cauking/weatherstripping/spray insulation?

[dftkarin]

update:
I bought a spray can of "Touch 'n Seal" Polyurethane foam sealant, quick cure, seals and insulates...cured foam wears off and if not harmful to health...

so my plan is to use the straw to apply a bead of this around the two windows, into the cracks between the walls and the walls and floor, from the indide and maybe also along the cracks from the outside - and I'll let it cure and paint over it and hopefully the chickens won't even notice it because it will be painted. After I bought this I saw a cheaper option - a Liquid Nails type caulk that would have strengthened and sealed the coop.


original post:
Is there a product I could use on the edges of my coop (internal or external that would "seal" up the cracks where wood doesn't meet wood at sides and edges? Like caulk but weather, temp and chicken-proof? If there was something that would dry hard and 'un-chicken-peckable" I would use it inside the coop around the windows and all the cracks. If its poisonous, I'll use it on the outside and just hope the paint will cover it up from the outside.

 

[keljonma]

If you have wide gaps, there is a product that is called gap filler caulking. It would be like the grey or black foam insulation you wrap around water pipes in your house. You stick it into the large gap and then cover it with the other. This way you use less of the caulk or expando foam.

The chickens will pick at anything. We've used the expando foam and painted it. Do the job while the flock is out and about and not under foot. Our flock seems to leave it alone, but they forage the acreage and are only in the hen house/barn to lay eggs, to hide from hawks, dust bathe, and to occasionally eat and drink.

If a bit of the caulk falls to the ground, make sure you remove it or someone will try to eat it.

 

[patandchickens]

Anything billed as any of the above terms is almost certain to be peck-able. I would *think* (but don't know -- oddly, I never have looked for such an item myself) that there would be some sort of hard-drying wood spackling gap-filling compound that is ok for exterior use. There's always epoxy putty but that would get tedious, obnoxious and *expensive* for the amount of crack-filling you are likely to want to do.

The simplest thing, though, is just to cover the gaps with tightly screwed on wood battens. If you apply a little thought you can probably put them on in such a way as to look like intentional decorative trim, even

Good luck and have fun,

Pat

 

[jubylives]

Silicon caulk worked for me. They haven't been able to get at it as well as others.


jeremy

 

[dftkarin]

just bumping up because someone else asked about sealing cracks too.

 

[cmom]

I bought furring strips at lowes and used liqiud nails and stapled it to cover any cracks. LIke trim. I primed and painted the strips before I put then up.

 

[keljonma]

Quote:
dftkarin, I don't know which Liquid Nails product you saw. Some of it has an awful smell. So if you do decide to use it in future, just make sure the area is well ventilated.

 

[vermontgal]

I used foam/caulk on my cracks and then covered the cracks with wood trim (quarter round, baseboard) that I had lying around from various projects.