In process coop build, would love metal roofing advice.

[Vampire Gardener]

Anyone in North Carolina have a metal roof? Wondering about condensation and best efforts to avoid it. Thanks!

 

[aart]

Anyone in North Carolina have a metal roof? Wondering about condensation and best efforts to avoid it. Thanks!

Lots of ventilation.......like @3KillerBs has.

 

[3KillerBs]

Hello. I had a rough day at work today so I'll read the entire thread tomorrow, but my coop is featured in my Hot Weather article:

Hot Climate Chicken Housing and Care

It's the coolest place in the yard on a hot, sunny day.

I also have an article about ventilation: Repecka Illustrates Coop Ventilation

 

[3KillerBs]

Good morning. from Moore County.

I added two wall vents on opposite ends over the doors. I also will have roof openings covered by wire mesh and I am in process of creating a dutch door where the top piece can be solid in the winter and wire mesh in the summer for added ventilation.

Now that I've looked at the whole thread,

Your build looks really nice. There's more ventilation than most coops, but I don't know if you've got enough for our climate. I *personally* find that I have to either have a coop in DEEP shade or have at least double to triple the recommended 1 square foot per adult standard-sized bird in order to keep the coop under 100F on a 90F day.

I couldn't quite tell from the photos, do you have vents at the bottom of the roof slope as well as the top? That airflow directly under the metal is key to both preventing heat from building up and preventing, or at least minimizing, condensation.

Metal roof installed on purlins is very easy to work with. It is the go-to for most animal housing I've seen in our state.

 

[Vampire Gardener]

Good morning. from Moore County.



Now that I've looked at the whole thread,

Your build looks really nice. There's more ventilation than most coops, but I don't know if you've got enough for our climate. I *personally* find that I have to either have a coop in DEEP shade or have at least double to triple the recommended 1 square foot per adult standard-sized bird in order to keep the coop under 100F on a 90F day.

I couldn't quite tell from the photos, do you have vents at the bottom of the roof slope as well as the top? That airflow directly under the metal is key to both preventing heat from building up and preventing, or at least minimizing, condensation.

View attachment 3567647

Metal roof installed on purlins is very easy to work with. It is the go-to for most animal housing I've seen in our state.

Thanks! Yes, I will have air flow from the eave to the ridge closed off by wire mesh. Plus, the two vents I cut in below them, one over the 5' tall wall and one over the 7' tall wall. I may extend the width of those if needed, but I wanted to keep drafts away from the roost and nesting box cut outs so I only did those vents 4' wide on the short wall and door wide on the tall door. My dutch door top (wired meshed in the summer) and ador door should also add some airflow. I live on an acre and a half with a heavily wooded part of the yard that I plan to keep the coop in during the summer. With it being mobile, I hoped to move it to the best climate for the season.

Currently it is cooler in my coop than outside and that is with the big blue pool cover serving as a tarp to keep rain out.

I think I will pull down the plywood and add purlins. I was considering insulation board or roll, but I'm thinking that is probably a no at this point due to condensation.

 

[3KillerBs]

I wanted to keep drafts away from the roost and nesting box cut outs

Drafts aren't *usually* a major concern in our climate. I do put a tarp up on the downhill wall of my coop for hurricanes and winter, but I had birds in this coop, Camp Cockerel, for all but the coldest part of this past winter without issues.

10F in Central North Carolina in an Open Air Coop

You don't want a breeze ruffling their feathers, of course, but climate zone 8 doesn't have to worry about it like zone 6 does.

I live on an acre and a half with a heavily wooded part of the yard that I plan to keep the coop in during the summer. With it being mobile, I hoped to move it to the best climate for the season.

Excellent! Chickens are birds of the forest floor in nature so it's a splendid habitat for them in captivity.

I think I will pull down the plywood and add purlins. I was considering insulation board or roll, but I'm thinking that is probably a no at this point due to condensation.

Also, chickens are notorious for eating any form of foam that they can get their beaks on.

 

[texsuze]

In central TX here, roller coaster humidity plus currently in the Heat Bomb. My metal barn has a similar 3-ply insulation to this (hope you can open the link):

https://www.amazon.com/Reflective-I...uilding+Insulation&qid=1688749884&sr=8-8&th=1

I used some of that leftover insulation underneath the metal roof of my chicken run (8'x10') addition last year. Frame and purlins, then the insulation tacked on, then metal roof attached using those special screws with rubber washers (?gaskets). Insulation under a metal roof makes a big difference in blocking heat, especially in full sun sites like my barn and chicken run. Also, no condensation dripping.

If you plan to move your coop around the backyard (hence the trailer??) metal over purlins will be less weight than plywood sheets, IMHO.

 

[Vampire Gardener]

In central TX here, roller coaster humidity plus currently in the Heat Bomb. My metal barn has a similar 3-ply insulation to this (hope you can open the link):

https://www.amazon.com/Reflective-Insulation-Radiant-Barrier-Commercial/dp/B07SR7C5P6/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=Metal+Building+Insulation&qid=1688749884&sr=8-8&th=1

I used some of that leftover insulation underneath the metal roof of my chicken run (8'x10') addition last year. Frame and purlins, then the insulation tacked on, then metal roof attached using those special screws with rubber washers (?gaskets). Insulation under a metal roof makes a big difference in blocking heat, especially in full sun sites like my barn and chicken run. Also, no condensation dripping.

If you plan to move your coop around the backyard (hence the trailer??) metal over purlins will be less weight than plywood sheets, IMHO.

Thanks! I was actually considering using the old bubble solar sheet that is blocking rain from my trailer currently. Appreciate it.

 

[Unswydd]

I decided on using plywood under the metal roofing. I did use the black weather proof stuff that sticks to the plywood tho. Can't remember what it's called tho.

 

[QChickieMama]

Anyone in North Carolina have a metal roof? Wondering about condensation and best efforts to avoid it. Thanks!

I'm in central NC. I have a metal roof on my coop that I built. Mine's a hack job compared to yours!

Some condensation will happen but it's minor unless it drips right into a feed bucket. That's the only problem I can think of.

Mine is open-air hardware cloth on all sides so the rain blows inside. Working on placing tarps strategically on two sides. They'll still have 80% free-air ventilation and a chance at breeze. I also free-range them nearly every afternoon so they can run to the woods for coolness.