Blackjack 57 in high humidity?

[TwoShepherds]

The coop is coming on Thursday. Hooray! It's all done except I have to put hardware cloth over the windows and put something down to protect the wood flooring. I had just about decided to use blackjack 57 on the floor instead of linoleum but am starting to get cold feet. Has anyone used blackjack 57 in the south? It's already hot and humid here in TN. Will it take a long time to dry? Will it stay sticky in our climate? Sadly, I believe it's going to be rainy off and on for the next several days, do I need to wait for a sunny day to apply it? How difficult is it to mix and apply if I only have basic tools? Thanks so much for any feedback!

 

[Helloworld]

Linoleum. I am not sure about your coating but if it has any smell it will be months before you can close it up. Linoleum is washable and better to me.

 

[rosemarythyme]

This is from their technical sheet:

APPLICATION: Apply on a clear warm day with no rain expected for 24 hours. Apply when surface temperatures are between 70° and 110° F.

Cure Time (50% Relative Humidity, 70 ̊F) 4-8 hours
Full Cure (50% Relative Humidity, 70 ̊F) 7-14 days

Maybe contact the company and ask if high humidity during application is an issue?

As far as mixing, I'd recommend turning the sealed bucket upside down before first use to get the heavier materials in the mix to surface, and then stirring with a sturdy piece of wood (I used a sign post pole, a 2x3 or 2x4 would work as well). You'll need to stir for a while on first use... hubby and I took turns stirring for about 15 minutes.

You can paint it on with a large paintbrush... it's like a very thick paint. I used a masonry brush and that worked out pretty well, with a cheap, smaller brush just to push it into corners and such.

 

[blackdog043]

I used black jack in my coop, it's very durable and would use it again vs vinyl, if I ever needed it. I used a 4 inch paint brush to apply it to an 8 x 12 floor and 12 inches up the wall. Turn the can upside down 1 - 2 days before you will be using it, this will help when you stir it, it's very thick on the bottom. I used the five gallon can and it took me about 15 minutes to stir it with a long piece of 5/4 board. It's low in odor when applying it, less than paint IMO and the smell will not last long. It will be dry in about 24 hrs, but it will take 7 - 14 days to fully cure, depending on how humid it is. It will not be or get sticky, once it is cured. You could apply it if it's raining, as long as the floor doesn't get wet.

I use a hard rake when I mix my deep bedding(pine shavings) occasionally inside the coop and it doesn't affect the black jack.

 

[blackdog043]

Maybe contact the company and ask if high humidity during application is an issue?

It's not an issue for applying it, it just takes longer to cure. Just like if you paint on a real humid day.

 

[aart]

As far as mixing,

I used black jack in my coop,

These two know this stuff....listen to them

 

[TwoShepherds]

Thanks everyone! That is really helpful. I appreciate the pictures! I'm feeling better about mixing it. Did you all find that you had to wait the full 7-14 days before you could let your chickens in the coop? I've got some 3.5 week-olds in my garage that I imagine would rather be outside. Looks like the humidity is going to be between 70-86 percent for the foreseeable future, and rainy until Tuesday, so I'll definitely have to think about what is best to do. Thanks again for the helpful responses!

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's not an issue for applying it, it just takes longer to cure. Just like if you paint on a real humid day.

I don't have high humidity (thank goodness!) so never sure how that affects things.

Did you all find that you had to wait the full 7-14 days before you could let your chickens in the coop?

Just keep in mind that you will want to do 2 coats of Black Jack (just 1 coat is a little patchy). I think I only waited 3 days between coats, so it was still slightly tacky when stepped on, and the chickens were probably in about 10 days after that.

 

[aart]

I don't have high humidity (thank goodness!) so never sure how that affects things.

I thought everywhere in the PNW was humid and rainy.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I thought everywhere in the PNW was humid and rainy.

It's... a different sort of humidity? Here if it's "humid" it's already raining. The type of humidity you get in the Midwest or East Coast is a different beast. I lived in the Midwest as a child and broke out in rashes every summer from the humidity.