Blocking wind/rain question/UPDATE used burlap/pictures post#29

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

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You can get rolled reed fencing lots of places, like Home Depot and Lowes:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_231190-8743..._ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&state=R

I paid about $20 for a 6 by 15 foot roll. It won't last forever, but I've had some up on the roof of my summer coop for about a year now and it's still in one piece, more or less (although it's bleached almost white by the sun).

How did you attach the reed fencing over the plastic?

 

[bigoakhunter]

Is it possible that your original plastic was not heavy-duty enough. There are many different thickness of plastic. I covered the run last year in Michigan and it stood up all winter, but it was a heavy (thick) mil. Thin stuff will rip. Most home Depots or other stores of that type will offer several thickness of plastic.

Just an idea....

Dave

 

[galanie]

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With that kind of wind, I'd enclose those two sides with solid wood. Prevailing winds in the summer are normally opposite those in the winter, so it won't make things too hot in summer and will definitely protect them in the winter.

Our winter winds come from the same direction yours do. My garage has doors arranged so they are open to the south and east, and winter rain and wind never get in, while summer breezes always do.

I know this all sounds confusing. Once you figure it out though, it's not, if that helps any.

 

[elmo]

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I used screws with large heads (like Teks screws) into the framework of the run, and then zip ties through the hardware cloth in between. It works for our conditions, but we don't have wind anything like you have to contend with here!

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

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Your place sounds very much like ours!! I'd listen to everything Pat is telling you. You'll need to put braces on the run. I would recommend that you put up some plywood. Burlap & reed fencing won't be effective.

 

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

I found some burlap squares in the barn and have covered the north side of the run. My DH helped me and we stapled the burlap on the outside of the hardware cloth and then attached the burlap to the hardware cloth with lots of twist ties. It's very breezy and I'm amazed at how much wind is blocked. Also, no flapping. This is certainly interesting and I'll be excited if it works in the worst of weather.

Thanks, Pat, for the idea.

 

[galanie]

Great idea!

 

[LynneP]

This is what we do. The run is sheathed with 1/2" hardware cloth, year-round and we have an underground predator flange to 3 feet. In winter, we hang red snow boards on the lower portion and above that we frame vinyl. We use screws or butterfly hardware so these can be removed easily in summer. The vinyl is 6 ml and we are in a very severe snow/rain/wind area (elevated) but you can buy vinyl that is even thicker than that at your hardware store. So the vinyl is protected from the birds by hardware cloth and strengthened by framing. I'm sure you'll get a solution soon, the weather is pressing all of us and we've had our first snow preceded by a rainstorm and heavy flooding. It's good to live on a hill! Our climate is far more severe than yours, so I realize you may not need all of this.

 

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

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And here is the run with the north and west sides covered in burlap.