nest box leaking - ideas?

[nwmud]

Hi

we have had some wonderful weather lately in the northwest and I cant seam to get my nest box to stop leaking

I have added seals to it but the water is still getting in - anyone have ideas of how to make this stop leaking. Water appears to be coming in from the bottom but i guess it could be the top and running down.

 

[GardeNerd]

Have you tried adding silicone chalking on the inside or outside around the bottom if it is coming in from there? Is that what you meant by seals? I don't have a nest box on the outside, but hopefully someone will chime in that does and how they deal with leaks.

 

[DreamingOfAFarm]

I don't know the answer either, but I'm getting ready to build my nesting box, so I'll be interested to find out what our "experts" say!

 

[PortageGirl]

I'm willing to bet water is running down the wall of the building, into the box along the piano hinge, down the slanted side of the roof/lid and down the back of the box to the base of the nest. I'd put something over the hinge, sealing it to the wall with silicone or something like that, so it covers that hings area completely.

Just my thoughts anyway. Even something as simple as some innertube rubber, of course there may be something you could buy at a hardware store that would work, but anything nailed up and sealed with silicone against the wall should work, as long as it's high enough not to interfere with opening the lid.

 

[Kittymomma]

Caulk it. I also live in the land of liquid sun and when we built our coop I caulked everything--all nail and screw holes plus everywhere sheets of siding met and around all the windows and doors.

Look and see how the water runs off and down your coop and nest box so you can tell where it's actually coming in before you start. Also you'll likely need to wait awhile before you can caulk because the surface your working with needs to be dry for it to work properly and we won't see that for awhile around here. Maybe you could rig a tarp up for the time being? Not very attractive, but you don't want the wood to stay wet for too long and risk rot and/or mold.

 

[nwmud]

the back wall was chaulked very well when i was building so nothing is coming in that way.the gap where the hinge is has a rubber seal so when the door is closed it is sealed well.
I have recently added a 1/2 rubber seal arround the other 3 sides of the area that makes contact with the door. but water still seams to be getting in.

I believe...... when water runs down a roof it cames back a little on the bottom side. I think this is where i am not getting a tight enough seal.

My toughts for repairing this....
make a larger hinged door so the over drip cannot make it back to the box. look at all the comercial units that have outside nest boxes... the doors all have a nice overhang.
I am thinking that maybe water is getting past the seal where the hinge is - But I really doubt it. So I will look into a rubber flap of some kind.

for right now I hung a tarp from the roof to the ground to cover the nest box until i get a good solution.
I was thinking I could get a couple of pull action latch clamps to put off to each side and help hold the door tighter to the nest box. I can feel about 1/16th of an inch to maybe 1/8 of an inch play and a ever so slight light when the door is closed.

I was wondering what others have done with outdoor next boxes and wet living areas.
BTW the covered run and the coop itself - bone dry.

 

[mdbokc]

I would attach small roof drip edge along the edges of the nest top and on the wall above the hinge. Seal with sealing compound just like you would on a regular roof. You need to get the water away from the wood edges. jmho

 

[yardbird40]

When i built my coop i had the same problem. Mine was running down the wall and through the piano hinge. I used a piece of rubber roofing i got from a friend. I used a piece of 1/2" plywood Cut 1" and a little longer than nest box so it will hang over some on both sides. Hold the rubber up over the hinge on the wall. Put a bead of caulk on the wall then lay the rubber then the strip of plywood . when you have it where you want it put some screws in it. The rubber should be hanging down over your hinge. I hope this helps i can do the work better than i can explain how to do it . Don't forget to paint the plywood and make sure the screws are not sticking through the inside of the coop.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

I would agree with your choice to enlarge the lid to the nest box. This sheds the water away from the open edges. When you enlarge it create a frame on the underside of 1x1 or something similar and small so that the next box (part mounted to the wall) nests inside the frame on the underside with the over hang around the three exposed sides.

 

[chickendude]

I have the same type nest box on the coop I built. I think you may be correct in saying the water is coming over the door lid and heading down and finding its way in. The over sized door/lid will help. But I would bet money your water is coming in through the piano hinge.

Here is a not so great pic of the unfinished door/lid. I added a 5 inch wide piece of rubber that ran the length of the hinge and a little past it. I secured it by silicone caulk and screwed it down. Then on top of that I put a piece of trim. I am not able to get a picture of it today but I will post a picture tomorrow. Mine is 100% water tight.