need advice on using a covering for plywood floor of coop

[tntchix]

I was going to use a roll-on/brush-on truck bed liner product... until I came here to BYC to see if anyone else had that idea... Wow, what an eye opener!

5 gallons of that colored rubberized polyurethane product was going to cost ~$380.00 (the LEAST expensive of the whole group I researched, plus shipping and handling!) and the only thing it has over the Blackjack #57 is that it's available in various different colors! Even had I gone with basic black and no color, 5 gallons would have cost $365.00 I think I'll save myself probably close to $350.00 and run down to the local Lowes and get the Blackjack #57 http://www.lowes.com/pd_70989-29-6080-9-30_0__?productId=3043257! Based on the testimony of @JackE and others who have followed his lead,

I think it will probably outlast the coops themselves!

I can't imagine a product intended for outside application in direct sunlight and temps from sub zero to >100, and rain/hail freezing will have ANY problems being used INSIDE away from the extreme weather, and only being subjected to some 10 pound chickens scratching at it through a deep litter system! I intend to extend it up the walls at least a foot. If it runs, so what? The idea is to seal the wood and this stuff BONDS to the wood, unlike paint! The wall coating doesn't need to be thick as it will have no traffic on it.

I don't want to do or expect to do daily, weekly or even monthly cleanings! I expect to just keep adding fresh litter and change out (a portion of) the deep litter maybe annually (or semi-annually if it seems it's needed). As it grows in depth, I want a SEAMLESS coating of protection that extends up the walls from the floor. I may even take a small amount and mix sand in with it to paint the roosts and such for traction.
Thanks all for your input and I'm awful glad I came here to save all that $$! I don't mind spending fifty bucks for this as opposed to even a free piece of linoleum...

So much easier and longer lasting, not to mention care-free!

Just a heads up I ordered BlackJack57 online at Lowes and it was not the same product I went to pick up. Just a warning. So i canceled my order and got this instead at HD.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Henry-4-75-Gal-287-Solarflex-White-Roof-Coating-HE287SF871/100051140

I was able to run it up the walls about a foot, no drips. Once dry applied 2nd coat to floor and except for kitty prints, it looks great.

Much lighter inside too. I really wanted to go with JackE's advice but was unable to get it.

 

[eggstracool]

If you have a concrete floor, the epoxy paint would be the way to go. Buuuuut, a wood framed building, coop in this case, expands and contracts with the weather. And I would bet a few bucks, that over a period of time, the epoxy would crack up and fail over a wood surface. Go with something flexible, like the roofcoat, (Stuff that was made to go over wood) and forget about your floor.
Jack

I know this is an old thread but hope someone may have answers. We want to go this route for our coop floor. The floor is a MESS at the moment. It looks like whoever had it before just patched things all over. Some parts have a plastic liner with tar paper over it,other sections are linoleum, other sections are wood. Would I need to flatten or smooth all of this mess out or could I just take up any/all plastic liner and tar paper and roll the blackjack onit on? Also, I am assuming the chickens would need to be kept elsewhere for a while? Thanks in advance!

 

[WthrLady]

Could you slap a thin layer of plywood down over the whole mess with adhesive or concrete screws and then coat with blackjack? I'd want a smoother surface to coat to make cleaning later easier and less hidey holes for lice and mites to hide.

 

[Latestarter]

As @WthrLady said, you will need to do SOME cleaning and repair before application. If you can get down to the floor joists, or the plywood/board layer attached to them, that would be best. If the wood is wet, I would highly recommend that you give it time to dry out as well. Not sure if you even HAVE floor joists from your description... In order for the floor system to survive, it would need to be clean, dry and level (or the entire floor sloped as for drainage/run-off). Once those goals are established, the blackjack should work like a charm. You can place new plywood down as the new floor base, but remember, it will only be as good as the foundation you're attaching it to. Good luck!

Edit: Oh, sorry....

and the thread! Hope you learn as much here as I have!

