Another weekend has finally arrived... back to work on coop

[Panhandler80]

Going to need to tweak some things (primarily more ventilation and I'm going to frame permanently open areas (inaccessible to chickens) with treated wood.

Talk to me about siding / roof...

ONE: I bought 7 sheets of Lowes Smartside 38 Series 4x8 sheeting. I had planned to put this up directly onto frame. Do I need plywood sheathing, moisture barrier, and then this stuff... like a house, or will just the Smartside 38 Series stuff directly to my framing be okay?

TWO: What's easiest way to handle the roof? I have 5/8 plywood to lay on up top first. What then?

 

[K0k0shka]

What's easiest way to handle the roof? I have 5/8 plywood to lay on up top first. What then?

I put shingles on my roof and found them very easy to work with. My first choice was a metal roof, but couldn't find any panels sold anywhere nearby. Now I'm glad I didn't. Would've been awkward to carry, handle and lift the large sheets, slippery to climb up there to put down, you need special screws... The shingles were extremely easy. I'm a petite woman and I managed the packets just fine. Had fun climbing on the roof and hammering. They're easy to cut with a utility knife (unlike metal roof panels). Won't cut your hands like metal sheets might. I'd recommend painting or staining the plywood first for better protection, then a layer of underlayment (tar paper), then the shingles, with proper flashing and fascia boards. I watched a couple youtube videos on how to do all that, wasn't hard at all. I'm sure a metal roof would be fine, too (I watched some tutorials on that as well), but in terms of ease of installation, I'd say the shingles are easier.

 

[Panhandler80]

You fancy now!

 

[gtaus]

Welcome to the BYC forums

Talk to me about siding / roof...

ONE: I bought 7 sheets of Lowes Smartside 38 Series 4x8 sheeting. I had planned to put this up directly onto frame. Do I need plywood sheathing, moisture barrier, and then this stuff... like a house, or will just the Smartside 38 Series stuff directly to my framing be okay?

You can build a chicken to the code standards of a house, if you want. I just used sheets of 7/16" OSB board on a frame, and then painted the OSB to make it more weather proof. IIRC, the Smartside panels are better quality (and more expensive) than what I used. Anyway, the painted OSB seems to be holding up just fine this first winter in Minnesota. Since my coop is unheated and well vented, there is no moisture build up in the coop walls or roof.

TWO: What's easiest way to handle the roof? I have 5/8 plywood to lay on up top first. What then?

I have had good luck with asphalt shingles on my roofs with adequate pitch. If you are building a flat roof, then other options should be considered. Shingles worked good for me, because I have used them for 40+ years in building, plus, all of my chicken coop build was done alone by myself, so I did not want to be handling long heavy sheets of metal or even plastic.

 

[pintail_drake2004]

For the roof and sides, I prefer Metal. If you are going to put shingles on the roof, 3-tab shingles are very easy to work with. On the back side of the shingles, they have marks on where to cut-making it idiot proof! Architectural shingles are more durable (and look better imho). They are thicker, making them just slightly more cumbersome to work with. Try it match the color of shingles to the roof of your house. I strongly suggest you lay 30# felt on top of the OSB before you put your shingles on. It's usually the same price but far superior to the 15# felt. Don't forget to install drip edge, this helps protect the edge of your OSB. If doing a standard pitched roof ( looks like a /\ ) and not a single slope, I highly recommend adding a full length ridge vent. This adds ventilation the full length of the structure. And finally FWIW-I don't recommend flat roofs. They will ALWAYS leak! Just my 2 cents.

 

[K0k0shka]

I used painted OSB for the walls and roof, too. Held up well after the first fall/winter, and was much cheaper.

 

[gtaus]

I highly recommend adding a full length ridge vent. This adds ventilation the full length of the structure.

I think that depends on where you live. I, too, was thinking about adding a full length ridge vent on my chicken coop, but our local "pro desk" advisors told me that the ridge vent on an unheated coop would just be covered with snow and there would be no ventilation. They suggested I add vents to the side walls on the front and back of the coop near the ridge line. As it turns out, my high vents on the front and back of the coop are working just fine, but my roof is indeed covered by about 1 foot of snow. So a ridge vent, in my case, would have been completely covered and provided no ventilation whatsoever.

 

[pintail_drake2004]

Good Point. In So. IL we don't get much snow any more. Compared to 30 years ago, we hardly get any at all down here.

 

[50-45-1]

totally agree that you should sheet it first with plywood or even chip board (if it will be kept dry and moisture free).
Then a layer of tar paper.
We used bitchathane underlayment under some previously used roofin tin. We made sure to use roofing screws with the rubber gaskets and go thru holes already there.
Our coop is stick built with inch boards and 2x4's, that we reused from 3 old garages we dismantled.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

What are the cheapest slabs of wall material that I can get at Home Depot or Lowe's that can somewhat withstand weather? I do plan to coat it with some of those rain repellent coating. How much am I looking at? I already have some 2x4 laying around and chicken wires plus latches. Just need some type of plyboard or whatever because I did a test with some free material boards that I found and when it was soaked, it would bend it like Beckham and start to deteriorate!