- Jan 18, 2015
- 16
- 0
- 22
Well the chicks will be at my local farm store in a couple weeks and I had a couple of days with decent weather so I started work.
I plan on having 6 hens max but will be starting with 4. after looking through the coops on here I had a drawing with what i wanted and the size it would then i found "The Palace" which is what i had in mind although there will be some changes such as a storage box and location of the nesting boxes and doors due to the slop of the yard. It will be 12x6 with an 1 foot roof overhang on all sides
My yard is very steep, Its a walk out and there are 8 steps from the walkout basement door to get to the ground. So I originally planed on building a cinder block foundation and poring a concrete slab with a drain in order to have a level surface but The area I want/need to put it at is on a sewer easment and the pipe is less than a foot under ground so digging was not an option.
So I decided to use precast concrete blocks that you can get at any hardware store to use as a base and build a deck.
After some frustration due to large rocks I had the blocks in place and leveled.
Then I got some wood, this should be everything but trim as far as lumber is concerned. with my civic and custom trailer this took me a 6 hours of making trips to the store to get.
Now I need to build the deck, the framing will be 2x6 with 4x4 posts, 3x 3 1/2" screwes in each joint with 5" lag bolts and fender washers holding the frame to the posts.
Since I am building this on my own except when I have to have help and I can get someone I decided to Build the deck as a unit then move it into place and attach the posts and level. The only flat spot I have is the garage so Thats where it got built, When building a 2x6x12 is longer then 12' so make sure you trim them
Once it was built I Dragged it down to the hill, used stakes and string to get an idea of how long the corner posts should be and screwed then attached the corner post the the frame with the framing screws temporarily. Then got someone from work to help me move it on the corner blocks. sorry for the bad picture I work 12 hour shifts so got off after dark and used the help when I had it.
Now next day we were slow at work so I bailed early on Saturday and got home around 3, I made sure the frame was square then leveled it was only off a 1/2", I made it level long wise but it has a 1/2" tilt to the down hill side to give a little drainage help. Once it was leveled I predrilled and lag bolted the corners, 4 bolts each. after that was done it was simple to measure the middle 4 posts and and put them into place. I used 3.5 " screws through the short boards and 2 5" lags through the long boards.
At This point I had a goal to get the 3/4" treated plywood before the snow moved in, and for some reason the weather channel forgot to mention the sleet. So i rushed and cut the boards to 6 foot and screwed them to the decking, Some tips : make sure its square before the plywood goes on, the treated plywood is wider then 4' so start with the center boards the do the outside, then I took a chalk line and trimmed the ends so they are flush with the frame, this is done to insure that the seams are supported by a 2x6.
Thats it Until wensday which is my next day off and, oh and the barrel made for a good heat source while building, it was in the 20s. for now its all wrapped, up
I plan on having 6 hens max but will be starting with 4. after looking through the coops on here I had a drawing with what i wanted and the size it would then i found "The Palace" which is what i had in mind although there will be some changes such as a storage box and location of the nesting boxes and doors due to the slop of the yard. It will be 12x6 with an 1 foot roof overhang on all sides
My yard is very steep, Its a walk out and there are 8 steps from the walkout basement door to get to the ground. So I originally planed on building a cinder block foundation and poring a concrete slab with a drain in order to have a level surface but The area I want/need to put it at is on a sewer easment and the pipe is less than a foot under ground so digging was not an option.
So I decided to use precast concrete blocks that you can get at any hardware store to use as a base and build a deck.
After some frustration due to large rocks I had the blocks in place and leveled.
Then I got some wood, this should be everything but trim as far as lumber is concerned. with my civic and custom trailer this took me a 6 hours of making trips to the store to get.
Now I need to build the deck, the framing will be 2x6 with 4x4 posts, 3x 3 1/2" screwes in each joint with 5" lag bolts and fender washers holding the frame to the posts.
Since I am building this on my own except when I have to have help and I can get someone I decided to Build the deck as a unit then move it into place and attach the posts and level. The only flat spot I have is the garage so Thats where it got built, When building a 2x6x12 is longer then 12' so make sure you trim them
Once it was built I Dragged it down to the hill, used stakes and string to get an idea of how long the corner posts should be and screwed then attached the corner post the the frame with the framing screws temporarily. Then got someone from work to help me move it on the corner blocks. sorry for the bad picture I work 12 hour shifts so got off after dark and used the help when I had it.
Now next day we were slow at work so I bailed early on Saturday and got home around 3, I made sure the frame was square then leveled it was only off a 1/2", I made it level long wise but it has a 1/2" tilt to the down hill side to give a little drainage help. Once it was leveled I predrilled and lag bolted the corners, 4 bolts each. after that was done it was simple to measure the middle 4 posts and and put them into place. I used 3.5 " screws through the short boards and 2 5" lags through the long boards.
At This point I had a goal to get the 3/4" treated plywood before the snow moved in, and for some reason the weather channel forgot to mention the sleet. So i rushed and cut the boards to 6 foot and screwed them to the decking, Some tips : make sure its square before the plywood goes on, the treated plywood is wider then 4' so start with the center boards the do the outside, then I took a chalk line and trimmed the ends so they are flush with the frame, this is done to insure that the seams are supported by a 2x6.
Thats it Until wensday which is my next day off and, oh and the barrel made for a good heat source while building, it was in the 20s. for now its all wrapped, up
