Massive storm and coop design flaws already :(

[DreamsInPink]

Well, I knew it was going to happen... but do you think my bf would listen? Of course not!

We have no overhang on the coop on 3 sides. The high side and each end... the low side has about a 2 foot overhang. Well we got hit with a terrible storm earlier.. and we just happened to get trapped in the coop. We got pretty wet inside. My dilemma is, can an overhang or some type of awning or something be added to the sides with no protection from weather?? I am so frustrated.

We had half dollar to ping pong ball size hail, and LOTS of it. We got some amazing pictures that I'm going to post in another thread later.

 

[j-ro]

Also received a Lot of hail here in south Louisiana. Sorry y'all got stuck in there. Pictures would be helpful. What type of roof do y'all have? I'd say just extend the roof. If it's tin that pretty easy to extend

 

[flyin-lowe]

Pictures would help, I am assuming there must be large openings along the top? Unless the top of the walls are open I wouldn't think you should be getting wet inside, overhangs or not?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Photos showing how it is framed would certainly help, but my first thought is to put an awning that angles down instead of a straight out overhang. Maybe hinge it at the top (might be difficult) so you can prop it open or if you wish in a storm, close it. A lot depends on how it is framed at the top. Shutters are another possibility. If you do put overhang with metal, it needs to be supported or it will flap in the wind, possibly ripping off in a heavy wind.

Mine has one wall with a pretty good opening with no overhang. Rain and snow occasionally get in when the wind is from that direction but with good ventilation and the chickens scratching the bedding to turn it, it soon dries out.

 

[DreamsInPink]

@flyin-lowe
@Ridgerunner


Please ignore my ugly coop.... hardware cloth on openings up at the top... lots of open area to allow for lots of ventilation. I'm thinking, maybe, TOO much. :/

This is the high side.

This is an end wall... both are the same.

 

[mimsy]

I can't tell what the roof is made of. It looks like it may be a metal roof? If so I'd remove and redo so that there is an overhang. If that doesn't work, you can add an eave that is pitched down to the front, but I think it may interfere with the man door?

If none of those ideas can work you can remove the ventilation from that side and do ventilation on sides where you can make some kind of overhang or awning to protect it from the weather. We only have a small over hang on two sides and we did small vents there and then have windows that can be opened or closed (or cracked a little) as weather permits. We just keep watching to make sure we don't see the windows can fogged up on the inside or any of the sand floor getting moist, to tell if we have enough ventilation. So far so good here.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Ugly? You should see mine. Well, maybe not if you think yours looks bad.

That does present a challenge but you are just looking at stopping wind blowing rain and snow in. That should make the front easier. It’s not like water is running down to it off the roof.

The beams up top look like 2x4’s? My thought on the front is to take another 2x4 (or whatever it is) and cut it into a fairly sharp triangle. A really short piece. Screw one into the ends of each of those beams sharp end up. Drill pilot holes. The lower screws might need to be fairly long, depending on what angle you choose. Then put a strip of material, maybe plywood, onto those to form an awning. Since it is at the top and water will not be running into it, you don’t have to seal the top. Keep the opening pretty small but a slight gap, maybe 1/4”, will probably do you no harm. It does not have to be a perfect fit.

Your sides look a lot like the open side on mine that does not have an overhang. These are probably the ones causing you the most problems. That looks to be maybe 12’ long? Anything you put up there needs to be supported pretty well or the wind will just blow it off. I don’t have any great ideas there. Maybe build a covered panel a couple of feet wide where one top board screws into that top beam and you have knee braces going down to the studs on the coop to support the outer edge? A version of this would be to build that panel so it sloped down at an angle to form an awning and the knee braces go horizontal into the studs. Sounds kind of complicated but it could be done.

Something else that might work. Look at Home Depot or Lowe’s or similar stores for some type of awning that can be put up there. A cloth or plastic awning with metal supports that can just be screwed into the wood. I don’t know how expensive that might be or how well they will hold up to a really strong wind, but they should be pretty quick and easy to install front and sides.

If you have the same ventilation on the lower end where you have overhang that you have up top, closing off the sides may work. Just cover them up. If you do this, I’d cut another ventilation hole down near the bottom with a flap that can be lower to cover it in the winter. I’m thinking a hinged piece of wood that can be raised in the summer and lowered in the winter. Put this on the shady side, probably the north but the east isn’t too bad. With that open in the summer you’ll get relatively cool air coming in to push the hot air out of the top. I’d worry more about ventilation in the summer than winter in Ohio.

With decent ventilation a little occasional moisture in there isn’t the end of the world, but with a wooden floor you don’t want it to stay wet enough long enough to rot. It looks like a really well-built functional coop other than rain coming in. In your winters you’ll find that snow goes in there too. Not just when you have a strong wind to blow it in, but one of those snows where the light flakes are kind of hanging in the air and gently swirling. That’s when I normally find my coop floor white.

 

[vr1967]

You could make an eave with some flashing and a few boards to support it. Wouldn't take much to do, and keep your ventilation.

 

[aart]

Don't think you have TOO much ventilation.......but definitely not enough over hang.

Bummer...sorry you had such an event....
.....but, can't help laughing that you were both in the coop during the storm, I guess that made it very clear to the BF that he should have listened, huh?

Extending rafters on the front should be fairly simple, need to build fly rafters on the ends.

 

[DreamsInPink]

Bless you all for taking the time to take a look and try to help... and you @Ridgerunner for saying my coop isn't that ugly.

One question I have before I really get into the meat of what everyone suggested... with a slant style roof, will an overhang on the high end even make a difference??