Portable Raised Flooring for a Barn:

A portable raised flooring for a barn that keeps volunteers on a farm dry and warm, especially their feet as they lose a lot of heat through their feet.

Step 1: What You Will Need:

1) Enough wood to cut 5 pieces 605mm long and 3 pieces 380mm long

2) A band saw or a saw

3) A pillar drill or a hand drill

4) A carpenters square

5) An electric drill or screw driver

6) 2 handles

7) 1 bath mat 605mm x 380mm

8) A hammer

9) 38 screws

10) A staple gun

11) A ruler

Step 2: Measuring and Cutting Your Wood:

The first step is to make sure that you have the right length wood.

My wood measurements are:

length: 380mm

width: 44mm } x3

height: 44mm

length: 605mm

width: 44mm } x5

height: 44mm

Once you have marked out your measurements on you pieces of wood either use the band saw or a hand saw to cut them all the right length.

Step 3: Lining Up the Planks and Drawing Where You're Going to Drill:

Next you have to line up your planks of wood where you want them to sit when screwed together.

first get your three bottom layer planks, mine are 44mm x 44mm x 380mm and line them up parallel to each other, with equal gaps in between them.

The gaps between mine are 258.5mm.

Once you have set the bottom ones out, start placing the 44mm x 44mm x 605mm on top of those three, using the carpenters square to keep them at a right angle.

The gaps between each of those 5 planks on mine are 40mm.

Once you have set them out mark out with you pencil where you want your screws to go, putting two screws at a diagonal to each other on each crossover of wood, making sure to leave 8 screws to the side for the handles, you should use all 30 on this part of the product if you have followed my measurements.

Step 4: Drilling the Clearance Holes:

Once you have marked out on the top layer where the screws are going to go, take one at a time and drill the holes in.

I used a pillar drill to make sure I got a straight hole but if you don't have one use a hand drill but make sure you're holding it straight.

My screws were 5mm wide so i used a 5mm drill size to make the clearance hole through the top planks.

Make sure you drill all the way through the planks on this layer.

Once you've done one plank, put it back in its correct position and do the next one. keep doing this until all of the top layer have the correct amount of holes in and place them all back in the correct position.

Once the top layer all have holes in, place the 30 screws in each of the holes, they should go all the way down without much effort.

Once you have them all in the holes hammer them down as far as you can so they make a dent in the bottom layer plans so you know where to drill a hole in those ones.

Step 5: Drilling the Pilot Holes:

You should have holes in the top layer of planks and dents in the bottom layer of plank.

Take one of the three bottom layer planks and drill the holes in where the marks are from the nails you hammered in before.

For the pilot hole I used a 3mm drill as it just gives a starting point for the screw to go in.

Make sure for the bottom layer of planks to not drill all the way through, just 1/3 of the way through will be fine.

Once you have done all of the holes make sure to line all of the planks up the right way again and fit the ends of the screws that are poking out the bottom of the top layer planks in to the pilot holes of the corresponding bottom layer planks.

Step 6: Screwing It Together:

Once all of the screws and planks are in position go through all of the screws with either and electric drill or a screw driver and screw them all as tight as they will go.

That is the basic palette finished and the hardest jobs done.

Step 7: Adding the Handles:

To add the handles you need to work out where to attach them.

I attached mine to the sides of the two outer bottom layer planks.

I measured the length of the handle and the plank and placed it in the middle.

Then I marked out where to drill the holes in with a pencil.

For these holes I just used the electric drill and a 3mm drill for a pilot hole.

I drilled the four holes 1/3 of the way through the wood then placed the handle over the holes and using the electric drill again screwed in the four screws.

I then repeated the same steps for the other handle on the other side.

Step 8: Attaching the Bath Mat:

To attach the bath mat just place it over the top of the top layer of planks and make sure it lines up, it should as the planks should have been cut the same size as the bath mat.

Once it is lined up get the staple gun and start in the centre, then pull it flat and staple each corner and around the edges.

Once there are enough staples in for it to stay secure then you have your finished piece.