FAQs

You will inevitably pay for what you get. Timber is graded due to structural strength and amount of knots. Excessive knotting is seen as a weakness in timber as knots tend to dry up and fall out thus weakening the structure. Better grade timber is slow grown so the wood grains or growth rings are closer together meaning the timber has greater tensile strength.
As well as good quality framing & cladding stables should have a strong kickboard lining as this will naturally take quite a lot of wear and tear throughout its use. The stronger the lining the better able your stables will cope with the stresses and strains of horses and also the weather.
Remember - cheaper materials degrade quicker than more expensive materials, but horses are about the strength whether they are free or expensive.

We have plenty of customers that have had their stables over 20 years. With regular maintenance and care we see no reason why they shouldn’t go on for a lot longer than that.

Timber stables definitely need a brick course. The brick course lifts the building away from the concrete and away from where the water lies. If there is no brick course, water from buckets, washing out and urine soak up the kickboards and rot. The brick course therefore protects the framework and the internal lining.

We include a DPC under the bottom frame of the building. This is purely for additional protection and is standard practice on all Warwick Buildings which are built onto a brick course.

Horses up to 17.2hh can comfortably stable in a 12’x 12’ loose box. The can easily turn round and lie down in a stable of this size.

We use 4” framing that is joinery grade and planed. Joinery grade framing is stronger being slow grown and with minimal knotting. It will easily stand up to horses scratching and rubbing.

We have been manufacturing stables for over 30 years, and within that time we have learnt what works and doesn't work, to ensure that you have a safe environment for your horse.
Our stables last well over 25 years, and we have plenty of repeat customers that add to their yards, or use us again when moving house.
We have come though the recession without debt, and we own our manufacturing facilities and showsite. In addition to this the erecting staff are employed by us, so we can ensure that your buildings will go together quickly, efficiently and problem free.

Why risk going anywhere else - when you will receive peace of mind and the building that you have paid for.

We use Onduline roofing sheets because of the ventilation and lightweight properties that it offers. It is very good in windy locations, has low impact noise levels and low condensation rates,, Onduline can sag if not supported sufficiently which is why Warwick Buildings ensure the joists are spaced correctly to provide sufficient support to prevent sagging over time.
We can supply OSB3 boarding underneath as an optional extra, and we can also offer metal profile roofing and felt tiles also as options.

Shiplap is similar in appearance to tongue and groove boarding but with a larger overlap. Tongue and groove cladding is not suitable as it tends to shrink during warmer, drier weather letting light, insects and air through gaps in the cladding. You may have noticed this on cheaper garden sheds for example.

Because stables are built as a working building often in a field, they tend to get little aftercare in general use. In order to protect your investment, it pays to purchase a building that is built using tanalised timber which has been treated with an enviromentally friendly prodcut which protects against rot, deacy and insect attack for over 20 years

Tanalised timber offers excellent durability, but is does not stop the sun bleaching out the original colour of the timber when new, A quality wood treatment every 4 or 5 years with a good wood protector will keep the stables looking fresh for longer. Choosing a product which is water repellent will also help to prevent the timber absorbing moisture in very wet weather as wood like many building materials is porous. You will need to treat stables doors and windows within 12 months of your stables being erected, as quality joinery grade timber is not suitable for the tanalising process as it is very dense and does not take up the treatment well

We often recommend full height kickboards in stables that are used for livery yards, or for competition horses. This is because horses stabled for longer periods tend to get bored and start chewing at any exposed areas they can reach. The full height kickboards protects the exposed framing and as it is very rare that a horse kicks above 4’ high additional bracing above this height is not necessary.

The lined canopy ties in with the front joist to keep the overhang rigid effectively providing additional strength to the structure. It also deflects the wind away from the front of the stable which is especially useful in high wind areas and also provides a more attractive look to the building

We provide 25mm thick kicking boards, which are a lot stronger than chipboard and OSB (Sterling Board). In addition to this we fit cross bracing supports at 2’ high to provide additional strength behind the kicking boards - as this is the most likely area to be kicked.

Yes you can - we recommend the chew plates are also included with the top door option to protect the exposed timbers as you can expect the horse to stand there.
This option dramatically increases the air flow through the stables - and is fully controlable

An opaque sheet allows light into the stable similarly to that of a standard clear sheet. Clear roof sheets are much more brittle than an opaque sheet as they are made from far thinner material.

In most cases you don’t require rear guttering as stables are often backed into a corner near a hedge or fence. Some people do harvest the rainwater, so a rear gutter can be used to collect additional amount sof rainwater. Front guttering is standard to keep the front of the stables from becoming saturated with rainwater

The stables are fixed into the concrete behind the kickboards. We see bolting down as essential otherwise the stable will move when a horse rubs or leans against the building.
Our design is more superior from an L-shaped bracket, as these can be subject to pulling off shoes or bending under stress.