I need your Ideas Please,

[angelib1]

This is the coop that I am building.It's not named yet at least not by me (every one here is calling it the chicken bunker, yuck!) It is made out of salvaged materials mostly. I need help, ideas, for how to finish the siding. it is all 2x (6,8,12s) There is a space between all the boards I need to fill or cover. What kind of finish for the wood like paint or deck sealant, or? and I need to do somthing w/ the large plywood door on the side to disguise it. I used very old materials and I want it to look very old when i'm done.

I can take diferent pictures if it would help.

 

[Scott]

Nice looking chicken house. It looks very traditional. Good job. If you want to retain the aged wood look, then use a stain that is close to the color of the wood you have used. Like the kind you would use for deck boards. It comes in a variety of colors. You could try an oak-color stain perhaps. You could also use a paint stripper if you want to take the paint off door. Then stain it to match the rest of the house.

 

[BigPeep]

Very nice looking. I would just put a clear varnish of some kind on the outside to preserve the wood. In terms of draft prevention, you can just nail plastic up on the side for the winter using wood lathe and roofing nails to hold the edges and take it off in the Spring as the draft is not a problem during good weather.

How were you going to clean it? One idea is that you can locate the door up 8 inches and can then use the deep litter method and just shovel it out twice a year. Better yet, you can have trays underneath on wheels that you can pull out. Otherwise, with a wood floor flush with the door you are going to be spending a lot of time cleaning.

The coop we are planning to build for winter will have the door on the side with a hallway for storing feed and a flap to access the nest boxes so it isn't necessary to step inside the coop everyday to get the eggs. We may try to arrange it so the water and feed can be accessed in a similar fashion. If the door to the birds is also solid you are not letting in a lot of direct cold air every time you enter and leave.

 

[Imp]

Great aged look to your coop. I would probably just stain with a clear to protect the wood. I like the gray old wood.

Imp

 

[LynneP]

You could used vertical slabs of board (recycled) with batten to give it a red-barn look. Paint with linseed-based red paint...lasts for years and years and endures weathering...

 

[angelib1]

For cleaning it out I have a 4ft wide door on the side (the one i want to disguise, it's a piece of plywood). Look on the long side of the coop.I have a dirt floor on chicken side of coop. With about 6in of litter.
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I wrapped the frame With plastic before I sided it, and I am using cardbord boxes for temp. insulation on the inside. I will add reg. insulation in the future. I am just trying to keep from having roast chicken this summer. But I need to find a way to keep the water from getting between the wood and the plastic. The coop is 9 1/2' x 18' so what ever I do it'll take a lot of it.
The front half is the feed room. that the only real floor. I feed and check for eggs there.



What about some kind of chinking, is it expensive,can I make it, how do you get it in the cracks?

 

[angelib1]

If I stain it and use chinking would it look kind of cabiny? any body know about chinking? It would take semi load of caulk.

 

[g_a_brand]

love the coop , I agree with scott, get a stain close to the colour of the wood now or one with a very light tint, like golden oak , I have found this one works great give a light sheen to the wood but keeps the old wood look , but I would also after staining it give it a good coat with a sealer

 

[cherrycitychicks]

ehow.com How to chink a log cabin tells you step by step how to do it. It gives you the supplies and all. I think it may work but it will be loads of work. Good luck.

 

[noyolk]

Good Work!

I would just paint the Plywood door some dark color like leather brown or whatever you like and do the same to the small door.
Don't do anything more to the siding.Caulking or chinking would NOT be worth the time and experience imo. It looks as though you have enough overhang to protect the siding from rain. You could have oriented the boards vertcally then put small strips over the vertical gaps. BUT DON'T FRET!.... I've seen some really old coops on farms with the same siding that are still sound.
By the way, I like the details on the ends of your ridge beam and rafters! really cool..