Building with 1x2s?

[SarahGfa]

I found this greenhouse design on instructables and I wonder if it would make a good chicken coop or run. I would cover everything with hardware cloth instead of plastic of course. I am a small person, and I like that it seems easy enough for me to build by myself. Would it be stable enough to last for a few years or more? I live near San Francisco so the weather is mild all year round.

here is the instructable link: https://www.instructables.com/Low-cost-Greenhouse/

 

[perkolator]

1x2s should be fine in an urban setting where you won't have large predators that want to break in.
With small dimension lumber like that it's all about triangulation to give more strength (or L-brackets, etc), the pic you posted has a decent amount actually. You'll also want to make sure to pre-drill holes and pay attention to wood splitting since there's not much wood to keep it together. If you're sandwiching 1x2s around HC, that's a good idea for panels and would add more strength since they're doubled up.
I have built many things out of 1x2s and actually have a greenhouse built by the PO of my house that resembles what you posted - that structure was painted wood and it's starting to fall apart, but I want to say it's at least 15yrs old. I have used a lot of 1x lumber in my gardening projects (like small lean-to's, work tables, etc) and those I don't paint, for me in CA they seem to last several years before they start to fall apart.
If I was building a coop out of 1x2s, I'd likely go get a gallon of sealer of choice (I'd probably go water based spar urethane), lay them all out on some saw horses and paint them with it before I cut them.
I know lumber has come down a lot in price lately but a 1x2 is still not the most cost effective lumber choice. Convenient yes. Personally if it's going to be something I want long-term I'd likely get better wood. Heck, even 2x2s.

 

[3KillerBs]

It should work, though you might want to find a way to extend the roof overhangs on all 4 sides so that you can protect your ventilation from rain. Metal roofing is surprisingly easy to work with -- using self-tapping screws and an impact driver -- and more durable than plastic.

My Outdoor Brooder is made from 2x2's but lacks the diagonal bracing of that design so this will be more stable than that is.

Working with 2x2's requires some amount of care to not split the wood. Predrilling your screw holes is a good idea.

If I was building a coop out of 1x2s, I'd likely go get a gallon of sealer of choice (I'd probably go water based spar urethane), lay them all out on some saw horses and paint them with it before I cut them.

I like barn paint for wood preservation.

 

[Alaskan]

In a mild climate an open air coop is a great idea..... so fully roofed run that also acts as a coop. Very few solid walls.

As to using 1x2s, my worry would be a dog jumping up on the frame to try to break in.

If however the coop is in a fenced yard so dogs will not get to the coop, then the 1x2s should work.

 

[SarahGfa]

1x2s should be fine in an urban setting where you won't have large predators that want to break in.
With small dimension lumber like that it's all about triangulation to give more strength (or L-brackets, etc), the pic you posted has a decent amount actually. You'll also want to make sure to pre-drill holes and pay attention to wood splitting since there's not much wood to keep it together. If you're sandwiching 1x2s around HC, that's a good idea for panels and would add more strength since they're doubled up.
I have built many things out of 1x2s and actually have a greenhouse built by the PO of my house that resembles what you posted - that structure was painted wood and it's starting to fall apart, but I want to say it's at least 15yrs old. I have used a lot of 1x lumber in my gardening projects (like small lean-to's, work tables, etc) and those I don't paint, for me in CA they seem to last several years before they start to fall apart.
If I was building a coop out of 1x2s, I'd likely go get a gallon of sealer of choice (I'd probably go water based spar urethane), lay them all out on some saw horses and paint them with it before I cut them.
I know lumber has come down a lot in price lately but a 1x2 is still not the most cost effective lumber choice. Convenient yes. Personally if it's going to be something I want long-term I'd likely get better wood. Heck, even 2x2s.

Thank you this is exactly the information I need. I had no idea 1x2s could be used for building things, for some reason I always thought they were for crafts or decoration, like balsa wood.

Maybe it is just my location but the 2x2s at the hardware store are always crooked and messed up. The 1x2 furring strips tend to be straighter with less cracks. Maybe because people don't pick through them as much?

 

[perkolator]

When you choose wood like those you just have to know what you're getting into. A my local stores the 1x2s is probably the most picked over pile they have, lol. Both 1x2s and 2x2s tend to warp in my experience, once they're allowed to expand/contract freely when released from the bundles they come shipped in - so I always buy extra after I've already picked the choices ones out

 

[SarahGfa]

In a mild climate an open air coop is a great idea..... so fully roofed run that also acts as a coop. Very few solid walls.

As to using 1x2s, my worry would be a dog jumping up on the frame to try to break in.

If however the coop is in a fenced yard so dogs will not get to the coop, then the 1x2s should work.

My yard is fenced but I still want the coop to be predator-proof just in case, like wearing pants AND suspenders. If a raccoon tries to climb up the side, will it collapse on itself? That would be bad.

 

[perkolator]

^And a belt too? lol
Keep in mind most of those commercial coops people buy are basically made from 1x2s. Thousands of those get sold every year and I don't see reports all over the place saying they're collapsing, just that they're built like crap and bad design with boastful claims of what they're capable of

 

[SarahGfa]

^And a belt too? lol
Keep in mind most of those commercial coops people buy are basically made from 1x2s. Thousands of those get sold every year and I don't see reports all over the place saying they're collapsing, just that they're built like crap and bad design with boastful claims of what they're capable of

lol that's what i meant

 

[SarahGfa]

It should work, though you might want to find a way to extend the roof overhangs on all 4 sides so that you can protect your ventilation from rain. Metal roofing is surprisingly easy to work with -- using self-tapping screws and an impact driver -- and more durable than plastic.

oh good point thank you!