Right arrow Agricultural Storage Building Flooring

Flooring Solutions for
Agricultural Storage Buildings

Q: What type of floor is suitable for grain stores and general purpose farm sheds?

Grain stores and multi-use farm sheds generally perform best with a properly designed concrete slab laid to suitable falls, with local resurfacing used in areas that see repeated scraping or bucket work. In cleaner storage zones, polished concrete can be used to improve light levels and make housekeeping easier.

Q: Can you install a new concrete floor inside an existing steel-framed building?

Yes. The existing base is assessed, weak material is removed and a new slab can be installed around existing stanchions, grain walls and door lines to suit the loads and use of the building.

Q: How do you deal with mud, water and run-off at shed entrances?

Entrance design looks at levels, yard falls and drainage so new floors encourage water to run away from the building. Thresholds and simple channels can be added to reduce standing water and cut down on mud carried into the shed.

Q: Will the floor cope with heavy farm machinery and regular scraping?

When slab thickness, reinforcement and surface systems are chosen for farm traffic and scraping patterns, the floor can support tractors, loaders and trailers while standing up to frequent scraping in busy zones.

Q: Can you improve an older patchwork floor without demolishing the entire slab?

Often yes. Failed toppings and weak patches can be removed, with major defects repaired and a levelling resurfacing system installed to create a more consistent, easy-to-clean surface without full demolition.

Q: How long before I can store grain or park machinery on a new floor?

New concrete needs a controlled curing period before being subjected to heavy machinery or bulk storage. Guidance is provided for each project so you know when light use and full loading can safely begin.

Warehouse Flooring Solutions installs reinforced concrete floors for barns, polished concrete finishes and concrete resurfacing systems in agricultural storage buildings across the UK. Floors are planned around grain handling, bulk produce, fertiliser, feed and machinery so sheds stay practical all year round.

20 +

Years
Experience in Farm & Rural Flooring

Agricultural storage buildings must cope with tractors and trailers, grain pushing, palletised inputs and seasonal cleaning. We install and upgrade floors that work with your ventilation, drainage and loading arrangements, helping sheds handle changing uses from harvest to winter housing or machinery storage.

Our Expertise

Flooring Needs in Agricultural Storage Buildings

Agricultural storage buildings are asked to do many jobs over the year. The same shed may hold grain and pulses at harvest, fertiliser and seed in spring, with machinery or bales parked inside during quieter periods. Floors must support telehandlers, loaders and trailers, allow grain to be pushed up without scouring the surface and stand up to occasional wash down, scrape-through cleaning and outdoor conditions at the door line.

Many sites use farmyard-grade concrete slabs with appropriate falls, then add resurfacing solutions in areas that see repeated bucket work, tipping or forklift turning. In seed, boxed produce and input stores, polished concrete flooring can create a cleaner, brighter surface more akin to fabrication warehouses or logistics hubs, supporting accurate stock control and tidier presentation.

Need to carry tractors, telehandlers, loaders and trailers without progressive slab damage.
Floors must tolerate grain pushing, scraping and bucket work in front of walls and ducts.
Requirement for sensible falls and drainage so wash water and rain do not stand inside the shed.
Compatibility with bulk storage walls, aeration systems, drainage channels and thresholds.
Surfaces that are straightforward to sweep, blow down or wash to control dust and debris.

Flooring Problems in Agricultural Storage Buildings

As farm sheds are used and adapted over time, flooring issues often build slowly. What starts as a small crack or local settlement can soon become a regular annoyance, adding time to loading, cleaning and daily operations.

Rutting or settlement in front of doors and tipping points where trailers repeatedly discharge

Broken concrete at internal corners where loaders have pushed grain or muck for many seasons

Damaged joints that jar tractor tyres, pallet trucks or telehandlers every time they cross

Low spots holding water, leachate or slurry residues that are hard to dry and clean

Surface wear that leads to loose fines and dust mixing with grain, feed or bagged product

Old patch repairs and thin toppings lifting away, leaving a patchwork floor that is difficult to sweep

Right arrow Our Process

How We Upgrade Floors in Agricultural Storage Buildings

STEP 1

Farm Visit and
Use Pattern Review

We visit the yard and sheds with you, looking at how each building is used over the season. We note where trailers tip, how grain is moved, where machinery is parked and how water and mud enter the building. Particular attention is given to thresholds, drainage, existing cracks and any areas you already know are hard to keep clean or drive over comfortably.

