corrugated plastic roof for NC

[sueche]

I am ready to put on a roof and was looking at the plastic roofing at Home Depot. I was wondering about the clear roof. I like the idea of letting light but do you think it would let too much light in causing the coop to overheat?
Is solid white a better choice for it?

I am in Raleigh NC and summers are pretty hot.

thanks for the imput.

 

[donnavee]

Hi, I'm in Cedar Grove - which is near Chapel Hill so we basically have the same weather. I guess it depends on how much sunlight hits your coop and run. We put the clear on our run for the reason you mentioned. It's nice in the winter, but during the summer when the afternoon sun hits, it is brutal. We have an open run attached to the enclosed run and that is where the chickens prefer to be during that time. We only covered part of the enclosed run, and are getting ready to cover the rest - DH is going to remove the clear and replace it with the metal roofing panels. Plenty of light will still get in from the sides and it seems to be a bit sturdier than the clear panels. It's also a good idea to have one side higher than the other so the water can easily drain off. I think there is also a semi-clear sort of smokey looking plastic panel that is supposed to block some of the sun rays, but it's pretty pricey. Of course, we have found any time we try to cheap out on something we usually end up having to redo it and so end up spending more than had we done it right the first time.

Good luck!

 

[Chickeninthemeadow]

If you go with a translucent one, that will help block some of the UV rays of the sun and keep it a little cooler (esp with proper ventilation).

That said, I'm not a big fan of this kind roofing material. It will become brittle pretty quickly if left out in direct sunlight. If your coop is going to be in a more shaded area though, it will work well.

 

[patandchickens]

Do not use the cheap PVC unless you want it to last only a few years if that. For durability you need the (slightly more expensive than metal roofing, in most areas, and about twice the cost of the PVC) polycarbonate panels. Palruf is pvc, Suntuf is polycarbonate; there are other brand names too, so if you're not sure, check carefully.

As long as you use the polycarbonate, it really lasts quite well, does not get brittle and will withstand major wind AS LONG AS properly installed (alhtough honestly an awful lot of BYCers do NOT seem to install it properly -- get the pamphlet or look on the mfr's website for ALLLLL the specs to follow! It is not hard at all, but must be done RIGHT)

Quote:
Yes.

Is solid white a better choice for it?

If it is fully opaque.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat, lived in Durham for 6 years

 

[georgiagail]

Again, this depends on how exposed the coop is to sunlight. We used clear Tuftex (Lowe's version of polycarbonate roofing panels) but our coop is in total shade all the time (and we're in Georgia).

If we were building a coop where any sunlight would hit the top, we'd have used the solid white panels instead.

Gail

 

[sueche]

the coop is on the east side of pine trees. it gets morning sun. I will have to watch again how much it gets. I will check out the metal roofing.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I'm over towards Charlotte and used the cheap clear stuff. 8months is all it lasted and it's in part shade most of the day. I now use tin!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I'd go with the white roof and have one wall opened up for ventilation down there. That should let in plenty of light, plenty of air and keep heat from building up in the coop.

 

[Gardengirl 2011]

I'm glad I saw this post as I'm ready to add a roof of some sort to part of my run too.