A FRAME or Slant

[ncCHICKS]

I am trying to finish up my roof on my coop. I really like the look of an A frame, but which is better. Please give me the pros and cons of both.

 

[psrumors]

Generally speaking your going to have a more agressive slope with a Gable roof. If you go with a flat roof it may not shed water as quickly or snow as easily.

Though I think I am going with a flat roof.

 

[the1much]

a slant is easier, faster, and cheaper,, like a "saltbox house",, higher on 1 end then the other,,, right?

 

[patandchickens]

A peaked roof is a bit stronger, and sheds water or snow a little bit better with the same slope. If you do a nonpeaked, singly-sloped roof ("shed roof"), make sure it is STRONGLY built and SUFFICIENTLY sloped... you don't want it coming down in a foot of wet snow!

Which is easier to build just depends on what processes you're more comfortable with... if you're familiar with trusses and the appropriate engineering thereof, a peaked roof is just as easy; otherwise a shed roof is probably a bit easier to cobble together.

Whichever you do, make sure it's tilted so the roof runoff does not dump into the run or right over the 'people door' to the coop; or if that's unavoidable, put up gutters and downspouts.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[ncCHICKS]

Well my moms friend is helping and he's a contractor (I am doing the rest myself, but want a good roof) I'm doing it, but with his guidance. I have a temp slanted roof, but don't like it. It's just not good looking. Also, the chicken hawks sit on it and I think a slanted roof would be less comfortable for the predators.

 

[the1much]

im confused,,lol,,, you now have a slanted roof,, but dont like it, but the hawks do,, so your gonna build a slanted roof to fix the problem? lol
and the hawks wont care what shape it is,, they'll sit on it no matter what.

 

[ncCHICKS]

It was a temporary roof, just the plywood with a 4x4 on one side and tacked down with some nails. I have to balance the coop and school. Sorry if I confuse people. Pretty much I like the look of the A frame, but wanted to know the functon differences.

 

[4hLuvers]

we built our run on a slope and used corrogated palruf so it automatically worked with a slant. So far that has been pretty good.

 

[the1much]

thats a good 1 hehehe,, how bout building a flat roof, and having your building slanted????

 

[walkswithdog]

Don't laugh i sort of did that with the uber ugly turkey coop, all ugly, all the time. had salvaged greenhouse table tops that were five by nine. The spot was a good spot except for the slope. Fine ... Turkeys do not know anything about level and plumb. i'm all set. they were just rows of 2 x 4 and weld wire but hey, it was free. Tacked em up with 4x4s where they almost met. Wasn't kidding about ugly.

At the highest side, i tacked that one higher up than the others, at about 2.5 ft. now the highest point and side are up and everything runs off fairly evenly downhill. Rig ugly set of old barn true 2x4s for the slant roof and there. it's nine by nine by 7.5 at one end, five at the other, heavy slant. We get no snow. The violent slant won't hold water. The slope of the whole thing runs water away from both coops. Finished wiring in the base, add hardwire cloth to keep out coon hands and weasels. make a door. if there's a level or plumb line in the whole thing i'd die of laughter.

But i spent about 20 dollars on the whole thing. used salvaged wood for some roosts and branches for others, and cobbled together two shelf nest boxes in one corner.

i plan on getting some factory rubber belting, four feet, exceedingly ugly, to tack up high for wind protection. Stuffs heavy and ugly but... free. i'll work on pretty later when i place the permanent structure.

in the meantime i will have a place for birds who would sit on unlevel tree branches and call themselves happy. They can grow and begin to lay while i decide where i want a real coop.

And i could win the ugliest coop contest hands down once i get that danged siding on. Slanted isn't all that bad a thing.
oh and it's all anchored, well, to a wood lightpost like telephone posts, that's about four feet in the ground. it isn't going anywhere despite it's slightly odd demeanor.

in snow country it wouldn't work but for the two inches we get a year, it'll do.