In depth details

We have been manufacturing and fitting stables for well over 30 years, and have developed our product to withstand years of hammering that they could well receive. Remember that a cheap horse can kick as hard as an expensive horse. 
As we are market leaders we understand the need to have quality materials, good design and safety features all at an affordable price. However you usually find that you do eventually get what you pay for. To give the customer peace of mind and value for money, we can confirm that all staff are employed by Warwick Buildings, and that we have been in the stabling business for well over 30 years.

Starting from the base upwards, please read this description to understand more about Warwick Stables. 
When looking through some of the specifications of others they seem to be able to provide the stables at less than cost price. this can only be down to differences in finish and materials used. To help you select the stables that are right for you, please use the following guide to assist your decision making.  
 

Base Details

We require you to supply a concrete pad and a course of bricks. The bricks act as a damp proof course and lift the timber away from urine and rainwater. We don't require two bricks high as they could be knocked out by a horse rolling in the stable. 

We bolt the stables down with our own design of bolt that secures the bottom rail and stop it splitting when the horse rubs against the walls - these are hidden behind the kickboards, so that there are no screws or bolts around the edge that could potentially pull a shoe off. 

 

Sections

The walls of the stables are built using 4"x2" framing from Scandinavia - at 600mm centres. We select a 5th grade redwood timber (even though the colour is white) as the growth rings are close together. The closer the growth rings the stronger the timber. In addition to this - the grade of the timber determines the amount of knot holes. You can purchase 5th grade or 6th grade for structural work, and 4th grade for joinery work - 5ths and 6ths is what you normally get if you buy prepared or par softwood in your local timber or builders merchants, usually Scandinavian or Russian redwood. 7ths is what you get if you go to the likes of B and Q - very poor quality and horrible to work with. The highest grade (unsorted) is used by the bespoke joinery manufacturers who require timber without knots or shakes.

 

Note that strength grading does not take in to account the appearance of the timber, and by having a CLS timber usually means that there will be a stamp mark on it that you will be able to see. The CLS timbers are likely to be Whitewoods, which are faster grown and are therefore not as strong as the slow grown redwoods.
In Scandinavia the mills have to comply with strict FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) regulations to ensure that trees are replanted in place of the ones cut down and used for your stables. Timber from the baltic areas do not have the same guidelines so in effect you could purchase timber from forests that are not being harvested.
Russian timber does not have as good a grading system, even though they might have the same grading number. This means that you are more likely to get shakes and splits in Russian timber even if it has a grading number. In the construction industry 5th grade Scandinavian Redwood is about the best available, followed by 6th Scandinavian redwood, and 5th grade Russian. The whitewoods are quite well down the scale. 

 

Once the framing has been made, the cladding is nailed on with rust resisting nails. The cladding is Scandinavian redwood shiplap, that is tanalised to protect against rot and fungal decay. The cladding is 16mm x 125mm and is from FSC forests. The wall sections are 7'1" high plus the brick course. 

 

Redwood Grain (Slow Grown)	White Wood Grain (Fast Grown)

The size of framing
Stabling for horses should be constructed using 4" timber as this will take the stresses of a large horse rubbing up against the walls of the building, whilst 3" framing would usually be used for pony stables. Did you know that the diffrence between hardwood and softwood timbers is the reproductive seeds on a hardwood tree are in a shell or fruit, and the softwood seeds are not. This is why not all hardwoods are hard, for example balsa wood and cedar woods are "soft" woods. 

Roofing

Most manufacturers only span the gap between trusses with 100mm purlins, which can sag under thier own weight across that span - especially if using white wood and not redwood. We have learnt over the years that the building needs 125mm x 50mm purlins to span the standard width stables, and even more so for foaling boxes. Trusses that are not sat on partitions (for hay stores or field shelters) need to be strengthened to stop future sagging. Some manufacturers do not provide this as standard. 

The roofing material also needs consideration. Most manufacturers use Onduline as the preferred product, as it is quick to fit, and allows ventilation, along with being quieter than its metal equivalent. Onduline has a manufacturers guarantee but to increase its life expectancy, we find that boarding under the Onduline will reduce future sagging that naturally occurs over time.

