Underfloor ventilation system helps cut energy costs and boost crop quality

Low running costs and faster cooling speed are not always at the top of the speci cation list when planning the ventilation system for a new grain store. But with increasing ambient temperatures during storage, and larger store designs, e ective fast cooling has become more di cult to achieve.

Martin Lishman says its FloorVent under oor ventilation system o ers fast, energy saving cooling in a coste ective package. Utilising the same high-air ow perforated tube as the company’s popular Pile-Dry Pedestals, FloorVent pedestals are spaced out across the store and use under oor ducts connected to highly e cient Pile-Dry cooling fans on the exterior of the building to expel hot air to the atmosphere.

Aimed primarily at new store builds, the FloorVent installation process can be completed using standard materials sourced from building merchants, which can greatly reduce installation costs. Retro tting existing stores is also possible: Martin Lishman recently supplied a FloorVent system for a refurbished 11,000t grain store in France.

“Placing fans outside the store allows warm air to discharge directly out of the building so it can be replaced by cool air drawn in through the building’s air intake louvres,” explains Joel Capper, managing director of Martin Lishman Ltd. “This removes the possibility of warm air being drawn back into the grain as cooling takes place, and avoids the need for building extraction fans, allowing further savings on installation and energy costs. The addition of our automatic fan control and temperature monitoring systems can increase the e ciency of FloorVent even further.”

The FloorVent duct sections can be replaced with manhole covers, allowing di erent sections of the building to be used for storage in a exible manner, and to make loading and unloading easier. Some customers have even used this design feature for cooling di erent varieties of crop in the same store.

For more information on FloorVent, visit: www.martinlishman.com FG

Farm buildings o er an opportunity for another source of income, and often that income can be far greater than the farming operations, says chartered surveyor Salter & McKenna.

Depending on your location and the type of buildings on your farm, some buildings may be suitable for conversion to residential – for either rental income or an injection of capital on disposal – or for commercial uses.

Salter & Mckenna has undertaken numerous conversions of farm buildings to residential and commercial uses. Commercial opportunities include holiday lets, farm shops, livery, commercial o ces, machinery dealerships, car sales, upholstery and brewing, to name a few.

The starting point is an appraisal of the buildings and analysis of the opportunities available in your area. Once the appraisal has been completed, planning applications can be made to obtain consent for a change of use. Detailed construction drawings can be produced and Building Control consent obtained.

An important part of the building process which is often overlooked by farmers is the Construction Design Regulations 2015, the rm reckons. All construction work is covered by the CDM Regulations and farmers have a legal obligation to comply. Contact Alice or Cameron for further advice. FG

With harvest coming up, now is the time to start thinking about your new building, says Harry Groome of FGA Group Ltd: “With there still being uncertainty with materials prices, which are now stable and in some instances starting to drop, it is the time to act to ensure you don’t get caught out with any market movements that could occur going forward.”

Soaring costs have impacted the overall cost of building projects, meaning farmers are generally taking more time to make decisions on buildings. But a building is for life and should be looked at as a long-term investment, Harry adds. Lead times, on the other hand, have improved signi cantly, making it easier for everyone involved to plan a project.

FGA Group Ltd was founded by Harry and Julian Arrowsmith in 2020 and has since continued to grow, taking on more and more clients from across the country, which has been very positive given the economic situation, Harry says.

The company is focused on the supply and install of farm and industrial buildings nationwide. It provides the complete build from planning, groundworks, cladding, concrete slabs and the supply and erection of all buildings. FGA Group Ltd is also a distributor for the Mecmar mobile grain drier range, which includes models that can handle both small and large batches of grain, and are easily transportable. FG

You can improve the welfare of your chickens by ensuring clean housing as far as possible. It has never been more important for farm managers to maintain a safe and healthy environment for their birds by keeping poultry houses free from pathogens. In order to prevent the spread of disease, Big Dutchman has developed anti-roost wire for di users of exhaust air chimneys, acting as a deterrent to prevent birds from perching on the di user and depositing droppings. This convenient solution is ideal for houses with high hygiene requirements. Available for all types and sizes of chimney, anti-roost wire is easy to install and maintain once installed correctly. Controlling bacteria by removing the risk of pathogens in droppings from entering the chimney, the aim is to keep disease in poultry houses to an absolute minimum.

Newquip is the sole UK mainland supplier of Big Dutchman pig and poultry products. For further information, call Newquip’s head o ce directly or visit www.newquip.co.uk FG