Corrugated Plastic Roof?

[BLaBauve]

Hi Everyone,

We used to have deer netting as our roof over our coop run. A few weeks ago Raccoons got in and killed all but 1 of our chickens.

We've finally put a roof on, and we used corrugated plastic from home depot. We wanted something that would still let light in, keep rain out, and most of all keep out raccoons. We use hardware cloth in all gaps. I'm curious if anyone out there has also used this material for roofing and what they think. Does it hold up well? I'm in GA so I don't have to worry about snow on top of it. And it seems strong enough to bear the weight on several raccoons. I've attached a few pictures of it.

Off the coop subject, we currently have 3 full size hens living in our enclosure. . . from the pictures, how many more do you think I could keep? Sorry, I don't know the dimensions. . . any guesses?

Thanks!
Beth

 

[patandchickens]

Attempt to answer not only o.p. but questions raised by other posters on the thread:

There are TWO DIFFERENT KINDS (at least) of corrugated plastic roof. They are not equivalent.

PVC roofing panels, such as Palruf, are inexpensive and 'reasonably ok if that's all you want'. They are brittle and will not stand up to a hailstorm, and the warranty specifically excludes hail damage. They are also not designed for very hot temperatures (do not install over plywood roof sheathing; use with caution in a greenhouse-like environment e.g. solar collector) nor very cold temperatures (they are usually warranted down to 0 F only, presumably b/c of their brittleness in the cold, though it is not like they will disintegrate instantly at -1 F). They are a bit brittle and shattery to cut even at like 50 F, IME.

Polycarbonate roofing panels, such as Suntuf, are just about exactly twice the price as PVC ones. They typically have an unlimited lifetime warranty, are much more resistant to hail damage (and it's warranteed), and are rated for use down to -40 F and up to 270F. Thus they are a much much better choice for those up north and for those going to use 'em in ways that will get 'em real hot, e.g. over an existing roof surface or in solar collector arrangements. They do not get brittle when cold and are a joy to work with.

In the brands I've seen, the PVC panels have wavy corrugations while the polycarbonate ones have 'square' corrugations. I do not know whether there are exceptions to this rule however.

It is REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT to INSTALL ACCORDING TO MFR'S INSTRUCTIONS. If your sheet didn't come with an installation pamphlet, download one from the mfr's website. Get this BEFORE you build the supporting structure (rafters, nailers) to ensure the support structure meets the specs required by the materials. Also do not try to skip the wavy foam filler strips; unlike roofing tin, which is heavy gauge enough to screw through ribs without crushing, this stuff is really flimsy and *needs* that under there. (You can't screw it through the valleys instead, because then it will leak and rot its fasteners loose, b/c the holes have to be predrilled 'too big' to allow for thermal movement of the material)

Used as designed it is great stuff IMHO.

Slapped on any ol' whichway it is likely to fail prematurely (possibly spectacularly) and be a waste of money.

I use the polycarbonate stuff for some run roofs, and would like to replace the other (ancient snaggly disintegrating fiberglass) run roofs with Suntuf when budget allows. I give it a great big "three thumbs up" for the North -- it is *fine* for snow load when correclty supported. I would NEVER use the other stuff, PVC, for a cold windy or cold snowdrifty location however; and frankly even down south in a lot of places I'd be inclined to save my pennies up to get the polycarbonate, largely because of the hail warranty.

(edited to add: but in winterizing part of the cats' outdoor enclosure, which is very sheltered by bushes etc, I'm using clear pvc, because there should never be meaningful hail or wind hitting it, and it *is* after all half the price <g>)

JMHO,

Pat

 

[txchick06]

Hey all!
We are brand new to the chicken world and just completed our plastic roofing over our coop today! One of our neighbors comes over and said, "I hope you don't lose any in the summer - that plastic tends to really trap heat.' What a downer! We have worked so hard on it! it has hardware cloth on 2 sides and our fence on two sides. Do you all think the girls will have enough ventilation?

 

[wombat]

You want at least 10 sq feet per bird outside, and 4 sq feet per bird inside.

I'd try to get closer to 15-20 sq feet per bird outside space though, if they never get out to forage and such. 10 is kinda the minimum. You can avoid a lot of health and behavior problems if they are not crowded.

The roof looks very nice.

 

[ArizonaNessa]

It looks nice and I am no plastics expert or anything but I know that the fiberglass kind that looks just like that will only last a few years before it starts to crack and crumble due to tons of sun exposure. Looks like you got some nice shade trees though just make sure you check it after storms and such in case limbs fall.

Wish I could have a clear roof

No wait too many helicopters around here nevermind lol

 

[SOchick]

I really like the clear roofing! I am thinking of using it for roofing my next coop I need to build in about a month, so I am looking forward to hearing eveyone's feedback! you could probably get one or two more in what you have now, but I wouldn't do anymore than that without expanding at least the coop. I am guessing your run is about 4x8 or 6x8?

 

[Imp]

That's what I use. It's been up 6 years. This spring I took it down to clean and replace the zipties. Other than 1 little hole from a limb in a storm it's in like new condition. Hasn't even clouded up.

Imp

 

[kcardella]

I have used that same roofing on my run over three years now. No cracks or anything - so far so good. We don't have snow down here in Florida though!

 

[BLaBauve]

Our run is about 20'x8' I think. It's actually quite long. . . There are probably 6 feet behind me from where I'm standing to take the picture.

Glad to hear positive things about this roofing. I just know a gang of raccoons will be on it every night. We're going to set up a motion sensor light. . . no clue if that will scare them at all.

 

[CityChook]

That clear roof is the bomb. I like it a lot. Probably wouldn't work well here in MN with the cold and snow, but I sure like the way it looks!