However, says Van Cott, when properly insulated, a silo home is very easy to heat because it has a minimum wall area in relation to floor space, thus little heat is lost to the outside, and there are no cold corners as frequently found in square or rectangular rooms. The heating system chosen depends on climatic conditions, ultimate use of the building and prevailing local energy costs. Van Cott reports that most buyers erect the shell, then cut holes for installation of prehung doors and windows. Silos sold for home use range from 8 to 30 ft. long center room and closed each end with one half of a Unadilla silo. Some Unadilla silos have become additions to existing homes and others were incorporated into unique designs with other shaped structures, as well as standing alone as circular towers. Some are left uninsulated and semi-finished inside for summer homes, campsites, etc., while others are tastefully finished for year-round use as homes, offices, shops, etc. The foundation, interior insulation, finish and decoration, roof shingles or shakes, as well as doors and windows, are selected and provided locally by the buyer.Ĭraig Van Cott, Unadilla Sales Engineer, says a typical silo house is about 20 ft. Enough steel hoops are provided to ensure tight vertical joints and structural integrity.

tongue and grooved staves are generally untreated Eastern Spruce and may be stained or painted as desired. Buyers may choose conical or gambrel roof designs, as well as a double roof if two silos are erected side by side. Unadilla offers tread and riser design for a circular staircase which may be located either inside or outside of the basic structure. A wooden nailing ring, with angle steel supports, is available for installation of additional floors. Unadilla offers the wooden stave shell and roof structure in a variety of sizes. There's no standard model or design for a silo home. Unadilla Silo Houses: The cornpany, headquartered in Unadilla, N.Y., has sold hundreds of silo kits for erection by contractors and do-it-yourself homebuilders from California to Montana, and Arkansas to New England. In New York, the Unadilla Silo Co., first featured in FARM SHOW four years ago, is doing a booming business in silo houses built out of the same wooden staves used for conventional structures for storing grain and silage. In Ohio, ordinary grain silos ù 36 of them in a cluster ù have been converted into an architectural wonder: A 144 room Hilton Hotel.

Concrete silo house interior