Building the Chicken McMansion (Part 3)

[the4heathernsmom]

All I can say is wowee!!!

 

[Chieftain]

Siding is underway. I made the command decision to use 1/2 CDX plywood for siding, after seeing how outrageous prices are for any kind of sheet siding. Even the lowest grade of T-111 siding is going for thirty bucks a sheet, and that is sheer highway robbery!

The plywood inside is 3/8 CDX (CDX plywood is usually good on one side with minor defects on the other) and it sells for about $10 a sheet. The 1/2" was $11 a sheet so I saved considerably on materials. The CDX is plenty strong and looks great with a couple of coats of paint. It took 3 sheets of ply inside, and 4 sheets outside. The dimensional lumber I'll use for trim is pretty inexpensive as well.

Lots more progress to report, but as long as the rain holds off here, I'm working instead of posting....

Cheers!

 

[gsim]

Quote:

Actually the very best product for this application is called Sonneborne NP 1 sonolastic caulk. It can be bought at roofing supply houses. I have not seen it an any home improvement stores. It comes in a standard size caulk tube that is orange with black markings.

 

[yodercountrygirl]

Wow!! very impressive!!! Keep up the good work!!

 

[mccaff mama hen]

I want one!!! Great job!!

 

[teach1rusl]

I don't which I admire more....your fabulous coop or that gorgeous tile "workbench" I saw in an earlier shot....lol!

 

[lavacaw]

The entire coop will be very durable by the time it's all said and done, and I doubt if it will be lacking for much...


What it is lacking is LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION! Now, I have this farm in south Texas where it would look absolutely awesome! All kidding aside, you will have some really lucky chickens. Great job!

 

[Kewlhanded]

Nice coop mang!

 

[Catstar68]

When will it be ready for me to move in??

 

[Chieftain]

Quote:
I'm really hoping to have this done for the chicks to move into by May. I'm rapidly approaching a stopping point, specifically for painting, because the weather is too wet and damp. It really needs to be above 50 degrees for most paint to dry properly, and while I can get the inside painted any time, the outside is a different matter.

The body filler I'm using for the Hardi-backer is a 2 part epoxy resin filler, and it may not be waterproof by itself, but it will be once I paint it. In any case I think it is perfectly suitable for this application, and it sure seems to work quite well. Once it is sanded it will ready for the 2 part epoxy floor paint I'll be using in there (stay tuned...).

This really has not been an especially hard project. Being a small urban coop in my back yard, it has different features than a coop on five acres. If we had more than a large residential lot here, our coop would no doubt look much different.

But one of the criteria for this coop was to make it as quiet as possible, and pleasing enough to the eye that the neighbors won't complain. Critter proofing is another issue, since we do have coyotes here along with cats, 'possoms, and voracious squirrels that are into everything. The bottom line is that we plan on being here for a long time, and I fully expect to be harvesting fresh eggs daily out back in 20 years...