Need a new, improved run. Pics please!

[Ccort]

Thanks you all! So I'm actually looking at a 20*12 run now so that my coop will be inside the run. It's currently outside of it and this will be nicer, I think. Am getting help to build it otherwise I could never do it. I'm illiterate with tools.

I'm looking at a metal roof but not sure what to do yet with the sides. I would like to have the back half of the run have covered sides, but also only covered about halfway up, to provide a permanent barrier from bitter cold winds, crazy rain/snow. I think four feet "walls" would work. Thoughts? Would polycarbonate still get hot in this case ? What about using plywood?

 

[Demarvell]

Hi all!

My first run has been a headache and its time for a redo.

I am looking to build a 10*12 with wood, hardware cloth and a covered roof. I want a slanted roof that can withstand the weight of a potential few inches of snow/ice as well as large beaches that might fall. NO MORE TARP on the top!

Further, I CANNOT dig into the ground so I need to know how to make this stable on the ground since digging holes and pouring concrete won't work. I plan to have a hardware cloth apron going out each side by 2 feet. I would also like a way to keep snow/rain from coming in the sides. That's a current issue I've had, resulting in mold within the run. I do NOT have the money for a concrete floor.

So...please...suggestions and photos of you run if you think it may work.

1. What roof material should I use?

2. What can I do to the sides to prevent rain and snow from pouring in? Any photos I see always show fully open sides. I currently put tarp around the sides, about four feet up during the winter months. During summer, it's not an issue. But would also like to keep light coming in.

3. How can I secure the structure to the ground so high winds and such aren't a concern?

I AM on a budget. In fact, this is out of my budget. But also looking to make this a long-lasting stable run that I am not constantly trying to maintain, like I am the current one.

Just a little advice. Please DO have a decent slant, especially if you are in snow country. It will save you from a few problems, like snow loading causing major sag in you not heavy enough roof. Please don't ask me how I know this!

 

[Ccort]

Just a little advice. Please DO have a decent slant, especially if you are in snow country. It will save you from a few problems, like snow loading causing major sag in you not heavy enough roof. Please don't ask me how I know this!

Thanks. Am definitely worried about this after seeing snow/ice stick to tarp and bent my metal run! I want to get away from the 5am panic of running outside in pj's and snow boots with a broom and shovel, shoving snow and ice off the "roof."

 

[texsuze]

We added an 8x10 run extension to an existing small run a few years ago. Used 2x6" treated lumber as a sill plate (is that correct terminology??) which sits on top of 8"x12"x2" flat concrete pavers as a perimeter foundation. The framework of the run is 2x4s. For the roof we used metal roof panels which sit atop a thin roll of insulation, which is then sitting on purlins. All roof materials left over from my barn construction years ago. If you use insulation under metal roofing it will prevent condensation and keep the metal much cooler in direct sun.

For winter cold/rain mitigation I made several removable panels by stapling thick, clear plastic sheeting to 4'x8' plastic lattice panels. I then attach the panels to the sides of the run, either by zip ties or by using wood screws with fender washers and screwing through the panels and into the frame and bracing of the run.

This company https://www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com has used billboard vinyl and a huge inventory of materials (new and used) for various repurposing projects. Might want to browse the website for possible materials for your project, factoring in shipping costs, of course.

 

[Sydney65]

Hi all!

My first run has been a headache and its time for a redo.

I am looking to build a 10*12 with wood, hardware cloth and a covered roof. I want a slanted roof that can withstand the weight of a potential few inches of snow/ice as well as large beaches that might fall. NO MORE TARP on the top!

Further, I CANNOT dig into the ground so I need to know how to make this stable on the ground since digging holes and pouring concrete won't work. I plan to have a hardware cloth apron going out each side by 2 feet. I would also like a way to keep snow/rain from coming in the sides. That's a current issue I've had, resulting in mold within the run. I do NOT have the money for a concrete floor.

So...please...suggestions and photos of you run if you think it may work.

1. What roof material should I use?

2. What can I do to the sides to prevent rain and snow from pouring in? Any photos I see always show fully open sides. I currently put tarp around the sides, about four feet up during the winter months. During summer, it's not an issue. But would also like to keep light coming in.

3. How can I secure the structure to the ground so high winds and such aren't a concern?

I AM on a budget. In fact, this is out of my budget. But also looking to make this a long-lasting stable run that I am not constantly trying to maintain, like I am the current one.

Find someone selling used pool covers. Cheap & heavy weight. We installed grommets & secured with screws and big washers. Straight line winds haven't phased it. On the sides in the winter, I put up heavy weight clear tarps, like used on greenhouses. Again with the screws and big washers. In the summer those come down and shade cloths go up.
Our roof is framed and covered with hardware cloth with pool cover over it, and that never comes off.
We do have a 1'deep concrete footer all the way around that the frame is set into. But the frame itself is made out of repurposed packing crates broken down into roughly 8' long and 6 ft tall (or visa versa) panels. (think for heavy machinery)
So the best advice is repurpose and look for stuff for sale on craigslist, etc. so you can make that budget work for you. I wash, dry, and put away my clear tarps and sunshades every year to reuse. Every year I say I'm just going to roll the tarps up for the summer, but they get dirty. There's something cathartic abt going through the process when seasons change...so far. So what I spent for them initially has saved money in the long run.
If you're determined to have something heavier, look for someone who's taken down a polebarn and selling scrap. That's what we used on our coop, with the slanted roof you're wanting.
Curious re why you can't dig? Granted, it's not fun, esp with a big run, but it only took one raccoon before he turned ours into Ft. Knox.