I need some advise from you great folks. I will be breaking ground next month to have an indoor arena built and I want to make sure I do it right. One of my main concerns is the footing, but I'm also interested to hear how others have built their own indoor arenas and what they like and dislike about them. I would also like to hear opinions from riders who have ridden in indoor arenas. What they like and don't like.

This is going it be a fairly basic arena due to budget constraints. So far my plan is to have a 60' X 150' X 14' sized arena built that will have a sliding door on each end large enough for a tractor to pull through and a side door for people to walk through. I also would like skylights to let the natural light in.

Questions:

1) How important is insulation in the ceiling. I live in the south where it gets pretty dang hot in the summer time.

2) What type of footing do you have in your arena and what do you like and/or dislike about it.  My concern is dust and being on well water it's difficult to use large amounts of water at any one time without exhausting the water in the well.

3) What types of lights do you use in your arena?

4) Are fans necessary since it will be a metal pole barn type structure?

5) What would you do different with your indoor arena if you were to start from scratch?

I am hoping to receive lots of responses so please tell me your thoughts.

THANK YOU!

PS. If anyone can recommend a great contractor in the middle TN area that has experience building pole barns, let me know.

How lucky you are to be getting your own indoor arena!   I ride at 2 in this area - One is closed in w/  big roll up doors on 3 sides.. very stuffy even w/ the doors open.   the other has sides maybe 4 ft. high and open to the roof but w/ about 3 ft over hang all around.  that arena is much more pleasant to ride in- great ventilation and even when it snows or rains the inside rarely gets wet. 

good luck!

acy,

I have thought of just going with the covered arena instead of a fully inclosed one, but I worry about the winter winds. It seems like it would be extra cold if it were a cold windy day. I just want to make sure that it will be able to be used year around.

I appreciate those who have taken the time to answer my questions and I hope to receive a lot more, so please keep them coming.

Some thoughts:

If you are building a steel structure, you will want a white painted roof surface to reflect as much heat as possible. You will also need a large continuous ridge vent the entire length, with continuous soffet vents on each side.

With a 14' ceiling, you may not need roof insulation, if you have adequate doors and the vents. Fans can be added later if they are needed. Our arena has 14' walls with a roof peak 15' higher. The trusses space contains the roof's heat, and the arena temperature is the shaded amount of ambient air temperature.

With a steel building, the outside wall colouring can differ from the inside. Have the inside white, for a greater reflectivity. Make your sliding doors at least 14' wide to allow a large truck or hay wagon to easily enter. Anything less can end up with damaged framing.

We also use river bottom sand. Do not use washed masonary sand. We researched the many man made surfaces that are available, and like the sand. IT IS DUSTY and needs to be watered. However if you mix a liberal amount of Calcium Chloride to the sand, it will hold the moisture much longer, reducing the amounts of watering and dust.

Depending on your location, you may not want an open roofed structure. If your area has high winds, some companies will not warranty their buildings against wind damage. With an open structure, the roof acts like an umbrella and the entire structure can be damaged. Closed walls prevent the winds from entering under the roof.

We use 220V, 1500 W quartz halogen lighting fixtures. There are newer types that are more enery efficient. Check with a lighting company or the internet for the best efficiency/cost values.

If I were to start over, I would win the lottery and have the arena heated and air conditioned.

BOL

Just a thought... If you decided to go with open sides, you can have curtains added to the sides that will help on the coldest of days.  Honestly, in West and Middle TN there are very few days that are just unbearable to ride with open sides.

Are you talking pole barn style? If so I would go with concrete footings sized to the soil bearing in your area. As far as insulation goes ...I would at the very least use "bubble wrap" insulation on top of the purlins before steel goes on. This creates a thermal break so that on cool damp days the steel does not condensate and rain in the building.

docgj