 

We provide our unique offset apex roof, as the maximum height of the stable is directly over the centre of the horse, thus allowing more ventilation to the the stable itself. The 3ft high truss ensures excellent head room for the tallest of horses, so that there is not a claustrophobic feel to the stable. The roof trusses are made in house with the same strength timber, and feature a joist bar to support the weight of the joists - a stronger design than joist hangers.  

5" Purlins needed to span 12ft between trusses - and louvre vent

Ventilation
To create better ventilation you need require higher pitched roofs (which means more roofing material) and vents on the gable ends. To create an airflow throughout the building a rear top door is the best option as you can open and close it to increase and reduce the air flow accordingly. Our offset apex design increases the amount of air flow within the centre of the stable and at the ridge. The ridge is also and important part of the air flow,  as this allows the warm air to escape and allow the required circulation. 

Should you require more light in the stables, we offer opaque roof sheets to let the light in, as these last a lot longer that the clear sheets offered by competitors - the light penetration is nearly as good, but they don't crack and dry out from the sunshine.

Front guttering is included - however rear guttering is always priced as an optional extra.

Canopy Lining & 3" Thick Doors

The canopy is lined to deflect the wind away from the underside of the roof, which means that the Onduline won't blow off the roof in the worst of the weather. Canopies to the front are a standard feature, however the front overhang could be vulnerable to the roof lifting off if the canopy is not lined. Canopies over 1m are liable to sagging in the future, and can cause the top doors not to open or shut easily.

Doors & Windows 

We understand that the vulnerable areas require chew strip protection, hence we were among the first to supply a 16" plate to the front of the bottom doors, and fully around the door frame. The same with the leading edge of the top door, which is at risk when the horses are in the stables looking out over the doors. Our top doors are lined, to ensure that they don't drop out of shape shortly after arriving, and our bottom doors are probably the thickest on the market. Chew strips to the door frames are a must for those looking to prolong the lifespan of the stables. This is the vulnerable area where the horse stands at the door and chews the edge of the timber that is easily reached. The same is for the front of the door, as the 18" chew plate protects the door from horses scraping their teeth up and down the door. For those looking to completely protect the door, the back metal door plates protect as much of the door as possible. 
 

Doors on the lower spec stables tend to be very thin and flimsy, and are usually made with T&G boarding onto 1" framing. Obviously this is the part of the stable that is designed to keep your horse in, and although a strong bolt can be fitted, chances are a cheap bolt is included. Better grade stables tend to have 3" thick stable doors, which are up to the job.

The windows are joinery grade windows and feature a sill, 2 blade louver and a galvanised grille. 

Chew Strips to Door Frame	No Chew Strips

Finishing Touches
The edge of the onduline is also a vulnerable area and in most cases the onduline is simply bent over the edge of the apex and nailed on, although in some cases it is simply left open to the elements at the edge of the building, with the ridge capping doing the same. For a better finish, barge boards and verge trims are required and are often supplied with the more expensive ranges. 

Manufacturing & Design
The edge of the onduline is also a vulnerable area and in most cases the onduline is simply bent over the edge of the apex and nailed on, although in some cases it is simply left open to the elements at the edge of the building, with the ridge capping doing the same. For a better finish, barge boards and verge trims are required and are often supplied with the more expensive ranges. 

Cheaper shiplap or T&G boarding is also prone to more shrinkage due to the design and thickness of the boards, which in turn means that gaps will appear through the outside boarding shortly after the first dry spell. Better quality shiplaps tend to have deeper T&G patterns to allow the standard movement to take place without adverse effect. roof is a very important part of the stable structure as it is more than just a large shed in the garden, as it has to span 12ft between trusses, and withstand the winter and summer weather patterns. 

To give you a comparison to work to, we use the following items.

100mm Scandinavian redwood framing - 5th grade which is planed all round
Scandinavian redwood cladding which is tanalised - 16mm x 125mm
Scandinavian redwood joists - 125mm x 50mm to take the weight of the roof
Scandinavian redwood kickboards - 22mm thick to 1200mm high - with noggins at 600mm and 1200mm
Chew strips to the complete door frame
75mm thick bottom doors - with 22mm T&G boarding, 40mm framing and 12mm plywood lining
Chew plate to front of bottom door
50mm thick top doors with plywood lining
Joinery grade windows with galvanised grilles
Lined canopy to 1m
Onduline Roof (Can have OSB boarding as option)
Barge Boards and Ridge Capping
Cover strips to corners
Bolted to concrete base
3ft high truss for improved ventilation