My Homemade Canadian Coop

[electrycmonk]

Is there a reason shingles would wear out more quickly on a coop rather than a house or shed? Because an asphalt shingled roof here usually lasts a good 10+ years.

Anyway, here is tonight's work. I have a mix of two styles of shingle, so it looks a little funny in the photo. But in person it looks
View attachment 3173476

I’m going with a “gut” reaction to why I suggested what I did.
1st the same shingles where put on the small 4x8 wellhouse as the main house when it was all built in 2006/07 and they were all replaced about 6-7 years ago due to hail & wind damage. The theory I’m running with is based on what I have seen happen over the last 11 years here. With the extreme thermal variations here from 100*+ to actual below 0*F and windchills down to ~ -20* they have become more brittle on the wellhouse then the house.

I’m originally from Michigan, so I truly do know what a real winter is all about. That’s why my “gut” is thinking about the serious wind chills with even higher quantity of winter days then I’ve had down here. FWIW our freak-show two winters ago AKA Freeze-mageden really was not fun to deal with . The 100gal water settling tank and the 75gal pressure tanks both froze solid & all the pvc piping in the wellhouse exploded & splintered. The asphalt is now surprisingly brittle compared to the shingles on the house.

So if my experience is a flawed logical POV, I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong to think this idea.

We have a lakehouse too. And I had to repair the garage roof down there last month. It’s approximately the same age as this house. Those shingles were surprisingly stiff and nearly as brittle.

Thinking about the coop and it’s roof will be quite similar to the wellhouse in that it will not have the latent heat filtering through the attic insulation in the winter that will reach the house’s roof underside. That is what my logic is based on.

I hope that makes sense. And I look forward to your updates as the years go by. I hope I’m wrong for your sake.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Okay, now I'm hooked on the build, and I cannot wait until the next picture!

 

[MACCanadianCoop]

Finished the roof today!

 

[MACCanadianCoop]

Overdue for an update! We've been fortifying the walls with plywood and corrugated plastic siding (all free sourced), and painting. It's starting to look like something!

 

[MACCanadianCoop]

It was a busy weekend. The plan was to sink 10 foot 4x4s into the ground for the run. But we quickly discovered that about 8 inches below the surface is solid clay hard as rock.

So plan B was to use 8 foot posts instead, and secure across the top instead of installing them below ground.

Also installed the human door.

It's coming together
Only 4 more weekends til the ladies arrive!

 

[MACCanadianCoop]

Siding's all on. Just needs to be painted. Still have enough left to cover a portion of the run.

To be done:
*lay vinyl flooring
*install hardware cloth apron, ventalation openings, and on run
*install nest boxes and roost
*hang human door for run
*build overhangs for upper ventilation openings
*build/install feeder and waterer

 

[electrycmonk]

Overdue for an update! We've been fortifying the walls with plywood and corrugated plastic siding (all free sourced), and painting. It's starting to look like something!
View attachment 3209638

What plans are you thinking about to protect the underside of the roof “particle plywood” due to it’s current, total exposure to the elements?

If not a lime wash like I have done to the entire interior of our coop then perhaps at least a good coat of primer to keep the glued particles from flaking away in the coming months.

 

[MACCanadianCoop]

What plans are you thinking about to protect the underside of the roof “particle plywood” due to it’s current, total exposure to the elements?

If not a lime wash like I have done to the entire interior of our coop then perhaps at least a good coat of primer to keep the glued particles from flaking away in the coming months.

Haven't thought about that. But I do have some white paint barn paint I could use

 

[electrycmonk]

Haven't thought about that. But I do have some white paint barn paint I could use

Specifically the area that is going to be outside the actual coop air space. Inside the coop airspace not as big a priority. But that overhang? Oh yes….

I have a chunk that I can show you what two light rain showers can do to that “particle plywood” during this very dry & hot summer.

 

[MACCanadianCoop]

Flooring on

I was going to put it up a foot on the sides because I'm going to do deep bedding, but this still (rolled vinyl) does not like to stick to vertical surfaces. So I might just paint the interior with more barn paint.