HELP!!! People door.

[pkgal21]

I'm trying to figure out how to build a door frame. I've attached a picture of my coop so far. Mainly I just need confirmation on how a door should be framed.

 

[squadleader]

By the way, make sure your door frame (the frame the door will be closing against) is strong, perhaps 2x6's.

Someone on here gave great advice I followed, it's very easy, and the door turned out very strong.

The trick is to use pressure treated premium five quarter by 6 inch deck boards, available at Home Depot or Lowe's. In real life, the true dimensions of these boards is one inch by 5.5 inches. Don't use 1x6's, which are only 3/4 in real life, and are made of garbage soft, weak, wood, not the harder wood in the deck boards, feel both, feel the difference.

Your door is going to be a sandwich of two layers, on the top layer the two verticals go to the top and bottom of the door, on the bottom layer the two verticals go only go to the bottom of the header and the top of the bottom rail. Sandwiched between the two layers of deck boards is a layer of half inch hardware cloth and a layer of 2 inch by 4 inch welded wire.

Making a square door is easy. Once you cut out your two layers of deck boards to the dimensions of your door, lay them on a flat surface and simply make sure the diagonal measurement in both directions is identical, and adjust the boards until it is, and when it is, your door is in square.

Now remove the top layer of deck boards, and place the two layers of wire down on top of the bottom layer of deck boards (the wire layers should extend out almost to the outside of the door), then lay the top layer of deck boards back down, and put in lots of screws to hold the layers together. I used 2 inch screws, which stop just before surfacing on the front side of the door.

Now you've got a very strong, square door, ready to hang.

In this photo you can see the different layers, how the layers of deck boards lap each other at each corner, and how many 2 inch screws I used on the back side of the door to tie the layers together. Zoom in on the corners of the door in the photo, notice how the boards of the two deck board layers are cut differently to create the corner lap. This door is rock solid.

You'll notice I put a lot of screws in the back of the door that strongly tie the two layers of deck boards together, and at the same time, lock in the two layers of wire between the layers of deck boards.

Again, it's critical you realize the two layers of deck boards are the same dimensions, but on one layer the header and bottom are full width of the door, and on the other layer, they aren't, which creates the strong corner laps.

Doors are always the first thing to sag and fail, so I used three hinges, not two, and I bolted them into the door and frame with 3/8 inch bolts, washers, and nuts. This also, again, strongly, squishes together the different door layers.

I also got the wire turnbuckle kit, so if the door sags, messing up your lock alignment, you can tightened the turnbuckle to remove the sag.

You want the door to close on your door frame, and the door to open out. This is the most forgiving way to mount the door, and if you're off slightly, it won't hurt anything, plus it's more predator proof. Make sure the dimensions of the door are at least 2 inches wider and taller than your door opening, so you overlap the door frame very well.

Use a screen door spring to make the door self-closing, that's very, very useful in everyday use of the coop, and keeps the chickens from getting by you. Put a chain on the door too, so you can chain it open against the spring, for free ranging, or if you're working in coop.

Here are some more photos

I use a clear plastic roofing panel to keep the wind out in the winter, it's being held in place by the pink insulation board.

FYI, that insulation board is out of their reach, be warned, you cannot place any uncovered insulation within their reach, they will eat it, every single bit of it they can reach, they ate half a board before i realized my mistake.

By the way, my doorway is 30 inches wide, which I've found has worked well. If you do the same, your door should be 32 inches, or more wide, in orfer to get good coverage over the frame.

My door is only 60 inches tall because of the structure size, taller would be better of course, so you wouldn't have to duck going into the coop, like I do.

 

[pkgal21]

Oh wow! You're door looks fantastic. Thank you!

 

[Counting chickens]

@squadleader won't steer you wrong!

 

[Lonesome Dough]

I went to the Habitat ReStore and got a prehung 28" door for $15 and it was new not used. I bought the door before finish framing so just set studs to fit. beats the heck out of lining up hinges and drilling door knob holes.

 

[lazy gardener]

That's how I also make all of my door and window frames. sandwich the hdw cloth between the 2 layers of lumber. Works well.

 

[Chickielady]

Great job @squadleader
I am building a new green house this spring and you just gave me a great idea for the doors on either end.
These doors have to be really strong as I plan on adding a fan (on a small shelf where your pink styrofoam is) on each door, for ventilation.
Great job !

