshops.
Concrete is available in multiple colors, finishes, and stamps (depending on the contractor). You can even add other flooring options on top of the slab.
For instance, you may install hardwood floors on top of the concrete inside your pole barn man cave, office space, or barndominium.
We recommend scoring the top layer with a broom or rake to eliminate slips or injuries if you plan to pour concrete for livestock use. You may want to invest in supplemental flooring (i.e., rubber mats) to improve animal comfort. Standing on concrete for an extended time can harm an animal.
Concrete can be expensive compared to other pole barn floors, but it’s worth the investment. Some customers don’t have to spend extra money when building a pole barn on top of an existing concrete slab.
Unfortunately, this type of flooring requires more maintenance.
Asphalt is soft, which can easily succumb to the weight of large implements.
It also has a distinct tarry smell, especially when freshly applied or heated.
Please keep the long-term maintenance cost of asphalt in mind as you compare it to the initial investment of a concrete floor.
As one of the top post-frame builders in the Midwest, we aim to recommend viable flooring options for your pole barn. Ultimately, the primary use of your post-frame building will determine which type of flooring is right for you.
You can mix and match options or keep it simple with one selection. To see what that may look like, design your own pole barn with our Design Online Tool. Save, print, or email your final floor plan to family and friends.
Are you ready to receive a free quote? Submit your post-frame building design, and a sales team member will call you to begin the estimating process.
Concrete Guidelines for Your Pole Barn
Do you have more questions about pole barn flooring that are not covered in this article? If you need help designing and planning, please contact FBi Buildings at 800.552.2981 or click here to email us. If you're ready to get a price, click here to request a quote, and a member of our Customer Engagement Team will help you determine the next steps of your project.