Best or worst materials for coop walls

[CdnMaple]

What should we watch for when choosing material for the coop walls? We have access to some OSB (chip board) and some rough cut lumber and siding. But am concerned about using this material as far as keeping the coop clean and sanitized. We have good insulation left over from another project, so we were thinking of insulating the floor and walls because of the cold winter temperatures of -30 to -40.
Thanks for your help

 

[woodworm]

I'm in the UK so can't advise regarding the temperature, but you need to put on a roof with a decent overhang so that it will protect your walls. I have approx 18" on mine and I think I should have gone at least 24" and that's just because of the driving rain.

I would guess the issue with insulation is that you are layering your walls which gives mites the space they need to live.

I used outdoor plywood for my coop walls (the stuff they use for covering broken windows, etc - CDX someone mentioned it below!). I painted every edge of each piece of timber before assembling to make sure it was as protected as it could be.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

OSB is not the crumby particle board of old but is still not as good as structural plywood, CDX, for withstanding moisture damage. As stated above it has to do with how close to ground it will be, how large roof overhang is and how well you seal the bottom edge of the sheets.

If bottom of coop is close to ground then I'd go with the plywood. You still want to seal bottom edge of sheets but it is more moisture resistant than OSB.

 

[kerbotx]

My coop has interior walls of OSB, and it's held up fine for years now. I did paint it with 2 coats of barn paint, and occasionally I touch it up with a white wash/lime formula. I've also stapled up tyvek feed sacks behind the roosts/poop boards to catch the worst of the splatter. When they get messy, I just pull them down & replace with new ones.

 

[mowin]

I've seen OSB sheds and coops last for decades if painted. Unpainted, you'll be lucky to get a few yrs before they start flaking and it gets worse each yr.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

I used OSB for the walls of my coop, as I had scraps of it, painted it with three layers of a shiny exterior paint for easy cleaning on the inside and exterior paint on the outside. So far so good. As others stated, roof overhang helps keep the weather off. *edit to add that my coop is raised 60cm from the ground*

 

[StinkyAcres]

The OSB siding on my coop (painted on the exterior) began rotting and had holes chewed in it within maybe 5-7 years. This is mainly because it was close to the ground and the rain splashed on it and the rodents had easy access to it.

EDIT: I patched some of the rodent holes and was able to use the coop for 12 years.

 

[saysfaa]

I have rough sawn white pine lumber for walls. I let it season for a couple of months then painted it. It is still rough enough to catch dust. I brush it off easily. I haven't noticed anything else that would make it not clean unless you count the sap from the knots discoloring the paint.

My dad used a LOT of osb and some rough sawn lumber. He didn't keep it painted and the osb didn't hold up nearly as well as the rough sawn.

 

[CdnMaple]

I have rough sawn white pine lumber for walls. I let it season for a couple of months then painted it. It is still rough enough to catch dust. I brush it off easily. I haven't noticed anything else that would make it not clean unless you count the sap from the knots discoloring the paint.

My dad used a LOT of osb and some rough sawn lumber. He didn't keep it painted and the osb didn't hold up nearly as well as the rough sawn.

saysfaa - Thanks. Good to know.

 

[chickenmomandmygirls]

We're located in Cenltral Maine. Our plywood coop holds 10° warmer than the outside temp.

When our weather forecast predicted 20° Below Zero I was worried.

Then I had a revelation! Homeless people sleep in cardboard boxes.

I cut up some large ones and screwed them on the inside walls and placed more over the 2 window areas. Early in the am I checked & the thermometer in the coop read: 18° !!!