Favorite Roofing?

[Crobinson08]

I'm changing my mind about the roof on the coop I'm building (this is the 1,836,163th time I've changed this design). Now I'm thinking about doing either metal or polycarbonate roofing instead of shingles. I don't think I'm going to use plywood underneath, just hardware cloth. Will probably add some kind of insulation underneath to prevent condensation as well. We live in north Tx and summers are miserable so the coop will be very open. I'm a novice builder so definitely need something easy to work with. What is your favorite roofing for your coop? Pictures would be awesome!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

METAL. Polycarbonate breaks down with time, typically faster than a shingle roof, becomes brittle. Worse, it can create a "greenhouse" effect by trapping reflected heat once it warms the ground.

Wood prices being what they are, a shingle roof is much more expensive, has many more potential errors to be made in construction, takes longer to install correctly, and won't last as long. Most shingles are dark in color, so all the radiant heat you get from a metal roof, you will as likely get from a shingle roof as well. Your metal roof will likely have about 1 screw penetration per square foot, maybe less. Screws hold very well. Shingles? You are driving probably 3 roofing nails per square foot, maybe more if you place 5 per tab in the first and last row, because a chicken house is so small. Every one of those penetrations is a potential leak. Nails don't hold as well.

As to condensation from temperature gradients, shingled wood roofs do it too - but it usually happens between the shingle and the decking, where you don't see it, and won't know its a problem - till you are doing a tear off.

North TX should (unless you are NE TX) be pretty arid, so I doubt its much concern anyways - I would skip the insulation - your birds can take your colds - its much more critical that you get good ventilation. "Raise the roof", hardware cloth your big overhangs all the way around, and allow plenty of venting right under the metal roof. Not only will it ensure your birds are draft free, but it will help with radiant heat from the roof panels themselves, whatever you decide.

Have you looked at open coops designs? They are resource efficient and well suited to hot, arid climates.

 

[Crobinson08]

METAL. Polycarbonate breaks down with time, typically faster than a shingle roof, becomes brittle. Worse, it can create a "greenhouse" effect by trapping reflected heat once it warms the ground.

Wood prices being what they are, a shingle roof is much more expensive, has many more potential errors to be made in construction, takes longer to install correctly, and won't last as long. Most shingles are dark in color, so all the radiant heat you get from a metal roof, you will as likely get from a shingle roof as well. Your metal roof will likely have about 1 screw penetration per square foot, maybe less. Screws hold very well. Shingles? You are driving probably 3 per square foot, maybe more if you place 5 per tap in the first and last row, because a chicken house is so small. Every one of those penetrations is a potential leak.

As to condensation from temperature gradients, shingled wood roofs do it too - but it usually happens between the shingle and the decking, where you don't see it, and won't know its a problem - till you are doing a tear off.

North TX should (unless you are NE TX) be pretty arid, so I doubt its much concern anyways - I would skip the insulation - your birds can take your colds - its much more critical that you get good ventilation. "Raise the roof", hardware cloth your big overhangs all the way around, and allow plenty of venting right under the metal roof. Not only will it ensure your birds are draft free, but it will help with radiant heat from the roof panels themselves, whatever you decide.

Have you looked at open coops designs? They are resource efficient and well suited to hot, arid climates.

Good info. Thank you! Here is the coop I designed in sketchup. Its 4x8 and has lg windows on all walls so in the summer it will be almost fully open and have plenty of ventilation. In the winter all the windows will be closed but there are vents at the top of the side walls that will remain open year round.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I like sketch up. Also, I expect your windows will be open 24/7 - but that means your roosting bars will be drafty, 24/7. Personally, i find windows are more for our sense of appearance than the chicken's sense of well being in the more forgiving climates, like ours.

The "front open" on your nesting box is a great idea, much superior to the alternatives. Top hinge designs leak, and are harder to build well.

I'd increase roof overhangs, for a start, will help with your occasional wind-blown rains

Questions, now that we know you are in TX. How many birds are you planning on? Rough dimensions of your sketch for proportions? Are you structuring that to be one side of a closed and/or covered run? and why did you choose to lift it off the ground like that?

 

[3KillerBs]

The big openings are good for summer, but the little vents are not going to be adequate for winter because good ventilation is just as crucial in cold weather as it is in hot weather. Removing the moisture from the coop is the key to preventing frostbite.

Have you seen this Texas coop build?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/texas-coop-build-pic-heavy.1371038/