Beating the Heat
Summer has arrived, bringing on long days, high humidity levels, and sweltering heat. Many areas of the US frequently see incredibly high temperatures during these months. For most, it’s an uncomfortable part of the season. But for animals, it can be grueling. And that’s precisely why, if you own horses, pets, or livestock, you’ll need to make special preparations to keep them cool and in the shade.
Providing adequate shelter and water supplies for animals has been a historically expensive endeavor. At least, until now! A prefab metal building is a fantastic, cost-effective way of giving these animals a cool spot to escape the heat. Let’s look at how these structures have changed the game for farmers and pet owners!
UVB Rays and Your Animal’s Health
Believe it or not, the heat and high temperatures aren’t the only things animal owners need to worry about during the summer heat. While some animals have natural methods of keeping safe from the sun, harsh UVB rays can be quite harmful to animals exposed for extended periods. Even on overcast days, these UV rays can burn the skin of animals. Like humans, pets and livestock with fairer skin and coats are more susceptible to sunburn.
For many animals, aside from direct sunburns, overexposure to UVB rays can affect overall livestock productivity. In dairy cows, this can cause decreased milk production. In sheep, it can severely affect the quality of wool.
And while UV exposure is a major issue with many agricultural experts, the heat is also a danger for many herds. Cattle, horses, and pets are vulnerable to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death. Pigs and dogs are especially susceptible to extreme temperatures due to their natural inability to sweat.
This is precisely why it’s crucial, as an animal owner, to understand your animals, how they handle extreme temperatures, and how best to provide them with the necessary shelter to keep them cool and safe.
The Best Ways to Protect Animals from the Heat
Sure, you’ll probably see at least one old wooden barn dotting the landscape on most rural farms. But in recent years, with the prices of lumber soaring, finding ample shelter for your animals has become quite costly. However, thanks to the affordability of prefab metal buildings, keeping your livestock, horses, and pets safe and cool has never been easier. Let’s take a look at a few ways these building types are used to protect animals from the summer heat.
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Metal Carports
Simple in design, a metal carport is an excellent way to give your animals a cool, shaded spot to bed down during the day’s heat. Combined with a sustainable watering system and your animals will have it made.
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Metal Barns
Metal barns are a bit of a step up in terms of protection. These fully-enclosed metal buildings are highly customizable, giving you the power to design a structure that works for you and your animals.
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Steel Livestock Shelters
A steel shelter is much like a metal barn in many respects, except it’s designed specifically to house livestock. These buildings typically have larger-sized doors for ventilation that allow groups of cattle to enter and exit the building. These doors and windows also provide plenty of ventilation.
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Pet Shelter
Your fur babies need to stay cool, too! Luckily, prefab steel structures are flexible enough to be transformed for any application. These buildings can be customized and outfitted with a wide range of extras to keep your pups happy and comfortable. From dedicated wash areas to kennels, fencing, and everything in between, a metal building can help make taking care of all four-legged friends that much easier.
Tips for Keeping Your Animal Shelters Cool
Purchasing a metal building is a significant investment! And with any such investment, it pays to perform the necessary research to maximize its potential. To this, we’ve put together a few ways you can ensure your new metal building stays cool no matter the weather outside.
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Insulate Your Steel Buildings
By installing insulation in your new metal building, your structure will be less prone to moisture infiltration and will maintain a more even ambient internal temperature. Combined with natural ventilation, your structure will remain cool and comfortable even on the hottest days.
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Use Natural Cooling to Your Advantage
Construct your building in a naturally shaded area with trees and vegetation if possible. This can significantly reduce the overall temperature of your structure.
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Choose the Right Ventilation
Having natural, passive ventilation is a great way to reduce the overall internal temperature. But combining this with active ventilation such as fans and blowers will ensure that your structure is always cool.
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Pick a Lighter Color for Your Building
Believe it or not, color dramatically affects how your building handles heat. For example, choosing a lighter color for your building’s exterior can reduce the internal temperature on hot summer days.
Design and Customize Your New Metal Building Today with Get Carports
No matter where you call home, you can beat the heat with a quality prefab metal building from Get Carports. With years of experience delivering quality structures at affordable prices, we can help you choose the perfect building for you and your family. We have it all, from metal garages to horse barns and even metal building kits! So, if you’ve been looking for a great, cost-effective way to keep your animals safe and sheltered during the summer months, you’ve come to the right place!
Our structures are strong, resistant to the elements, and designed to last a lifetime with minimal maintenance needs.
Operating on a budget? We can help! Get Carports is proud to offer fantastic financing options that give everyone the ability to own a metal building regardless of budget! And if financing isn’t quite your thing, we also have a great assortment of rent-to-own packages. So, give us a call today at +1 800 691 5221 to begin the process of designing and customizing your new building!
