Is a warped pallet ok for floor

[kvmommy]

I have access to a 7.5x7.5 ft pallet. Its really sturdy, but its been on uneven ground and gotten wet. Its not rotten or anything, not even weathered. BUT its warped. Not super warped but fairly wapred. I want to use it as my base for my floor. Will save about $35 for my coop. Is it ok that its warped or will it cause too many problems? Is it better to just suck it up and build a floor? Which I've never done btw and it may turn out just as warped!

 

[mickey328]

What do you plan to cover it with? If you put the warped side down...you should be able to put some lino on it and then a good bed of straw or shavings.

 

[kvmommy]

I was going to cover it with plywood then linoleum. I just worry that it will affect the walls being straight.

 

[mickey328]

ahhh, gotcha. I would check the corners with a square...that'll tell you if they're true. If not you could pretty easily shim them as needed to true 'em up.

 

[kvmommy]

I have a level but not a square...what is that? I know...i'm in wayyyy over my head.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Spend the money now and build it RIGHT the first time, rather than trying to get by cheap, and having to REBUILD it much sooner

 

[kvmommy]

I hope I can build it right the first time whether I go cheap or not. I'm starting to get scared!!! They need a bigger coop (instead of the crappy prefab from ebay). But I'd be doing it totally by myself. *sigh

 

[mickey328]

Then take your time. Don't be intimidated and consider it a learning opportunity. Our entire coop cost us about $80; most of which was for screws, hinges and paint. All of those items weren't used so we still have them left over for future projects. It's not a junky looking or shabbily built coop by any means...it's sturdy and looks great and functions perfectly. It took about 2 weeks to complete...admittedly DH spent 35 years doing building projects and home repairs so he was able to get right on it, but I could have done it too...it just would have taken me a lot more time and a lot of advice

Keep an eye on Craig's List and your local Freecycle for items you can use. We had most of the wood around from previous projects but did get some for free from those sites. Check coop designs here and elsewhere on the web...we got ours from BYC and modified it a bit because the original was quite a bit bigger than we needed for our small flock of 6. Do a LOT of planning...draw out what you're going to do so you have a plan to follow. There are a lot of things you can change as you go along if you find it doesn't work the way you thought it would or want it to. You can also make changes after the fact.

Oh, and a square is an L shaped tool...it's like a ruler but instead of straight it has a 90 degree angle in it. If you have an old school protractor, you can make one yourself...just nail or screw two pieces of wood together so that you have a 90 degree angle...make each piece 6 inches or so long. Then you can line up the pieces over the corner of the pallet and if the edges line up, it's square!

Too bad I can't send DH to build it for ya If you'd like, you're more than welcome to PM and I'll put you in touch with him via email...he'll be more than happy to offer advice...he's awesome at that sort of thing. I'll add some photos later this morning so you can see ours

Mickey

 

[NightHawk123]

For me, the planning stage of a new coop build has always been the funnest. Research and draw out the plan as many times as it takes according to what items are available. Doing your first build from scratch is scary. Wish you were near us and I would help. I find it fun to build stuff. The best thing to do tho is take your time, research, and ask as many questions as needed.