There's no business that needs as much storage as a farm. From the feed to tools to storing produce before it's shipped out, there's a lot that needs to be handled. Unfortunately, if you make a wrong choice, you could be setting yourself up for failure.
These are the top things to consider when building your agricultural warehouse and how these decisions could shape how well this building works for you.
Why Build an Agricultural Warehouse?
Agricultural warehouses are vital for so many parts of owning a farm. From their ability to work as storage for the machinery and equipment you need for running your business to the ability to allow you to store vehicles or even process the goods you grow or raise.
If you've noticed that you're running out of space, it's time to build your warehouse. It's vital to build out larger than you think you need since your farm will grow and change over time. Having too much space for storage is far better than not having enough.
Your Use Decides Your Materials
Are you going to be using this warehouse for storing produce until it can be shipped off, or is it strictly for vehicles? Every part of your warehouse needs to think through at least the next twenty years of use. If you think it'll get too hot for workers, put in exhaust fans of an HVAC system. If instead, you're worried about moisture control, it's vital that you take the time to add good insulation and water-proof paint that will be able to stand up against anything.
Eventually, how you use this warehouse may change over time, but it's important that it can handle your current needs. Set up a ten-year plan, and thoroughly consider how every part of the plan will need to rely on your agricultural warehouse. If all else fails, make sure the quality of the materials is above anything else.
The Importance of Insulation
What you're planning on using your agricultural warehouse for decides what materials you build it out of. Although you can be sure everything's high quality, if you're only storing vehicles in there, you may feel less inclined to use continuous insulation than you would for storing things like goods, electric equipment, and employee-used spaces.
On the other hand, if this will work as a partial office for you along with your storage, you’ll want to make sure your materials u value to r value is something that you won’t have to worry about.
Floor Drainage Matters
Drainage is one of the most important parts of an agricultural warehouse, especially if you might be storing vehicles in it. Think about how you can give the water somewhere to go and what this can mean for the rest of the building. Slightly sloped floors that lead to drains can help, and so can grates and drainage, specifically where vehicles will be parked. This will give the water somewhere to go without staining the floor.
Starting from Good Materials
The materials you build with need to be high-quality. You can still use important things like industrial pipe insulation, but you should take the time to ensure that the company you get it from is well-reviewed and that previous customers didn't have any trouble with the product.
To find good products, consider asking peers around you about which they’ve used and trusted, and listen to industry voices. This agricultural warehouse is a huge investment, so you want to make sure you’re not wasting a cent of it that you shouldn’t be.
Ability to Vertically Store
Storage is a must, yet even the best warehouse can eventually run out of space. When building yours, make sure to put in options for you to use vertical storage. You don't have to use it immediately, but it will give you the chance to lift vehicles, storage boxes, or anything else onto beams supported by load-bearing metal studs.
These open you up to an entirely new area to store things and give you more space to focus on the tasks at hand instead of the clutter of a messy space.
Dock Areas for Vehicles
Every agricultural building needs at least one door that's large enough to handle a truck or vehicle backing into it. This is both for picking up and dropping off goods. Being able to back into the building means you can ensure water never comes into contact with your goods and that you can move them in the least amount of space possible as quickly as possible.
The amount of doors depends on your type of building and the size you'll need. A 20,000 sq ft warehouse is going to need far more entrances than something a quarter of its size.
Your Agricultural Warehouse Should Be Carefully Designed
Whether your farm grows produce or you exclusively raise livestock, you will need storage to help keep your building running. Consider the materials and perks you need, and build it intelligently.
Comments(0)