# Sturdy Grating Material Needed



## learning (May 19, 2006)

Hi Folks,

O.K., my latest dilema in my loft construction is finding a metal grating material for the floor of an elevated walk in aviary. It needs to be sturdy enough to span a 24" space between platform floor joists and still support my weight. Any thoughts anyone? Oh yea, and it needs to be fairly cheap. Yea, I know, good luck...right? The aviary is 12' X 8'. I was thinking about the stuff they put over sidewalk drains and such, but I have no idea where to find that stuff or how expensive it might be. 

As always, any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks In Advance,

Dan


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

Something that I always think about when I think of grating for floors is lawn funtiture. Some table tops are made out of grating. With wood support these may work. You might could stand on them. You may find some at a used furniture store. Just a thought. 
Randy


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## Happy (Dec 19, 2004)

*Expanded Metal Flooring*



hillfamilyloft said:


> Something that I always think about when I think of grating for floors is lawn funtiture. Some table tops are made out of grating. With wood support these may work. You might could stand on them. You may find some at a used furniture store. Just a thought.
> Randy


Randy, This is what I use for most of my loft flooring. It is called Expanded Metal Grating, but as I talked in one of my earlier post, the supports can't be over 16" on center to walk on. It comes in 2 diff. thickness's, & I & many of us in Calif. have this in the thickest grade. Learning has 24" Joist supports, & that won't do. This type of Grate can be obtained from Good Metal Suppliers in 4'X8' sheets. May have to order...... I like it, but does have some faults as most things do, as it's a litte harder on the feet & feathers, but worth the NO DUST etc...... Hap


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

*Cost?*

Hi Hap,

Thanks for the info. How much do these 4 X 8 sheets run? If I had to, I could put another floor joist in between the existing ones, giving me a 12" span between them. The thought came to me last night about possibly using steel rebar spaced about 2" apart with 1/4" wire mesh over it to keep all the critters out.Does this sound feasable to anyone? I have no idea what rebar runs these days. The price may take it out of consideration.

Just a thought,

Dan


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

I was thinking that you could use wood in the middle of the loft, personal walkways, and under feeders. You could use the wire mesh under the perches where 90% of the droppings fall. You could scrape the wood sections over the grating to fall through to the ground. The birds like the wood on the floors. My next loft will be desingned this way. Do a search for Josh Thones page. He uses the wood slats for his flooring. You can order them through suppliers. Breakaway loft uses the grating and has some pictures on his website. The grating seems to sag between joists. Here is a page where you can find those pages called pigeon links.
http://stuart.malcolm4.users.btopenworld.com/link.htm
Randy


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

You might check a metal savage type yard in your area. A couple years ago it was about 65 dollars a sheet here. It might be about double now as metal is really up now. But used you can get it at about half most often.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*Oak Grates*

HI DAN, Have you considered the wooden(oak) floor grates that GLOBAL PIGEON SUPPLY carries. They are 471/2by 391/2cost is 39.95 for 1 or 35.95 for 10 plus shipping. But Global is in SAVANNAH, GA you drive over and pick them up your self. if you don't have their website here it is www.globalpigeon.com OH just their store hours are 8:30 to 5:30 monday -friday. One more thing I have the metal grates, and if I could do it all over again I would go with the wood type,I just can't explain it.,after 12 years I wish that I would have gone the other way. GEORGE


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

*My thoughts*

Thanks George,

I really appreciate and respect your input and thoughts. My thoughts on this are as follows. These floors will be outside and exposed to the elements. I am not sure how the wood grates would hold up after several years of the exposure to the weather. Secondly, I think that when all is said and done it will be cheaper to go the steel route. I got in touch with a supplier here locally and he quoted me $180 for enough extruded steele grating to cover an 8' X 12' aviary floor. I don't think I could do the wood grates for that. This is the stuff they use over sidewalk drains in the cities. He said that it should hold up fine to the weight of an adult when installed over joists with a 24" span. I am going to go look at the stuff tomorrow and see it in person. If it will work, I think I will use it in all of the aviaries as well as for the ventilation panels in the floor of the actual loft itself.

I will try to let you all know how things work out. I am going to try to take a few pictures of the stuff to post here if people think it might be useful to them in the future.

Again, thanks to all for the great info and thoughts. Your wealth of experience is truely invaluable to all of us newbies. To George and everyone else, if you still think I might be going down the wrong road here, please post to this thread and continue to share your thoughts. In my mind, the only wrong decision is the one that was reached without all of the available information and the use of a litlle common sense.


Thanks Again,

Dan


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

DAN, Are the grates that you want to use,similar to the grates that you see in NEW YORK CITY sub way system.The type used on side walks..used to venterlate the subway. GEORGE


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

George,

My understanding is that they are the diamond shaped patterns that you see on some sidewalk grates. Not the rectangular patterns I have seen elsewhere. I guess I have seen the diamond shape more on stairway treads and the like. Hope that gives you a better idea of what I am talking about. Like I said earlier, I will try to get some pictures when I visit the place tomorrow.

