Photo by Local Shed Solution
Whether you’re setting up a new agricultural business, or you renovating your existing farm, it may be the perfect opportunity to enhance your storage facilities. One of the more effective ways to do this is by adding a shed.
While machinery sheds are an excellent way to create storage for everything from machinery to hay bales, many Australians are looking for more ways to simplify their storage processes. With this in mind, many suppliers are recommending that farmers consider giving their sheds a drive-through feature.
What is the Drive-Through Concept?
The drive-through concept in shedding structures involves a regular shed having two long walls with the gable ends left open. This means that you can, as the name implies, literally drive through the shed. The absence of doors or four walls makes it easier to get vehicles in and out without too much effort.
This design involves constructing your shed in such a way that you can access it from both sides. Doing this means that you can easily drive into the shed from whichever side of your farm you’re coming. It may also make storage quicker and easier, especially if you’re rushing to get items in there when the weather is picking up!
Drive-Through Sheds are Super Convenient
Farm work can be challenging enough without having to deal with issues such as a sudden storm, a lack of storage, and difficulty getting machinery in and out of a shed or garage. With that in mind, many farmers are implementing simple but effective ways to make storing and moving machinery much easier. If you’re still not convinced that a drive-through shed is the best option for your storage needs, then this post is a must-read!
- Drive-Through Feature Simplifies Everything
Having a shed is an absolute must on any farm. However, your shed shouldn’t be difficult to access or be time-consuming to reach when there’s a storm brewing. Being able to drive through your shed means you don’t have to drive around your shed to get machinery or anything else stored. There’s always no need to stress about opening and closing doors.
- Quick and Easy Parking
If you’ve ever had to park a big vehicle in a small garage then you’ll know how challenging that can be. This can be made even more difficult with some machines being quite big and bulky.
Having a shed with doors also requires that you get the machines in far enough to get the doors closed. The drive-through feature allows for quick and easy parking. No doors on either side also make reversing out a breeze.
- You Can Maximise Your Entrance Width
Your drive-through machinery shed can also be constructed with an entry width to accommodate larger machines such as tractors. There’s no need to deal with bulky doors as well as the costs associated with door frames and fixtures.
- Automatically Has an Increased Clearance Height
Unlike many standard sheds or garage structures, machinery sheds are designed with a pitched roof, instantly offering a higher clearance height. This means that your shed will accommodate any machinery upgrades that you may invest in.
- Wide Selection of Customizable Options
You may think that a machinery shed has a reasonably standard design, but you may be surprised to learn just how customizable these structures actually are. Significantly, high frames and open ends make it easy to increase the average shed size.
However, these aren’t the only customizable features to look forward to. Some of the more popular of these include the following:
- Sliding or roller doors (if you opt for doors)
- Fibreglass skylights
- Multiple flooring options such as concrete, natural, or a combination of both (floors are a good idea to add stability for your machinery, especially in the rain)
- Roof ventilation
- Windows (not usually added to sheds, but it would depend on your farm’s requirements)
- Designed for Australian Climates
Many machinery sheds in Australia are designed with materials that have a Category 2 wind rating. This means that the materials used can withstand extreme heat, cyclones, and most other weather phenomena. This means that your machinery will be safe in a storm. You can also use the excess space to store hay bales to prevent them from getting wet.
- More Cost-Effective than Multiple Sheds
In a traditional setting, you may have had more than one shed on your farm, especially if you had to store machinery, hay, and other sundries. This could have been quite costly. However, having one large drive-through shed means that you only need one simple space to store anything you need. In an emergency, you can even place animals under the shelter of your shed.
Final Thoughts
There are many reasons to opt for a drive-through machinery shed. Not only will it simplify the process of storing your machinery, but it will also create the perfect space to store just about anything else. With the benefits listed in this post, it’s clear that your farm will definitely benefit from the simplicity and efficiency of a drive-through machinery shed!