OSB walls?

[RavalliSurfer]

Our three sided run-in sheds are also on skids, and twice one or another of them have BLOWN OVER in strong winds. Once, it landed on it's top! This won't be good for chickens. You can get anchors to drive into the ground, and I'd consider it.
Neither episode involved actual tornadoes, either.
Mary

Perhaps a little clarification by me is in order.

The coop is actually square and is above grade level by 4 feet. It has 4 legs that are California tri-cornered with 2x6 at a 90 degree angle to a 2x8 running lengthwise.

10 inch lag bolts and 3/8 inch carriage bolts affix each leg to the subframe of the coop - which is a sheet of marine ply and a labyrinth of supports to keep a 2 inch space for insulation in the floor.

Where the legs meet the ground, I have a pair of runners on two sides - these are laminated from 2 2x8s, with a turned-up nose for forward motion. I pull the coop with my Suzuki Quad-Runner in LOW Range. It works.

Any wood in contact with the ground is treated with a 24-hour dip into some creosote that I have that the State of California never knew about nor seized from me as a Class I Carcinogen. To dip long boards, I just used ABS pieces of gutters with end caps. That way I can keep the ends IN the chemical and make sure it is absorbed.

I love the smell of creosote - brings back memories!

I digress.

The caged 'playpen' for the chickens is on it's own runners that are doubled-up 2x3 hardwood from a pallet, and there is a towing chain on it if I have to move it separated from the coop - like when I have to make a sharp turn in the back yard.... otherwise, the playpen follows the coop as I tow them both to new grassy areas.

I estimate that the coop weight is somewhat over 300 lbs by itself with all the triple-walls and support beams in it - plus OSB isn't very light either! I used over 9 lbs of screws, a few lbs of 'other' hardware and bolts, lags n' such.

Even the cantilevered roof is over 40 lbs. I built this coop extra-heavy - for which I have been derided by a good friend. But he raises his chickens in converted refrigerators - so he can't really talk about this weight to me!

So-o-o ---> blowing over in the wind isn't in it's future at all as I see it - and we don't get killer 60 MPH winds on this side of The Continental Divide anyway. Winds of any ferocity are an Eastern Montana product.

 

[aart]

Perhaps a little clarification by me is in order.

Or you could just link your coop thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coop-is-off-ground-by-4-feet.1330749/

 

[Northern Flights]

I used OSB on the coop, as well as on a homemade trailer canopy some time back. On the coop I covered the OSB with lumber wrap (same as house wrap, only it's free!) no siding and it's holding up very well.

Same for the trailer canopy, only I used a deck floor coating and acoustic sealer on that and flashed it. It was built 6 years ago and has seen a lot of weather on and off the road with few problems.

OSB has a polymer in it and its quite resistant to moisture all by itself, but it should be at least covered with house or lumber wrap. It also has a decent R value.

 

[archeryrob]

As Aart stated OSB will not take stain well. When made it is pressed under heavy weight to force the glue all though it to make it the strength it is. Also House wrap has a limited life as it is not UV stable as it is not meant to be in the sun for long periods. It is meant to protect OSB during construction and be a breathable moisture barrier. Also, once OSB gets a bit of water penetration, raccoons can tear it apart pretty easily. The chips will start to get spongy and lose all strength. It is a great plywood in cost and strength, but it needs something else to keep the water off of it.

If you want cheaper, tougher boards and you can find a saw mill near you. They will have rough cut 1 by boards. I built one coop that way using boards I got for $3 each. They varied from 1x6.5 to 9" and 8.5' to 9' long. Plus they are 1" to 1 1/8" thick and they suck up stain like a sponge. Install vertically as they do on barns to shed water. Install them green and they shrink leaving gaps to help the coop breath a little better.

 

[aart]

Install them green and they shrink leaving gaps to help the coop breath a little better.

..but won't...

suck up stain like a sponge.

...until well dried....like a year.

 

[Northern Flights]

Proof is in the pudding, as they say... If I can get 6 years, so far, out of a painted OSB trailer canopy, my guess is it will last even longer on a coop. OSB will last quite some time as long if water is kept off the edges.

And lumber wrap (my primary suggestion) is meant to be left exposed to severe elements for many years. House wrap will also last at least a decade and takes minutes to apply. If you're worried about critters gnawing through, use bricks or concrete walls, or slap some 1/4 inch galvanized hardware cloth around it at the base.

Edit: I simply cannot post images anywhere outside my album. Bloody annoying. Please go there for pics of said canopy.

 

[K0k0shka]

The waterproofing stain went on pretty well. It’s a solid color, so kinda like paint, kinda like stain... I gave it two coats several days ago and today gave it the water test - dripped some water on it, and an hour later it was still sitting on top in beads. Hopefully that’s a good sign!

 

[wyoDreamer]

I have an old piece of OSB that I use to cover the sheep tank I use for the dogs to cool off in during the summer months. I cover the tank when I get home after work, so my setter will dry off by the time I bring him in for the night.
After 3 years, it is starting to fall apart, which is pretty good for the abuse it has been taking. It was never sealed/painted in any way. It has been laid flat on the tank every night so when it rains at night, water sits on it until I leave for work in the morning. And when not in use as a tank cover, it is leaning up against the house - again, out in the weather 24/7 365 days a year.
I think it will last for you, as long as you remember to paint it again as the stain/paint is weathered away.
Looking forward to seeing how your coop turns out.

 

[K0k0shka]

@wyoDreamer Thank you! And wow, 3 years with no protection and with that kind of (ab)use, I'm seriously impressed it's only starting to fall apart now. I'm very careful to seal every crack and edge, and will definitely be retouching/repainting as it gets worn, so I'm really hoping I can make it work. Today I even touched up where it got scraped a little while I was maneuvering it. And I'm thinking of covering up all the coop corners (where the OSB boards meet along the whole length/height of the walls) with trim, to give the edges extra protection.

 

[Northern Flights]

With any wood product, it's all about sealing it. If you want permanent, use stone, otherwise seal the fibres with an epoxy/composite of some type and enjoy. OSB is better than most because it already contains a waterproof polymer at manufacture. Plywood isn't as durable.

And to those that claim it will not absorb stain, try it before trashing it. I'm sorry for being so blunt, but I bristle at being accused of exagerating. At least when I'm not trying...