Helpful hints for building coops

[jvls1942]

So glad you feel better.

I walked to the grocery store to get the stuff for Christmas dinner and to my joy they had rib roasts. No money for presents this year so my gift to DP is the Christmas rib roast dinner and I got so excited about the dinner that I started prep like we were going to have it tonight.

Edited to add that this post was meant to have been posted on the 24th.

wow, you must have been really excited to miss the send button..

 

[jvls1942]

4pm and all of our guests left for home.
big sigh.. ahhhhhh
the daughters were going to do the dishes.They were going to put them into the dish washer. I told them to leave them, I will do them by hand. I don't like the dishwasher.
the two daughters' boy friends started Ollie and pulled him loose.. He is safely in the garage again.
The smoking wires was because I had the ground cable hooked up wrong.. I was going to check that out tomorrow, but now I don't have to.. Merry Christmas to me !!
.....jiminwisc.....

 

[NewBoots]

4:30 and dinner is over, I'm relaxing with a drink. I love my dishwasher, dirty dishes are always out of sight. Plus the first 15 years DP and I were together I was the dishwasher and I'd hate to go back to that.

 

[jvls1942]

birdinhand, let's just use a 4" thick slab for estimating . 4" = 1/3 foot.
next we need the length and width of the slab.
let's assume 8ft x 8ft. = 64 square feet.
64 x 1/3 = 21.33 cubic feet.
a 40 pound bag of redimix will pour .30 cubic feet. (each 20 pounds of mix = .15 cu feet)
21.33 cubic feet divided by .30 = 71.1 40 pound bags. rounded up to 72 bags.

forget about having ready mix hauled in.
they charge a minimum price .
and then you have to have easy access to the pour site.

borrow a mixer, rent a mixer, or do as I did once. buy a mixer, use it , clean it very well and resell it..
I kept it for a couple of years and did a few projects with it. then I sold it.

If you decide to go ahead with your project, I will assist you as much as you need. or as much as I can, which ever comes first...

how many stones can you find on your property?

.......jiminwisc.....

 

[Birdinhand]

birdinhand, let's just use a 4" thick slab for estimating . 4" = 1/3 foot.
next we need the length and width of the slab.
let's assume 8ft x 8ft. = 64 square feet.
64 x 1/3 = 21.33 cubic feet.
a 40 pound bag of redimix will pour .30 cubic feet. (each 20 pounds of mix = .15 cu feet)
21.33 cubic feet divided by .30 = 71.1 40 pound bags. rounded up to 72 bags.

forget about having ready mix hauled in.
they charge a minimum price .
and then you have to have easy access to the pour site.

borrow a mixer, rent a mixer, or do as I did once. buy a mixer, use it , clean it very well and resell it..
I kept it for a couple of years and did a few projects with it. then I sold it.

If you decide to go ahead with your project, I will assist you as much as you need. or as much as I can, which ever comes first...

how many stones can you find on your property?

.......jiminwisc.....

I'll go take some measurements tomorrow, it's a pretty big coop. we have had a couple frosty nights so i'm leery about doing a pour this far into winter. nights are just starting to dip into the freezing temps, but maybe there will be another warm stretch... i'll have to look up how long a new slab needs to cure before being exposed to freezing temps. any thoughts on that would be welcome.

 

[aart]

i'll have to look up how long a new slab needs to cure before being exposed to freezing temps. any thoughts on that would be welcome.

14 days minimum....28 is max, but can depend on temp.
55° is minimum temp before chemical reaction stops....gotta keep it damp or wet too.
But can depend on the mix and any additives...there are a ton of variables.
These things I learned when doing concrete sculpture, structural codes may vary.

 

[jvls1942]

I do not do concrete if there is any chance of freezing soon. the first thing that happens is the smooth finish flakes off.
best to wait until spring time..
.......jiminwisc.......

 

[CapricornFarm]

Going back to the Dr. tomorrow, if I can get an appointment. Infections never really went away. My energy level is pitiful.

 

[NewBoots]

Going back to the Dr. tomorrow, if I can get an appointment. Infections never really went away. My energy level is pitiful.

Feel better soon Cap.

 

[aart]

My energy level is pitiful.

Your body is telling you to rest