# Vapor barrier in bar floor



## aehunt

I am looking a good way to keep moisture off the bottom row of hay. We are currently using pallets and they work good but Is time consuming. Has anyone tried or know of anyone that has tried putting down a vapor barrier, like some thick plastic wrap or a woven mat down then putting gravel over the top to eliminate moisture on the bottom row of hay. I could see the the plastic wrap working well just didn't know if it would hold moisture if it ever got in the barn. I could see the woven mat working better because it would allow some moisture to pass through but didn't know if would create a good enough barrier to keep moisture out.


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## Vol

If you are going to go the plastic/mat route.....put down heavy mil plastic and then cover with landscape cloth and then your gravel.

Regards, Mike


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## aehunt

Why is that


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## Vol

Landscape cloth keeps gravel from puncturing plastic. How about putting in your general location by editing your profile and folks may be able to answer your questions with more relevance to your locale. Welcome to haytalk.

Regards, Mike


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## HayMike

Asphalt, 100% effective and permanent. Easy clean-up, too.


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## aehunt

Ground asphalt or actually laid asphalt.. And how thick?


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## somedevildawg

aehunt said:


> Ground asphalt or actually laid asphalt.. And how thick?


How you are loading makes a difference, but with farm tractors and farm budgets  I generally opt for crushed or milled asphalt.....shoot for 3-4" thick. It's a pita to level, gonna need some shovel helpers....


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## somedevildawg

Welcome to haytalk .....


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## aehunt

we have used ground asphalt in other barns moisture still got through, not enough to totally ruin bales but enough to give the hay a bad smell. We put up small square bale for horses. so it looking for away to eliminate moisture.


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## aehunt

Vol said:


> If you are going to go the plastic/mat route.....put down heavy mil plastic and then cover with landscape cloth and then your gravel.
> 
> Regards, Mike


How mills thick should the plastic be. Have you used this before?


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## Vol

aehunt said:


> How mills thick should the plastic be. Have you used this before?


Get plastic as thick as possible....usually co ops etc. will keep it in 100' rolls and 25' wide....sometimes larger sizes. It is best to do this right after the barn is emptied to give time for the gravel moisture to evaporate before stacking.

Regards, Mike


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## somedevildawg

And don't forget that heavy duty landscape fabric to protect the vapor barrier, once it's compromised all bets are off......regardless of the way you accomplish it, you need to get the bales off the ground/floor. I used to have a barn with a concrete floor, still best to put the bales in the air above the concrete (via 2x6's laid flat) and yes still a pita.....


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## aehunt

somedevildawg said:


> And don't forget that heavy duty landscape fabric to protect the vapor barrier, once it's compromised all bets are off......regardless of the way you accomplish it, you need to get the bales off the ground/floor. I used to have a barn with a concrete floor, still best to put the bales in the air above the concrete (via 2x6's laid flat) and yes still a pita.....


Ya on concrete bales still need to be off the ground, especially alfalfa bc the plant is still respiring when put in the barn, not to mention concrete will sweat. I was wondering if I got some
Sort of vapor barrier down with about 5 inches of rock on top of that. If that would create a moisture free area, or whatever moisture is in the air at the time of stacking, if that will be enough of a buffer to prevent hay from molding or getting that smell that grass hay gets.


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## somedevildawg

aehunt said:


> Ya on concrete bales still need to be off the ground, especially alfalfa bc the plant is still respiring when put in the barn, not to mention concrete will sweat. I was wondering if I got some
> Sort of vapor barrier down with about 5 inches of rock on top of that. If that would create a moisture free area, or whatever moisture is in the air at the time of stacking, if that will be enough of a buffer to prevent hay from molding or getting that smell that grass hay gets.


Perhaps, try it and see........I personally don't like rock, just not stable enuf for my tastes.....


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## Bruce Hopf

My hay shed, has a gravel floor, in it, and it can get pretty damp, especially in the spring. What I did, was stack two skids, one on top of the other, placed vapor barrier, ontop of the skids, and then, partial board seating, on top of the vapor barrier. Sure it's time consuming, but worth it, in the end.


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## gearhartfarms82

Best way with no problems ever is a row of straw. We bale both so its no biggie for us to use.


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## Coondle

I have a very dry climate to work with and only do dry hay.

My shed has a 150mm (6inch) concrete floor with a vapour barrier under it but moisture in the concrete is still a problem 7 years after the build.

I use a plastic vapour barrier laid in 4 metre (14 foot) widths but sweating of the hay if baled and carted the same day can be an issue so I put a thin layer of straw or hay from a busted hay bale that is better than a day old - just enough that you cannot clearly see the plastic through the layer and no problems at all.

Grain received points (silos) here have asphalt as flooring and not concrete because the grain sweats on the concrete.

If I was building hay storage again milled asphalt would be my first choice after my experience with concrete.

My 0.02 cents worth but with the current exchange rate it is only worth 0.152 cents for those in the USA.


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## somedevildawg

Ok Kevin, I can't in good conscience put up with it.......here we are struggling up here in the states and you feel it necessary to come along and undercut us with the exchange rate.....dirty pool Kevin.


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## Coondle

Dawg, although the exchange rate fluctuates: a while ago $1 Au bought $1.10 US now my $1.00 only buys $0.76 US hence my 0.02 cents only gets 0.152 cents over there.

Not trying to undercut you, but I don't want to oversell or overrate myself. To get 0.02 cents US it would make my opinion worth nearly 0.03 cents here.

No matter how good I think I am, I know deep down that my opinion is not worth 3 cents even of our deflated money.


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## HayMike

Actual hot, rolled asphalt, binder only, no seal coat. 3 inches thick, over compacted crushed concrete. No bad bales with dry hay after 5 years.

Mike


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