 

[eggstracool]

Could you slap a thin layer of plywood down over the whole mess with adhesive or concrete screws and then coat with blackjack? I'd want a smoother surface to coat to make cleaning later easier and less hidey holes for lice and mites to hide.

I am going to look closely and see what can be done. It may be easier to build new nesting boxes and move them down to the other "coop" that is dirt floor but in much better repair at the moment. I am not sure I can get all of it up, as they permanently attached a shelf (For roosting?) and 2 levels of nesting boxes on TOP of the floor.

 

[eggstracool]

As @WthrLady said, you will need to do SOME cleaning and repair before application. If you can get down to the floor joists, or the plywood/board layer attached to them, that would be best. If the wood is wet, I would highly recommend that you give it time to dry out as well. Not sure if you even HAVE floor joists from your description... In order for the floor system to survive, it would need to be clean, dry and level (or the entire floor sloped as for drainage/run-off). Once those goals are established, the blackjack should work like a charm. You can place new plywood down as the new floor base, but remember, it will only be as good as the foundation you're attaching it to. Good luck!

Edit: Oh, sorry....

and the thread! Hope you learn as much here as I have!

Thanks for the tips! I think it would be impossible to take everything apart as things were permanently built on TOP of the floor. I am going to have my Mom look and see if she has any ideas and then may need to move them down to the other coop on the property. It is in much better shape but is quite a bit further from the house and will not be as good come winter as it will get colder than the other one. Thanks for your time

 

[sueiris]

After it drys, it is not toxic in any way. The chickens can't do anything to this stuff, by scratching around or pecking. It is just one tough rubberlike membrane over the floor. It is not slippery like vinyl or linoleum can be. My coop's floor is also 8X16'. As far as bedding goes, I am using pine shavings. But I have sand (More or less dirt now) up by the open front.
Jack

are you still happy with your BLACK JACK floor sealant? We're finishing up a coop and making decisions as to what to put on the plywood floor.....I need something that isn't slippery and will hopefully hold up.

 

[WthrLady]

Still love my blackjack floor.!

 

[sueiris]

We used an Elastomeric Roof Coating seal our floor and use the deep litter method. Nothing sticks to the floor and it's very easy to clean out.





You will spend a small fortune on garage floor epoxy. We looked at it, and most of the ones out there are meant to be used on concrete, not wood. The stuff you can put on wood was way too pricey for my blood. That's why we opted for the roof coating. It is waterproof, is non-toxic and deals well with the fecal matter. It's also slightly fibrous, so even if they kick all the litter out of the way, there's no risk of a slick surface causing leg problems. The photo above shows while we were doing it. We've been using it for a while, now, and it's been wonderful.




If you notice, in the center of the floor of this coop, they managed to get the litter away from the floor. When I went in to clean it up, it brushed right up with the rake-broom I was using. The coop's changed a bit as they've grown and has "real" roosts in it and all, now; but, that floor has been easy to keep clean. I'm continuing to use it in the rest of our build out.


Also, keep an eye on your chicken behaviour. If you have six large fowl in a 4x4 coop, they may feel crowded.

Are you still happy with your flooring choice? We are building an 8 x 12 plywood floor coop and I need to figure out what I want to use over the plywood.....

 

[sueiris]

Just got home from Lowes with my 5 gallons of Blackjack 57 for the coop floor. I was going to apply it today, but the directions say apply when the temperature is between 70 - 110. But I may have to cheat a bit. It is only supposed to be in the 50's the next few days with rain coming on Wednesday. I have the coop framed out, and was going to do the trusses and plywood roof today, but I'm beat from working yesterday. I want to get at least 1 coat (they recommend 2 coats) down before the rain since my floor is OSB.

Jack, you used Blackjack 57. What was the temp when you put it down? Think if I put it down with temps in the 50's it will hurt?

Hi MoonShadows.....are you still happy with your Blackjack 57 floor coating? We're working on our new coop and need to decide what we're going to put on the plywood......