Building New Coop/Barn...Phase 5 Great Barn Build, OCCUPIED! 3/6/16

[speckledhen]

I actually think that is very attractive and the plexiglass makes it much less noticeable than a solid awning would be. It might need to be a little wider and longer but I think it's a great idea. It certainly is a lot nicer looking than some of the jerry-rigged solutions I have around my barns!

Thank you. I think it's rather contemporary-looking (not my cup of tea, generally, but trying to see the upside), or would be with the PVC painted. We could put something larger on top of the plexi. That one sheet, 44 x 32" was $22 by itself and we just cut it in half.

 

[1muttsfan]

It would look better painted, and if it is not easily visible from the house, than only the deer will object to the look.

If your building is steel siding, you should not need a framing member to screw into - once the siding is attached to the members, the siding itself may be strong enough to hold up things like awnings. If not, you could screw through the siding and into plywood on the inside. Bolts with nuts on the inside, and you can get rubber washers that help seal out moisture. If you use enough bolts to spread the stress out the steel siding should be strong enough to hold them without issue. I would probably seal each drilled hole with metal spray primer. Not sure how thick the siding is?

http://www.bestmaterials.com/washer_styles.aspx

I also found this on Amazon, I think it is only the fabric but seems like you could attach it to a frame of some kind, but I can not figure out what size it is from the description

http://www.amazon.com/Awntech-Beaut...452200481&sr=8-8&keywords=Cheap+Patio+Awnings

 

[speckledhen]

It would look better painted, and if it is not easily visible from the house, than only the deer will object to the look.

If your building is steel siding, you should not need a framing member to screw into - once the siding is attached to the members, the siding itself may be strong enough to hold up things like awnings. If not, you could screw through the siding and into plywood on the inside. Bolts with nuts on the inside, and you can get rubber washers that help seal out moisture. If you use enough bolts to spread the stress out the steel siding should be strong enough to hold them without issue. I would probably seal each drilled hole with metal spray primer. Not sure how thick the siding is?

http://www.bestmaterials.com/washer_styles.aspx

I also found this on Amazon, I think it is only the fabric but seems like you could attach it to a frame of some kind, but I can not figure out what size it is from the description

http://www.amazon.com/Awntech-Beaut...452200481&sr=8-8&keywords=Cheap+Patio+Awnings

We are using the self drilling metal screws with the rubber washers that the building crew left and also, there were a ton of slightly longer ones in my late father's basement. I have jars and jars of every screw, washer, bolt, nut and nail you can think of. The siding is I think 14 guage, basic stuff, didn't pay extra for 12 gauge.

I do plan to use that Flex Seal rubber coating in a can that comes in clear on the screws and was actually going to do that on the roof screws and seams after the company came back out to try and find out why we have a couple of leaks up there.
This is the stuff:



Oh, that Plasti-Dip spray I was using on the steel framing that won't be covered by wall board? It does seem to have insulating properties. If you put your hand on a coated area, it's definitely not as cold to the touch as the bare steel. I'm thinking it may help stop some cold transfer on the steel framing that is against the siding and goes up above where our walls will be.

 

[chickenneighbor]

I'd bet your homemade awning is of much higher quality craftsmanship than anything you could get commercially (probably made in China). I like that it doesn't obscure the view looking out the window, especially looking upwards, which is how the chickens will see it.

 

[speckledhen]

I'd bet your homemade awning is of much higher quality craftsmanship than anything you could get commercially (probably made in China). I like that it doesn't obscure the view looking out the window, especially looking upwards, which is how the chickens will see it.

I do like that it doesn't block light. We could add some smoky film to block summer sun if needed, or the canvas awning fabric maybe. Anyway, we'll see what happens when it rains.

 

[Folly's place]

I like it too, and having it clear is a real advantage. How about recycled window panels from the Habitat Restore? Install with hinges on the top, as an awning. Mary

 

[speckledhen]

I like it too, and having it clear is a real advantage. How about recycled window panels from the Habitat Restore? Install with hinges on the top, as an awning. Mary

Hmm, that might look good on the other side. Will see what they have that we could use.

 

[ladyearth]

I would advise anyone if getting a metal roof or metal bulding to watch some you tubes and ask on forums... specialists that is... about where the screws go and how the panels should overlap etc..... how much to tighten screws...
That creepy

Amish installer guy tried to chintz on us. He wanted to put screws thru the flat of the roofing panel at least on the front first row. The driver that was rolling out the steel, told my wonderful Hubby "dont let him" Cause we paid for a STANDING SEAM roof......and a hip roof at that...
WE were, this Amish guy's, first guinea pigs with that metal roofing mfg.company ... The salesman told him he needed a starter strip and he refused.... I was out there too constantly watching them..... He had to go to a neighboring town of course with his driver and also roofer guy to get the specialty starter strip....He also used regular felt paper under. It would have been better to used a specialiy product. WE had to also force him to buy a large tarp to cover the roof till the next day.. That creepo....
I talked to the roofing mfg. salesman myself.... later after... all done..... I asked him in the future to call the customer if he thought the installer didnt know what he was doing and trying to cut corners...
This is our third home with a metal roof... but first" standing seam".. Hubby had to help with the second home metal roof cause they were yahooes too.. and it was a very hot April day....
The first house was an aluminum shingled.. I had to keep on those guys constantly even getting on the roof some.. LOL..They werent even any roofing installers.. LOL They were alum gutter and siding installers ..Zappone is the mfg... I luved that beautiful WHITE roof... I sp ordered it.....
Oh also in case you not familar with metal roofs..... watch out for AVALANCHES. with ice even.... Exciting to hear but terrible to deal with.. That ice tore off the "dome" on our former home "sun tunnel" skylight"Had Feet of snow and ice in front of doors and garage doors smashed shrubs, too Oh not to mention he saved the "gutters too.... but it did tear out sevral gutterguards
Last year, here , Hubby finally got to try out a "roof rake" I had bought. He saved our awnings and patio cover by temp making more wooden supports for it....
So this year I special ordered thru the roofing mfger. "Snow Guards.".. 40 of them.. hope got enough of them.. Luckily Hubby got them on week or two ago with a guys help... Hope they work. They had to be torqued to 220 inches.... Each "Snow defender" has two" set screws" They were expensive and pray they work..
I like the look of our awnings but they do block light... even though ours our "white"
A Craiglist find....unusual to find a whole house of awnings....
I want a perloga here but want it to be topped with "glass.... dont wanna lose the solar gain during winter... Hubby laughs... there was an adjustable lourved one on C List......t but not quite wide enough. Plus you had to remove it from the owners house..... Now that would have been nice for our walk out Fr doors basement
Sorry to run on but I hate when you pay for someone to do something and they" 1/2 "butt " it.".... Keep on them please.....
Good luck

 

[speckledhen]

@ladyearth sounds like you had quite some fun with roofing contractors. We had to keep on the whole house contractors when we had the house fire and half our house had to be torn back to the studs and up to the roof rafters and redone. They always wanted to cut corners, didn't listen to instructions, as in, I told the guy the one paint I did NOT want was flat paint. What did he bring? Five gallon buckets of flat, crappy contractor grade paint. I made him get me my Behr satin finish paint. I still have those 5 gallon buckets and Ladyhawk will get them for her chicken coops when she visits this year. Then, they forgot the hurricane strapping on the porch roof. Made them go back and get them. And we had to explain to him what "drip edge" was and made him go back and get that, too. Good thing when the customer is not a dolt, too.

 

[Folly's place]

If you build, you will have more stories ! I've got some real winners too. Mary