Double arrows STEP 2

Floor Design,
Levels and Surface Choice

We propose a practical scheme that may combine new concrete slab construction for sheds in key areas, targeted concrete resurfacing systems where the existing base is sound but worn, and polished concrete bays for seed, boxed produce or input stores. Levels, falls, joints and door lines are planned together so tractors, forklifts and pallet trucks can move in and out without constant jolts or standing water.

Double arrows STEP 3

Installation,
Phasing and Handover

Work is sequenced around cropping and livestock routines, with individual sheds or sections taken in turn. We manage access so other buildings remain usable, remove failed concrete, install the new slab or resurfacing and finish the surface ready for sweeping and gradual return to service. Once complete, the shed is handed back ready for your own cleaning and checks before the next harvest or housing period.

BS 8204

Floors are constructed and checked in line with BS 8204, helping tractors, telehandlers and forklifts travel smoothly and supporting controlled falls towards drains or external yards where required.

BS EN 206

Concrete works follow BS EN 206 guidance for mix design and curing, giving slabs the strength needed under trailers, bulk storage walls and heavy yard machinery for long-term, reliable service.

CSCS Certified

Our operatives hold CSCS cards and are used to working in live farm environments, respecting biosecurity, traffic routes and on-farm safety procedures while works are underway.

SMAS Worksafe

SMAS Worksafe accreditation confirms compliance with SSIP schemes, supporting structured safety management on flooring projects across agricultural storage buildings and rural industrial sites.

Right arrow FAQ

Agricultural Storage Building Flooring
Common Questions

What type of floor is suitable for grain stores and general purpose farm sheds?

Most grain stores and multi-use sheds work best with a properly designed concrete slab floor that is thick enough for farm machinery loads and laid to appropriate falls. In areas that see frequent scraping or bucket work, we can add concrete resurfacing systems to provide a dense, smooth finish that is easier to sweep and less prone to breaking up. Where you are storing bagged seed, boxed produce or inputs, polished concrete bays can create cleaner, brighter storage more in keeping with modern produce warehouses.

Can you install a new concrete floor inside an existing steel-framed building?

Yes. Many projects involve upgrading floors in sheds that already have steelwork and cladding in place. We assess the existing base, remove loose or unsuitable material and design a new slab to suit the loads and use of the building. Care is taken around columns, grain walls and door lines so that the finished floor sits at sensible levels and interfaces cleanly with existing foundations, stanchions and yard areas outside the shed doors.

How do you deal with mud, water and run-off at shed entrances?

Entrances are often the hardest working part of an agricultural building. As part of the design we look at yard levels, trafficked areas and existing drainage, then plan the new floor and external slabs so water is encouraged to run away from the building rather than into it. This can include new falls, thresholds and, where appropriate, simple drainage channels. Combined with suitable resurfacing in the door area, this helps reduce standing water and the amount of mud that is dragged inside during wet periods.

Will the floor cope with heavy farm machinery and regular scraping?

Yes, provided the slab and surface are designed for that pattern of use. We consider axle loads, tyre types and the way loaders work the building when specifying farm concrete slabs. In scraping or pushing zones we can apply hard-wearing resurfacing solutions that stand up better to repeated bucket contact than a basic yard mix. This combination helps the floor remain serviceable for longer and reduces the need for frequent patching in front of walls and along travel routes.

Can you improve an older patchwork floor without demolishing the entire slab?

In many sheds the underlying concrete still has strength but the surface has become uneven after years of patching. We can remove failed toppings, repair major defects and then install levelling resurfacing systems across larger areas to create a more consistent finish. This approach avoids the cost and disruption of full demolition, while giving you a floor that is easier to sweep, kinder on machinery and better suited to modern storage practices, including pallet racking and bulk bays.

How long before I can store grain or park machinery on a new floor?

Timescales depend on the thickness of the slab, weather conditions and the type of surface system used. As a guide, new concrete floors are usually kept free from heavy traffic for a set curing period, with lighter use introduced first. We will advise you on realistic timings for bringing tractors, trailers and grain back into the shed, and can plan the programme so key areas are completed and ready ahead of the next harvest or housing period wherever possible.

Flooring Solutions for
Agricultural Storage Buildings

Flooring Needs in Agricultural Storage Buildings

Flooring Problems in Agricultural Storage Buildings