When considering the purchase of a new building it is important that the farmer should look carefully at the credentials of the contractor. South Lincs Construction's guarantee is that when our quotation arrives on your desk, it has been written to show that the building will be designed and constructed in accordance with the requirement of BS5502 Class 2 (agricultural buildings) or BS5950 (packing sheds etc). These British Standards lay down such things as the steelwork section sizes and weights used to construct the columns and rafters for any given size of building out under the weight and downward pressures of the roof rafters and cladding.

It is best if grain stores have specialist made grain walling installed up to a height at which you wish to store your grain. Be sure to stipulate at the outset whether it will be your intention to level fill the store to grain wall height or whether you will be going for a premium fill store, i.e. piling above wall height in the center. The stresses are quite different and the specification of the grain waling must be correct to avoid problems with collapse after a period of use.

There are a variety of drying floors, tunnels and lateral systems available at varying qualities and, hence prices. It is worth having as high a quality as you can afford. The same comments apply when considering fans and heaters. There is also the newly introduced stirring system which claims to save on drying and storage costs as well as to improve final quality. The beams to carry such a system can be included at the design stage.

In order to ensure that birds and vermin are excluded, careful thought must be given to the integral designs of the doors and entrance floor to ensure a close fit to both sides and at floor level.

Potato stores may need to be insulated to keep them cool. This can be achieved in three common ways. Insulation boards can be fixed inside the cladding, thinner lining sheets can be fixed inside the purloins and rails with the cavity filled with insulation material or the inside of the building may be sprayed with insulating foam.

Onion stores serve the dual purpose of drying the crop after harvest and then maintaining correct temperature and humidity levels until sale. Again, insulation is a factor and automatic control of fans, heater and ventilation louvres considerably eases your management of the store. It is important that these items are discussed and allowed for at the outset.

Packing sheds may, or may not, be regarded as agricultural buildings. South Lincs Construction will help to approach the Local Authority for an Agricultural Determination. If the decision goes against you, then different considerations apply. Insulated cladding will almost certainly be required and Building Control Regulations will have to be complied with, including having to supply structural engineer’s calculations to prove the building. All of this adds to the cost, but do not believe that it is worth trying to avoid it - it is even more costly to pull a building down to start again!

And then there is the archaeologist to think about. Are you liable to disturb ancient bones, rubbish tips or dwellings? And so on...!

Putting up a new farm building is not always as simple as it might seem. Ensure that you deal with South Lincs Construction who know, from experience, how to tackle your project in the right way and with the minimum of fuss and, ultimately, minimum bother.