Oh boy, Pricing materials tomorrow! Will it work?

[msmeg26]

I am on the coast and considering Hardiplank as I have access to scraps. Was wondering too about putting anything underneath it or directly attaching it. Great thread!

Hardiplank is an excellent choice for a coastal application. I’d use it if I were living on a Hawaiian beach, but one of us is luckier than the other.

I wouldn’t worry about sheathing. It is a chicken coop after all. (I had the hardest time when building mine – reminding myself that it didn’t have to be residential grade.) To give you the most weatherproof application Hardiplank does need to be primed and painted on all sides of each piece. You can buy it pre-primed and save yourself some time, but don’t skimp on the prep work if you want optimum performance. I would say that if you can get the Hardipanels you may want to try those. Easier installation and less crevices to keep clean (if you do leave it exposed on the interior) particularly if you ever had mite problem.

Interior walls are your call. They aren’t necessary and can make a small coop feel even smaller. I’d say if you don’t need insulation then don’t bother.

You're never going to get so cold that you’ll need to close your coop completely but I would worry that a fully open wall in a wet season would have the potential to introduce too much moisture to the floor of the coop. Making a half wall sounds like an excellent idea. If a particularly strong storm rolls in you can shutter the opening or just hang a shade/tarp you can unroll when needed. Have you thought about half walls on opposing sides of the coop to increase your ventilation? Maybe cover them with awning style (solid) shutters that you could open and close easily but would also divert the rain? If your humidity is crazy bad you're going to need all the ventilation you can get.

I agree with Gryeyes. Technically you won’t need more than one nest box, but two would be better. Those girls can be picky.

Good luck with your build. Let us know how it goes!

 

[imnukensc]

Hmmm... now i have a question about ventilation. Because I live in Hawaii our winters are mostly wet, and may get down into the low 70's. But its very humid here even in the winter. Would a 3 wall coop be better for ventilation purposes? maybe the front wall can be a half wall instead of fully closed?

im thinking more ventilation because of the high humidity... right? that would save me some money on material too!

I won't give any advice on the hardiplank as you've already gotten great advice on installing it. You should be easily able to do a 3 walled coop or a 3 1/2 walled coop in the climate over there. Make sure you have plenty of overhang on your roof and you should be fine.

 

[Danielstribe]

Hardi panels are the way to go directly over studs and Tyvek underneath, between Hardi panels and framing, is best for your moisture barrier. If you want to use planks then I highly suggest using OSB sheeting then your Tyvek before installing your panels. The planks will have weak points in between the spacing of the studs with no OSB. If someone pushed in on or fell against at these points they will crack/break. Not worth the saving of a few dollars of skipping OSB. Do keep in mind even with using OSB for a base you still will need to nail planks at studs. Good luck and have a blessed day.

And as mentioned before 1 nesting box is only needed but 2 would be best. Milk crates from Lowes with sides cut out work great.