Concrete vs dirt

[StephensMountainVermont]

Pros and cons of dirt floor vs a concrete floor for a 20 x 24 sugarhouse

[GeneralStark]

Pros and cons of dirt floor vs a concrete floor for a 20 x 24 sugarhouse

You can clean concrete...

[wnybassman]

I can't think of a single "pro" for a dirt floor.

[Corey_d]

Cost is really the only pro to dirt. I myself just do this as a hobby, I don’t make any profit and don’t plan on it. I do my bottling in my house or garage. I want to build a 16x12 sugarhouse to house my evaporator, hopefully built as a timber frame on concrete Piers. I don’t want to pay for a concrete floor right now, but it’s always something that can be added later. That’s the way I see it with my situation, however everyone has different views and ideas on the topic

[Sugarmaker]

Good question, Not trying to be a smart A** here but,
Several things come to mind. But you local inspector may have others.
General cleanliness.
Wash down of floors.
Less mud.
Just not many food products made in places with dirt floors today. But maybe your just making it (syrup) for the family?
A good gravel material could be a first step above dirt.
But dirt would be a lot cheaper!
I don't think you would ever regret putting in a good concrete floor with drains.
Regards,
Chris

[Russell Lampron]

Besides the other things mentioned you will be able to keep your evaporator leveled on a concrete floor.

[sap retreiver]

The only con to concrete is it's hard on me standing on it for a long time. Other than that it's one of the best things I did in the shack. Worth every penny do it now before the price goes up

[tcross]

I have a dirt floor currently, but i'll be adding concrete in 2019. dirt floors suck! I have to level my arch before each boil. I have rubber mats all around my arch and sugar house covering the dirt, but it still sucks! water seepage is another issue. when the frost comes out... so does the water spots... then you have mud till it dries up. likely this year we had an early thaw (no back to freezing) and I dried up fairly quickly. definitely go with concrete if it's in the budget.

[MISugarDaddy]

Concrete for sure. Going with dirt and later replacing with concrete is an option, but a LOT more work. Just think of it as it being a "one-time expense". That's what I tell my wife, to which she shakes her head and laughs, followed by "I have heard that one a few times before".
Gary

[amaranth farm]

Radio Silence.

[Ghs57]

My floor is crushed stone, which shifts constantly when chopping wood and is impossible to clean because the wood chips mix in with the stone. But it can be hosed down and there is no mud. The evaporator sits on a concrete pad, which makes me wish I poured the entire floor every time I think about it. I may dig it out and if not pour a concrete floor, lay down some joists and 3/4 plywood.

If you have the opportunity to start with a real floor, either wood framed or concrete, I would recommend that you do so.

[wally]

Besides the other things mentioned you will be able to keep your evaporator leveled on a concrete floor.

i'll be honest, we solved that by using a 3x7 concrete pad under the 2x6 arch. has served us well since 1985 or so. dirt floor around the pad, with a wood floor to the side where the sap tank and wood bins are. don't need any floor drains. don't need to sweep the floor. finishing is done elsewhere ( small scale production, 17 gal/yr avg.).

metal roof, shiplap siding, masonry stack of 25'.

[maple flats]

When I built my sugarhouse I ran out of time. I then built a wooden floor (I have a sawmill) and I laid 8x8x16 concrete blocks to go under the firebox, under the rear legs and a hearth that stuck out about 30" in front. I covered that with 20 ga sheet metal to make sure sparks would not fall between the cracks and set the floor on fire. That worked but it was not good. I didn't get a floor poured until 3 years later. Much better for sure.

[BreezyHill]

For the first 6 years we were on dirt floor. The second sugar shack had 6 concrete columns in the ground 4' to level the rig. It was a temporary site so no concrete floor.

Concrete is no doubt the best for cleanup, but we get a lot of condensation so the drain and a squeegee is a must.

Local regs will be the determining factor in the end if you go commercial and not just family use for now.

Let the budget decide when you pour.