[Build] Yet Another Playhouse Coop Conversion

[RogerChicken]

First, an inventory:

I picked this up locally for $40, plus $30 delivery:

This is a 'Backyard Discovery' playhouse, made of cedar and some plastic bits. This not-mine picture below shows one that's a little less-loved:

The main difference being that the quasi-fake portico over the door has fallen off -- which is just as well, really.

This diagram shows most of the major measurements, but is also misleading in several important ways:

You'll notice that the actual roof I have is rotated 90 degrees from the one in the diagram above -- but I plan to remove the roof and rotate it so the door is under the ridge, so that I can make the door just a bit higher -- at 3'6" or so, it's really impractical, and I think an extra foot or so would really help.

The other thing is that the walls are arranged differently than either the diagram or the as-new photo -- facing the front door from the outside, the very-wide window wall is on the left, with window-in-the-middle walls at the rear and also the right. That arrangement doesn't really work for me either, so I'll be detaching all the wall panels from each other to re-arrange them, which will also make painting and other modifications easier, probably.

There's no floor at all, but of course I'll be adding one. Mostly likely as part of a platform that brings the whole thing about 24" to 36" up off the ground, is my current thinking.

Next up: more planning.

 

[casportpony]

That's awesome! Take lots of pictures of everything, including your design plans, and enter our next coop article contest!

 

[RojoMarz]

What a great buy for $70...keep us updated with progress pictures.

 

[3KillerBs]

What a great base to work with.

Since you're taking it apart to modify it should be easy to add any additional ventilation you need. It should be a breeze to put a ridge vent on the roof too.

 

[RogerChicken]

What a great base to work with.

Since you're taking it apart to modify it should be easy to add any additional ventilation you need. It should be a breeze to put a ridge vent on the roof too.

Yeah... my roof plan at this point, which is still kinda coming together, is to make a whole 'floating' metal roof that'll be on standoffs, 2" to 4" or so off the underlying wooden roof.

Then I'll remove some of the wooden roof boards from the peak, maybe down 6" or 12" or so, as sort of a huge ridge-vent.

More diagrams and plans to follow.

 

[RogerChicken]

This might make my roof plans a bit clearer (or it might not):

 

[perkolator]

^that should work fine. Do you already have the materials for the metal roof? If not, I'd consider skipping it and just open the gable vents more and put that metal roof $ elsewhere

 

[3KillerBs]

This might make my roof plans a bit clearer (or it might not):

Looks great -- though you might want to take advantage of the opportunity to extend it on all 4 sides to provide overhangs that will shelter the gable vents and windows.

 

[RogerChicken]

Looks great -- though you might want to take advantage of the opportunity to extend it on all 4 sides to provide overhangs that will shelter the gable vents and windows.

Yeah that's a good idea. It's pretty arid around here most of the time, but it does rain sometimes. And all the snow, of course.