I'm looking at a property with these 2 silos. Can anyone tell me about them? Estimate height, width? It looks like the tall one might be concrete, and the smaller one maybe metal??
Are silos like this generally structurally sound?
Could I add steps inside and have levels/platforms (maybe for storage?), and maybe a viewing room at the top?
Any other creative re-purposing ideas?
Thank you!!
by oldfarmjoy
11 Comments
It’s made out of some kind of metal, so you may need to build from within? Idk how clearing the inside works on these things. I just imagine hollowing it and making what’s inside livable.
See if it’s possible to make windows with that idea as a basis. This is the coolest skeleton for an apocalypse shelter.
Are you perchance a wizard in need of a laboratory?
Paint one to look like a missile 🤣
I had a childhood friend who’s dad turned a concrete silo into an indoor swimming pool.
So the bigger one is called a stave silo. The concrete blocks are large and almost like a sidewalk section. Which is exactly what we did with ours, we knocked it down by hand, and then picked out all the usable staves made nice walkways with them and for the metal topper we made a really neat conversation/ patio/ fire pit roof and vented it. The broken pieces got used for fill in low areas. (We had a silo knocking party and invited all our friends had a cook out and the guys took turns swinging the sledgehammer )
I’ve also seen it done where people take it down from the top, basically shorten it to a shed height and put the roof back on to create a tractor shed or storage building.
I’ll tell you some of the reasons these things just sit and no one builds amazing club houses in them, for one there are no widows, the structure of the staves and steel cables holding it together so knocking a bunch of holes-not good. Second they are basically smooth on the inside- nothing to build from and if you really wanted to – youd have to drill every bolt into the staves. Or youd have to build an internal structure that’s free standing. Inside they are typically pretty gross, pigeons live in them and shit all over everything.
All that being said, you can still build in them, but you’d probably want to consult an architect or engineer someone who could look at the structure and determine the best methods and expect those methods to be ridiculously expensive. Especially for an unheated or cooled essentially club house /storage shed.
I’m sure you can find examples online of people who’ve built homes in them and dig into those finer points if you have the budget for it, but I would consider it more of a passion project -doing it for the love of the dream then making a practical investment. And I don’t mean to sound like a downer! I’ve definitely had this dream! It would be amazing and if I had fuck you money I’d do it.
Disclaimer: I do not know shit about fuck.
The metal sheets on the shorter one look to be about 2′ high, which would put the shorter silo at about 30′ and the taller at around 50′.
ICBM?
I saw that someone took the tops off of a silo and used it as the roof of a gazebo. It was well done and looked great
You could convert them into apocalypse housing and sell them to billionaires. Billionaires love to live in silos.
Chop and store silage
Disclaimer: My knowledge of usage for these are non-existent. Only seen grain silos and large factory ones.
No matter the outcome, hope you enjoy it.
1) Possibly turn them into giant bird houses and use the droppings to sell for all “natural” fertilizer to the city folk and others alike.
2) Paint them as missiles or rockets. (Already suggested).
3) Fond a way to shorten them and have either a workshop, outdoor storage area, or other ideas to your liking.
4) Destroy them and see what can be salvaged and use those materials for other ideas or projects.
5) A giant swimming pool where people can do dive training as well. *Probably would require waivers, safety guidances, et cetera (etc.).