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Honey House

61K views 170 replies 35 participants last post by  Ben Little 
#1 ·
Hello all, I want to build a Honey House that will facilitate 500 Hives Max . Anyone have any good ideas on a floor plan and size of a building without getting too many questions thrown at me. Like type of extraction equipment etc ..

PM me if you actually have experience with planning how to build one please.

Thanks
Ben
 
#155 ·
Most epoxies don't need a porcupine roller, but it can help release flow trapped air up on cold days. We only use spike rollers for toppers and self levels.

Depending on the system, we get between $2.50-$6 a sq ft here (labor and mat). This is using a moisture, PH, and alkalinity resistant bottom coat, priming mid with mesh for slip resistance, and one or two color top coats. It usually ends up around 20-30 mils when done. You get what you pay for. We give a 15 year warranty on the epoxy.

All epoxie coated floors should be shot blasted to a #3 profile. Diamond grinding with a 30 grit soft bond metal will only get you a #2, but it's better than nothing. Do NOT acid wash concrete before applying epoxy. If the installer or manufacture specs acid stripping the slab as "only prep needed," it's junk epoxy and won't hold up. We blast to a #4 profile or into sand whichever comes first.

FYI, oiling your slab will ensure that NOTHING will ever correctly bond to the surface, ever. If you maybe will put in epoxy, floor covering, or ceramic tile in, oiling the slab will not let anything bond and a 100% floating system will have to be used.

I have slab core samples being sent to Mineralogy Inc. to lab test for organic surface contaminates (oils and salts). Customer wanted epoxy. After it was applied (not me, but certified applicator) the floor failed. I'm in there trying to mediate the customer and installer. The suspect contaminate is linseed oil installed by the previous owner... Tread accordingly.

(Heaven forbid...) You do need to use diesel or kerosine with the linseed oil to thin it out. It by itself it not near viscosis enough to penitrate the surface of the slab to seal it. But I do not suggest doing this, ever, even by accident. By our state building code, oil does not provide a food grade seal to the concrete slab. Check local codes before installing anything.

I'm a newbe beekeeper. By trade, I'm a surface demolition contractor, surface prep, and exposed concrete finisher. I install color and sealers to high and low sheen polished concrete surfaces, install epoxy moisture barriers, and prep concrete substrate to accept the new flooring system buy diamond grinding and shot blasting. I just keep bees because being a contractor in this economy isn't punishing enough. ;)
 
#138 ·
You can do the Epoxy floor paint yourself no problem, in my barn/honey house I have 1620 SF that I applied two coats in one day. It is two parts, I used a Sherwin Williams product that you mix and wait 15 minutes to heat up, then roll on in a thick sticky coat. Great product I've had down for three years, drove my tractors, JD Gator, trucks, hives, foot traffic and still looks new. My cost was US $.56/SF. I recommend two people because once it starts to kick it goes quick, slower in your climate but two folks will be much more efficient. Nothing sticks to it. Honey washes off with warm water, and oil beads up just asking to be swept up with a paper towel.
Good luck.
 
#146 ·
When I was a kid, grew up in a construction household, and I do remember linseed oil was used for concrete in many places. I seem to remember it being used to treat floors, but I dont remember the details. Got some questions out to the old contractor of the day (dad), and will let you know once I get the details. I do remember we went thru a LOT of it, when building schools in the 70's.
 
#160 ·
This study report is from 1989 and the ASTM C457 has been replaced with new standards and testing methods.

Clickbangbang that was awesome. I'm going to be PM'ing you for your email address if you don't mind me bugging you for further input.

Do you need to tap into some practical beekeeping experience? I can give you all I've got .
Please do get ahold of me if you have any (flooring surface) questions. I'll help out wherever I can. :)
 
#144 ·
No, I have never been a librarian. :)

But sometimes what happens is that I read a post and say, "That's crazy!".:no: But then before I post that (and make myself look foolish :rolleyes:), I think maybe I better check on that first ... :lookout:


The first step in finding good online references is to figure out the best search terms. Not surprisingly, the more frequently you do that, the easier it gets.
 
#149 ·
Ok, I got a response from the old time contractor, I'll quote it here for everybody. Names removed by request of the original source

==================
We used boiled linseed oil to seal concrete so it could be sprayed with salt in the winter without surface damage. We took 1/3 linseed oil and 2/3 diesel fuel mixed and applied it to new concrete when it was cured and dry for 28 days. An week later we applied an other mix , this time 2/3 linseed oil and 1/3 diesel fuel and sprayed it on under dry conditions . The curbs along hi way 16 trough town are still there in the original condition after 40 years where they were not damaged during snow removal because the pores are sealed and no salt could penetrate the surface .We sprayed it on with a pump type sprayer. This was the idea from **** ******* . He was a friend and hi way engineer . Later this idea was rejected because diesel fuel was not friendly to the environment .

==============

I can attest to what he's saying about the hiway curbs, I was there when we sprayed them, and remembered that as soon as I read his email. I was up there last summer, they do look like new. I didn't realize it was the same old set we poured way back when, but he's been keeping an eye on them over the years, didn't move away from that town till last fall, shortly after mom left us, and dad moved to a seniors place that provides meals to otherwise independant living. He's 80 now, so, we excused him for not wanting to learn to cook after mom passed.
 
#153 ·
Be careful with lind seed oil. I spilled some once and wiped it up with some rags, then carelessly just threw the rags on my tree stand that was sitting in the corner of the garage. A couple days later I found the rags had started a fire on the platform. It was glowing red hot under those rags. Keep that in mind when using it. I could of burnt the whole house down.
 
#154 ·
We used to use Linseed Oil to seal the stocks of our Ceremonial M14 rifles. Worked great and gave a wonderful finish to the wood. Never tried it on concrete before and yes rags soaked with linseed oil stuck somewhere in the corner of garages do spontaneously combust. Of course linseed oil is NOT the only oil based product that will do it, I think linseed oil is one of the few products that actually warn users of the danger of spontaneous combustion.
 
#162 ·
Hey, I found this thread from a google search of "Honey House 500 hives." Just finished reading through it and I must say, this is a great thread. Very informative. I really appreciate the details about drains, gutters, hot room floors, concrete treatments.
I am in the process of outgrowing every nook and cranny of storage and shop space that I have access to, and am starting to plan a building project. I currently operate just shy of 200 hives but am planning a space to accomodate 400-500, which is more or less my goal. It seems like one semi-load is a nice economy of scale, but that is a whole different thread.

Ben Little, you started this forum several years ago. Did you build your shop? What did you go with? How big? How much space dedicated to storage, extracting, office....
 
#163 ·
I have not started building, I put my money into bees until I can build the right type of facility I want and need. I like to do things right the first time and it seems that every time I speak to a beekeeper with a honey house they say the same thing "you can never build it big enough" so I will be going bigger than my original plans.
 
#165 ·
Also consider going vertical (at least 16' sidewalls) and making doorways large enough for forklifts which can be purchased used quite reasonably. Much better bang for the buck than stretching out horizontally.
 
#164 ·
I think that is a very good idea Ben to put the money into the bees. They are the ones that generate the money. Also good to build bigger than you think you need. Imagine the most bees you'll ever want to run, then double that number, then double it again and you might start getting close to the bare minumum size of building you'll need.

Jean-Marc
 
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