 

[Kelllynnl]

Oh wow thanks so much @squadleader This is exactly what I need(and it’s something I can do) I’ve been spending the last few nights sleepless trying to think of how I should make a new door for my coop. Mine had the $@i$ beaten out of it this winter and I need a replacement within the next 2 weeks to keep my babies safe! And thank you @pkgal21 for asking this question

 

[jthornton]

This should give you some ideas to work with.



JT

 

[Hopperkiller]

By the way, make sure your door frame (the frame the door will be closing against) is strong, perhaps 2x6's.

Someone on here gave great advice I followed, it's very easy, and the door turned out very strong.

The trick is to use pressure treated premium five quarter by 6 inch deck boards, available at Home Depot or Lowe's. In real life, the true dimensions of these boards is one inch by 5.5 inches. Don't use 1x6's, which are only 3/4 in real life, and are made of garbage soft, weak, wood, not the harder wood in the deck boards, feel both, feel the difference.

Your door is going to be a sandwich of two layers, on the top layer the two verticals go to the top and bottom of the door, on the bottom layer the two verticals go only go to the bottom of the header and the top of the bottom rail. Sandwiched between the two layers of deck boards is a layer of half inch hardware cloth and a layer of 2 inch by 4 inch welded wire.

Making a square door is easy. Once you cut out your two layers of deck boards to the dimensions of your door, lay them on a flat surface and simply make sure the diagonal measurement in both directions is identical, and adjust the boards until it is, and when it is, your door is in square.

Now remove the top layer of deck boards, and place the two layers of wire down on top of the bottom layer of deck boards (the wire layers should extend out almost to the outside of the door), then lay the top layer of deck boards back down, and put in lots of screws to hold the layers together. I used 2 inch screws, which stop just before surfacing on the front side of the door.

Now you've got a very strong, square door, ready to hang.

In this photo you can see the different layers, how the layers of deck boards lap each other at each corner, and how many 2 inch screws I used on the back side of the door to tie the layers together. Zoom in on the corners of the door in the photo, notice how the boards of the two deck board layers are cut differently to create the corner lap. This door is rock solid.
View attachment 1270428
You'll notice I put a lot of screws in the back of the door that strongly tie the two layers of deck boards together, and at the same time, lock in the two layers of wire between the layers of deck boards.

Again, it's critical you realize the two layers of deck boards are the same dimensions, but on one layer the header and bottom are full width of the door, and on the other layer, they aren't, which creates the strong corner laps.

Doors are always the first thing to sag and fail, so I used three hinges, not two, and I bolted them into the door and frame with 3/8 inch bolts, washers, and nuts. This also, again, strongly, squishes together the different door layers.

I also got the wire turnbuckle kit, so if the door sags, messing up your lock alignment, you can tightened the turnbuckle to remove the sag.

You want the door to close on your door frame, and the door to open out. This is the most forgiving way to mount the door, and if you're off slightly, it won't hurt anything, plus it's more predator proof. Make sure the dimensions of the door are at least 2 inches wider and taller than your door opening, so you overlap the door frame very well.

Use a screen door spring to make the door self-closing, that's very, very useful in everyday use of the coop, and keeps the chickens from getting by you. Put a chain on the door too, so you can chain it open against the spring, for free ranging, or if you're working in coop.

Here are some more photos
View attachment 1270442
I use a clear plastic roofing panel to keep the wind out in the winter, it's being held in place by the pink insulation board.

FYI, that insulation board is out of their reach, be warned, you cannot place any uncovered insulation within their reach, they will eat it, every single bit of it they can reach, they ate half a board before i realized my mistake.
View attachment 1270443 View attachment 1270445 View attachment 1270446 View attachment 1270447
By the way, my doorway is 30 inches wide, which I've found has worked well. If you do the same, your door should be 32 inches, or more wide, in orfer to get good coverage over the frame.
do.

Oh wow! You're door looks fantastic. Thank you!

Sguadleader is showing a number of old timey ways including the self closing door. But do NOT use self latching gate latches. You can lock yourself in even without the self closer. Dont ask how i know that!
Also check out youtube searching frame a door.