If you store hay in agricultural buildings in Pittsburgh, are you aware of the fire risks related to hay storage? Improperly stored hay can catch on fire without a spark! As pole barn builders in Pittsburgh, we want to help keep you, your hay, your animals, and your barns safe.
Hay Fire Risks
When excessively moist (over 20% moisture) hay is baled and stored inside a poorly ventilated barn, bacteria can reproduce quickly in the center of the bale. As the bacteria multiply, the temperature inside the bale can rise to as high as 175⁰F. If temperatures remain this high, the hay may catch fire without a spark.
Don’t Store Hay in the Same Building Where Your House Livestock
Even if you are careful to bale your hay or straw when moisture levels are low, it is best to always keep it in a building without any animals (or people) inside. If a mistake is made during baling or storage, you don’t want to lose all your hay and animals at the same time.
Install Smart Smoke Detectors
Standard smoke detectors are incredibly useful if you can hear the alarm sound. Unfortunately, most standard smoke detectors don’t have alarms that can be heard inside post frame buildings in Pittsburgh from a significant distance. Instead of standard detectors, purchase a smart smoke detector that will send an alert to your phone whenever the alarm sounds. Smart detectors are more expensive than the standard ones but pale in comparison to the cost of a barn full of hay.
Keep Your Hay Dry and the Barn Ventilated
Many farmers choose to store their hay on pallets to increase ventilation and promote drying. Pallets are an excellent idea, but be sure your barn is well-ventilated as well. Roof vents, cupolas, and even exhaust fans can help keep the air fresh and temperatures down inside your barn.
Don’t Stack Bales Too High
Be careful not to stack bales too high or too close together. Poorly stacked hay is not only a fire hazard but is at risk of falling on anyone inside the barn.
MQS Structures – Pole and Custom Horse Barn Builders in Pittsburgh
At MQS Structures, we are post-frame and pole barn building specialists. If your barn needs repair or you are interested in building new farm buildings in Pittsburgh, we can work with you to ensure you get exactly the building you want. If you want to build a Pittsburgh garage hobby shop, we can help with that too. We can build a highly functional and attractive building no matter what you need.
Our founder and owner, Caleb Miller, began his building career with his Amish Mennonite family and applies the same work ethic and expert craftsmanship to all the agricultural buildings in Pittsburgh we put up.
Call us today at (855) 677-3334, or contact us online to receive a free quote on your next project. We look forward to hearing from you soon! We also offer a free mock-up service on our website to help you visualize how your farm buildings in Pittsburgh will look.
