Good storage is essential to protecting your farm machinery from weather damage and keeping your equipment safe to operate. There are a number of things to make sure are included and considered when building your machinery shed.
Ventilation
If your shed is fully enclosed, it is important to make sure that it has good ventilation – particularly if you will also be using your shed as a machinery storage/workshop shed.
Good ventilation provides effective air movement through the shed and makes for more comfortable working conditions.
Some ways to provide adequate ventilation and air movement include incorporating ‘whirly bird’ vents on the roof or installing sliding doors that can be opened when you have machinery running inside the shed.
Lighting
Consider what lighting options and positions will work best for you.
Skylights can be installed in the walls and/or the roof to take advantage of natural light during the day.
Hi-bay lights can also prove to be invaluable when doing work during night/low light hours and can be easily suspended from the roof structure.
Access
The machinery that you will be storing in the shed will determine the access options and configuration to use for you shed.
Access options for a fully enclosed shed or a shed with one or more lock-up bays include personal access doors, roller doors or an Action Steel custom sliding door system.
If you need wide access for your machinery, a common option is to create a double bay opening using a girder truss.
Alternatively, a drive-through configuration allows you to access the shed from the gable end.
Loading & Unloading
A cantilevered canopy can provide further protection for your machinery especially during loading/unloading.
Otherwise, if you aren’t sure of your long-term storage plans, provision can be made for a skillion extension in the future.
To make loading and unloading your machinery shed quicker and easier, ensure that the shed site is clean and clear and there is room allowed for turning circles of large machinery.
Useful Links
What size shed do I need for my machinery?
Working out how to fit all your machinery and equipment into your shed can be like a jigsaw puzzle. If you’re building a new farm machinery shed, you’ll need to address this issue in the planning stage.
Which way should my shed face?
Although it can depend on your location, and the environment surrounding your proposed shed site, we usually recommend that you face your shed east.
Learn about the pros and cons of each orientation option here.
What are the fire design requirements for farm sheds in Victoria?
Under the revised building code there are two classifications for structures built on ‘Farming Zone’ land; a “Farm Shed” and a “Farm Building”.
These classifications have different requirements for fire regulations.
Farm machinery shed and workshop shed range
Download our Machinery Shed and Workshop Shed Range Brochure to learn about our cost-effective and carefully designed range of sheds.
