Help making roof and add-on to coop...

[believer01]

Good luck on your project. I'll be watching as I need to enlarge my coop also. Thank's for leading the way!

In the Smoky Mountain Nat Park there are farm structures, some 200+ years old, some less. They are still standing strong and sturdy, without the use of a single nail! They use the type of joinery where the logs/beams are cut out to allow the joining log/beam to rest in/on the vertical one. Some even use the natural notches. Most of buildings or lean-to's are outside, unprotected . So even though it'll be more work, I'm hoping to use this on mine.

Hope you'll post pics as you go along!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Don't do that!!!!! If the structural framework is not connected firmly, do not cover them with the same pieces of siding!!! The two halves (the old building and the new one) WILL shift and settle and heave separately, and will (potentially rather quickly) rip your siding job apart. No matter what you do, this *will* happen. Don't try it. If you want it to look like a single building, with the same pieces of siding covering both halves, it needs to be BUILT as a single building, structually.

Why not just add concrete? Decks have concrete blocks they sit on. Digging a bunch of giant holes will kill my will to do any of this.

You mean, do it as a stud-wall structure sitting on deck blocks or the equivalent? Yes, as mentioned you can do it that way if you want. It will shift considerably more than if you built it with well-set posts, and it will then be raised up above the ground (i.e. you need to build a floor and if it is not raised up *enough* above the ground it will farm up rodents underneath), but certainly that is an option.

Because a structure on deck blocks will shift even more than a pole-built one, you REALLY need to make them truly separate in that case, separate siding and all. And furthermore because the place where they join will shift and move, I highly recommend putting some thought into how you will
"connect" them there in such a way that it neither rips pieces off one or the other half nor exposes gaps that weather and predators can get in. It can be done, although it will need to be "adjusted" (and perhaps rebuilt) occasionally as things move; but you need to PLAN for this complication so that there is a graceful and effective way of dealing with it, as opposed to being surprised when it does that

Honestly I think by far your better bet would be to attach the halves together structurally.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[secuono]

I've never built anything, so there is no way I'm going to attempt making it one solid structure.
I get how they will settle. Maybe screwing in one tall and wide metal siding/roofing to the original and letting it cover the gap and go over the new building will work. Add wood to the top, bottom & middle to swing 'closed' onto the metal.
Also wanted to add one of those large screen windows like the 'good ol days' coops had.

 

[meowteri2]

I made the same add on. It is built in sections laying in the garage. I am waiting for better weather so I can level the ground and lay down the
stone pavers to put the wood base platform on. I was thinking of buying the rolled aluminum and making a bent flashing something like you show from
roof to roof. I have a drip edge on the exisitng roof so I will bend the alumiinum and insert it under the drip edge flange thats on the fascia.
I will use matching 3 tab shingles on the new lean section.

Wish the rain would go away and I can get out there finishing the addition and preparing the garden areas.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I fear you misunderstand -- it is actually much EASIER to make it one solid continuous structure!! Seriously. Easier to build, a little *cheaper* to build, and with MUCH less uncertainty as to the results.

I get how they will settle. Maybe screwing in one tall and wide metal siding/roofing to the original and letting it cover the gap and go over the new building will work. Add wood to the top, bottom & middle to swing 'closed' onto the metal.

No, that is not secure-enough attachment for your siding, it will come loose and/or blow away when the wrong wind catches it, also it will STILL have serious problems when the two buildings move separately.

Pat​