Coop Build: To nail or not to nail?

[Tre3hugger]

Ok thank you--> how long did it take you to do all the hand nailing and framing? A full week? Or just a very long day?

Me and my cousin did the 4 walls in 2 days of light but hard work(work hard for an hour, take a break kinda days).

 

[tsperry88]

@black_cat

Ive read that screws are not good for framing because they will snap instead of bend with the frame during heavy weather and when there is a lot of weight in it? Is this going to pose a problem?

Screws are fine. They have lower sheer strength but better in some aspects. There are pros and cons to all methods.

 

[chickity-chick]

I’m an electrician by trade and not a carpenter. However, good wood screws are better than nails. A good battery drill and you’re in business.
I just built a stand for a large Formex coop and it was completely assemble with wood screws.

Thank you! Do you think you could help me with this?

Ive read that screws are not good for framing because they will snap instead of bend with the frame during heavy weather and when there is a lot of weight in it? Is this going to pose a problem? Will the coop last a long time if made with screws?

 

[Sahraschweiss]

We did an 8x12 coop with both. If you think you might take it apart or change it, use screws. The impact driver is awesome; easy to use and don't have to worry about air hoses and compressors. To build my coop I called friends with tools a made a coop building bbq party with beer. It went up real fast.

 

[Trisseh]

I prefer screws because you can fix mistakes much easier if you need to take a couple back out. I also needed to be able to partly disassemble my coops if needed, so...
If you take the time to build appropriately with the correct bracing and attachment points, you really shouldn’t have any issues with screws breaking on you. Obviously you need to use the right size screws on any given portion of your project. When I made the base for my “playhouse” coop I used 4 1/8” screws to tie the 2x4s and 4x4s together. We get relatively high winds and no issues so far. If you’re concerned about more delicate materials splitting, you need to drill pilot holes ahead of time.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Yes I have an impact driver to use! I just worry that screws will snap instead of bend like what google says haha so I am hesitant to just use screws. I also worry that it will split the wood? If the wood splits with the screw going in can i no longer use that piece? Im sorry! Im new to this!

I have used screws....for decades and decades. I have yet to have any issues from doing so.
My big coop is 8x14 built with screws about 7-8 years ago. Still standing strong. We get heavy wet snows every year here.

We roofed the 16x23 run this year using screws. I would not have done that if I was worried one bit about them breaking.

Pre-drill for the screws using a 1/8th inch drill bit to prevent splitting.

 

[TARDIS37379]

Thank you! Do you think you could help me with this?

Ive read that screws are not good for framing because they will snap instead of bend with the frame during heavy weather and when there is a lot of weight in it? Is this going to pose a problem? Will the coop last a long time if made with screws?

My last coop was all screwed together. I just replaced it with a plastic set of coops. There are pros and cons to all types of fasteners so do some reading.
I use a 3” wood screw with a Phillips head. You can buy a 5lb container at TSC for about $28.
Read, measure, read, measure, measure again, cut

 

[Sahraschweiss]

I have used screws....for decades and decades. I have yet to have any issues from doing so.
My big coop is 8x14 built with screws about 7-8 years ago. Still standing strong. We get heavy wet snows every year here.

We roofed the 16x23 run this year using screws. I would not have done that if I was worried one bit about them breaking.

Pre-drill for the screws using a 1/8th inch drill bit to prevent splitting.

Or get self drilling.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Or get self drilling.

True that is another option. I don't know if they have those in bigger than the 1# box.......
Might be worth looking into and cost comparing.

 

[Jammy Dodger]

Hi everyone! Im about to start building a 5ftX12ft coop. I do not have a nail gun to put the frame together. My questions is if this is necessity or not. Do you have any suggestions to building the frame without having to purchase an expensive framing nailer that I cant afford? I want my coop to be safe but i also cant afford to dump 300+ dollars on a nail gun I will never use again. Any advice is appreciated! Thank you!

We used 3 inch exterior tork head screws for our coop ( $ 32.00 here in Wy. for 5 lbs.) Gets every thing drawn up much tighter and easy to remove in the future come expansion time .