Thanks,

Dan


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## Happy (Dec 19, 2004)

Dan, Sorry an RV knock out my phone line in driveway (too tall) & couldn't get on the net for 2 days....Yes the Expanded Metal Grate that is Diamond shape is what I have in the heavy gage, but can't remember what gage it was 12?, but there are only two Gauges. ... Your price is right. I bought mine 4 yrs. ago for abt. $40 PER 4'x8' SHEETS. I was told that they are $60 a sheet now, so your quoted price is the same as ours here now...... Hap....... PS..... I used One & 1& fourth inch Zinc. #8 Phil.Mod Truss, Lath Screws to attach it to my Treated 2"X10" Support Joists. & yes you could add joists to make it 12" on Center & would be great.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

DAN, I understand make sure you get a heavy gauge I used a lighter gauge and this has been a cause of much distress for me as my 230 lbs has taken its toll. GEORGE


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## kramer9802 (Dec 31, 2005)

*$60 Dollar!*

Wow, I was quoted 160 dollar a 4X8 sheet here in Dallas, TX. I am building a widowhood loft and wanted metal floor, but no at those prices...I may but plywood in the middle and hard ware cloth or something under the pirches.


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## Happy (Dec 19, 2004)

kramer9802 said:


> Wow, I was quoted 160 dollar a 4X8 sheet here in Dallas, TX. I am building a widowhood loft and wanted metal floor, but no at those prices...I may but plywood in the middle and hard ware cloth or something under the pirches.


Kramer9802
They tell me Everything is "Bigger in Texas"? I guess that goes for Prices also$$$$$$$
I wonder if they are quoting you Crome Plated Grate, like for the back of a Pick-up bed or something? Make sure you are checking a Metal Fabricating/Supply business, cause that is a Rip Off Price they are giving you......... Hap


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

george simon said:


> DAN, I understand make sure you get a heavy gauge I used a lighter gauge and this has been a cause of much distress for me as my 230 lbs has taken its toll. GEORGE


WOW !!  

George ONLY 230 lbs ?!

What if you had a real manly type....try me at 299 LBs.  

Mostly muscle ! Honest .....


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> WOW !!
> 
> George ONLY 230 lbs ?!
> 
> ...


 Of course I am 6' 4" and can bench press 525 pounds.... ....


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

Yea Warren, I hear all those 8 oz arm curlls can really get a person in shape, huh!!  

Just look at it this way, at our age, who do we need to impress?! 

Dan


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## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> What if you had a real manly type....try me at 299 LBs.



299 LBS!!!!???!!

Your pigeons ought to be flagin' YOU around the loft for some exercise... not the other way around...  ... um, anyway, sorry  


Anyhow... since y'all usually see such stuff used in paving applications around buildings and such, maybe it would be worth a call or visit to a construction business that does paving and the like and once you explain what you're looking for ask them where they get it?

Also, I've seen heavy grate on the order of what I think y'all are looking for as "drain" or scupper covers around hangars I work in... and some of the stuff is even aluminium, so that may be an option to if y'all could figure out where to get it from.


I think y'all may be looking for something kinda like this...

http://bencosteel.thomasnet.com/ite...ing/bar-grating-3-16-x-1-1-2-3-x-20-?&seo=110


... or like this...

http://www.ohiogratings.com/

or here...

http://www.amico-online.com/

if you want to "geek"... here's some info...

http://www.naamm.org/mbg/

... check this...

http://www.mcnichols.com/products/grating/bar/

one more...

http://www.brown-campbell.com/barprod.htm


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

learning said:


> Yea Warren, I hear all those 8 oz arm curlls can really get a person in shape, huh!!
> 
> Just look at it this way, at our age, who do we need to impress?!
> 
> Dan



8 oz's.....you gotta be kidding me....ask anyone who knows me.....I pump the 16oz !!  

And you are right Learning...the wife says that I am one of the cutest love buttons she has ever seen !! Now, I am not going to go get her glasses changed any time soon, but I really think she is right on !!!!!


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

Yea, Warren isn't it funny how the older we get the more selective both our hearing and our vision get?!!! 

Maybe there is a reason God made it so our vision got worse as we get older. Sort of a divine form of spousal counseling!

Dan


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## roxtar (Aug 21, 2006)

All depending on where you're at and how deep your pockets are you can check these guys out http://www.mcnichols.com/ There's no prices on the website, and you know what they say, "If you gotta ask then you can't afford it."


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## roxtar (Aug 21, 2006)

Try http://www.google.com/search?q="exp...ient=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

If you don't find what you're looking for there then I don't know that you're ever going to find it.

Google is your friend


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