New Coop: Covering the joint between eggdoor and exterior wall

[PDXChickenChaser]

Well, here I am where I didn't want to be, in the rainy season here in the Pacific Northwest with my coop not done! Thankfully its getting close...here's a pic:

The bulk of the house is built and painted, I'm just doing some finishing work. The door/window bits are all in the garage getting paint on them (can't paint outside this time of year since it rains at some point pretty much every day). Now for my predicament. On the side of my hen house is this great egg door:

The problem I have is that there is enough space between the egg door and the exterior wall its hinged to that it allows leaves (and probably water) to get through. Here's a close up of the space I'm talking about:

I'm thinking what I need to get is a 4 foot long by 4"-6" wide piece of *something* (neoprene, rubber, vinyl?) and screw and/or glue it over the seam. That being said I don't really know where to get something like that or what to ask for at the store.

Does anyone know exactly what it is I need to get? Can I get it at Lowes/Home Depot or do I need to go somewhere else?

Thanks in advance!

- James

 

[dragonchick]

Would one of those carpet protector thingies work? You know the runner things they put down to protect carpet in high traffic areas. Or even a rubber door mat. Maybe one of those things that goes in the bath tub to make it slip resistant. Most of these are available at the dollar store.

 

[greginshasta]

Quote:
Someone I know needed to cover the top of their a-frame tractor. At the hardware store they purchased some large diameter hose and cut it from end to end. The result was a rubber strip the width you are looking for.

I'm writing to them to ask what they used and will post what I learn. In the mean time, why 4-6"? You have a pretty good slope and I'd think a piece of weather strip, such as is used for a garage door, might be sufficient.

 

[speckledhen]

Bicycle tube! Cut in in half and tack it on the wall over the egg door. That's what we use in this case and for weatherstripping, etc. LOVE bicycle tubes! I think you can see it in the pic. The part that is over the door itself just floats. Never had water in it so it works.

 

[mosier]

Quote:
Great idea! And there are loads of those in Portland. Just ask around on craigslist if you're not a biker or head into a bike shop.....easily found and free.

 

[speckledhen]

I get the largest size they have for less than $3 at WalMart.

 

[PDXChickenChaser]

speckled hen: thats an excellent idea! I could probably get one for free from the PSU bike coop (I'm a student there).

Another thing that I found (for posterity's sake) is that at home depot they sell those baseboard guard thingies in four feet lengths...its a strip of rubber or vinyl thats pretty substantial and 4 inches high.

I just happened to need 4 feet exactly, so for a buck and a half or so, it was an easy sell. Once I put it into place, I'll snap a pic and put it up!

- James

 

[DuckLady]

We put some leftover shingles on that area. We tacked it up the side a bit and it just sluiced the rain right past the gap.

(I love the rainy season and today's blustery day was great!

)

 

[greginshasta]

ok, I found out what our friends used:

The material we used is a soft, blue hose - I think an exit hose for a water pump, that when cut is about 6" wide.

This is somewhat heavy duty hose which as she mentions, is used for agricultural purposes. They took a 6' length and cut it length-wise. It's colorful and attractive, and they used screws/washers to secure it to the top of their a-frame tractor to provide a seal over the plastic corrugated walls.

 

[PDXChickenChaser]

terrielacy: Normally this is one of my favorite times of the year (I love the rain) but it sure is making it hard to get this project done! Oregon City is nice too...I go down there sometimes just to hit Spicer Brother's produce market and Tony's Fish Market...that ACME cafe at the same intersection is kinda fun too.

GreginShasta: Awesome, thanks for finding that out!

SpeckledHen: When you used the bicycle tube, how did you affix it to the coop? Screws? Staples? Some kind of adhesive? A combination?

Thanks!

- James