Plywood alternatives

[HollowOfWisps]

Are you following plans or do you have experience building? Go with what material is best for your local environment and what will be sturdy enough to stand the test of time. As you have found from your pre-fab coop, what seems cheap and easy in the moment isn't always in the long run. If you keep going with the cheapest route and continue to have to rebuild say even every 2-3 years you will end up spending more money in the long run then if you had invested in the right materials and built correctly the first time. Also $30 for a 4x8 sheet of plywood is pretty fair in this market.

 

[Ponypoor]

I can only dream of paying $30 for plywood
Here the only thing you can get for that price is 1/4" OSB which is useless for anything!

Have you looked into plastic products?

My pre-fab joke coop is caving in and needs to be replaced before winter sets in here in Tennessee. And of course wood prices are sky high still. I'm in search of plywood alternatives. I currently have 3 silkies so my goal is to make the coop area large enough that when it is wet out they can hang out in the coop and have plenty of room.
I've begun a 9.5'x4' foundation...then when it came to the flooring and walls I just cant see paying nearly $30 for 4x8 sheet of plywood!
I found this and wanted to see what yall thought and if anyone had ever tried using it before for similar projects.
1/2 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. Southern Pine Asphalt Impregnated Board
My thinking is this would hopefully suffice for sound structure and weather proof (even a little sound proof for my roo) until i come across old barnwood or something like i really would prefer to cover it with in the future.
thank u for your help!!!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Are you following plans or do you have experience building? Go with what material is best for your local environment and what will be sturdy enough to stand the test of time. As you have found from your pre-fab coop, what seems cheap and easy in the moment isn't always in the long run. If you keep going with the cheapest route and continue to have to rebuild say even every 2-3 years you will end up spending more money in the long run then if you had invested in the right materials and built correctly the first time. Also $30 for a 4x8 sheet of plywood is pretty fair in this market.

The treated plywood is actually $36 here from what I'm researching.
I have a much better idea of what I want...and you are so right! After the initial fail with no researching and lost $ on pre-fab, it definitely will pay to do it right this time! I think my husband is finally on board to do just that!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I can only dream of paying $30 for plywood
Here the only thing you can get for that price is 1/4" OSB which is useless for anything!

Have you looked into plastic products?

I'm not sure what you mean by "plastic". Could you give me more info?

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Indeed.

Even treated wood is problematic for us here in the Steamy Southeast -- home of many forms of wood-destroying insects and other organisms.

You being in NC...I'm in northwest TN...you suggest anything other than the pressure treated plywood?
If I'm searching right, the rough sawn lumber is much more expensive cause it covers less. Didn't you just do your new coop?

 

[3KillerBs]

You being in NC...I'm in northwest TN...you suggest anything other than the pressure treated plywood?
If I'm searching right, the rough sawn lumber is much more expensive cause it covers less. Didn't you just do your new coop?

My coop is an Open Air model with almost no use of any form of sheet goods. The shelter walls are made from dog-eared fence boards and we don't care about the gaps between them because the entire structure is enclosed in hardware cloth.

The reason we chose this material is that they are relatively inexpensive, moderately resistant to our conditions, and we can easily replace them as needed. DH didn't want to go with metal siding and Hardieboard was too difficult to cut and handle.

 

[3KillerBs]

Oops, forgot the close-up photo.

You can see the gaps between the boards, which is why it's all hardware cloth inside.

 

[Ponypoor]

I'm not sure what you mean by "plastic". Could you give me more info?

PVC panels, which r similar to metal ones, they r corrugated or ridged in some pattern, come in many colours and clear. They r super light to carry, easy to cut, and easy to clean, and price point is generally good and of course never rot. Heat and cold resilliant....

 

[mowin]

If I'm searching right, the rough sawn lumber is much more expensive cause it covers less.

In my area ruff cut is much less expensive to cover a 4x8 section then a sheet of plywood or T1-11.
A 1x8x8 is $3.25. cost to cover a 4x8 area would be less than $20

 

[Ponypoor]

I'm not sure what you mean by "plastic". Could you give me more info?

As an example, these last forever: https://www.homedepot.ca/product/palruf-corrugated-pvc-8-ft-white-opaque-roofing-panels/1000412023