Question about Flooring

[Feranix]

I bought a house back in March that came with a shed that was turned into a coop prior to me living there. They had taken the nesting boxes with them so I am kind of working with a shell. They have a small section of the coop blocked off in the back and I was told it was used as a brooder and I think I am gonna keep it that way for now (It's like 8ft long and 4ft wide).

About the coop:
12' long 8' wide and 7' 5" high
It's all made of wood, no paint.

1. I wanted to add something to the floor to make it easier to clean. I am just curious to know what material would be the easiest to clean. I live in NORTHERN NY, right on the Canadian border. We have rough winters so I can't have anything that will crack. It'll need to be flexible.
- I've seen people use and mention ceramic floor tiles, which I fell in love with because it seems like it would be a fun project, but I saw others judging for all the effort put into something just for chickens. I love to spoil my animals so I want it to be like perfect for the animals before I get them.
- Recently I read older threads that used Blackjack #57 I think it was. I couldn't really find anything more useful about it. Like what I would need to put under it before I poured the Blackjack down or any of the sorts, because it's for a roof.

2. What would work for cheap walls that I could paint? I was gonna go plywood, but my chicken coop seems so big compared to average that I priced plywood at Lowes and it looks expensive to do the whole thing. I wanted to put actual walls up and paint it white because i've read this helps prevent mites and tbh I feel like it'll make it look nicer in general.

3. Any tips on bringing electricity out to the coop (underground) that's not too expensive? They used a bunch of extension cords and to me that looks ugly so I took them out and ruined others by running over them with the lawn mower(whoops). They weren't plugged in. I'd like to put a light for the chickens and Brooder along with outlets for heatlamps.

Any helpful advice is great! If you recommend products please be specific so I can search!

I can post pictures later if that'll help.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Good day there alright let start with a big Welcome to Backyard Chickens then on to the coop you can get linoleum scraps pretty cheap and they work or like mine I buried hardware cloth and have a dirt floor my girls can have dirt baths in the rain and be dry
white shaving about 3 or 4 inches deep over the floor and be sure to get the large ones as they are doing small and large now but only white ones please

 

[pennyJo1960]

Electricity buried is you best bet we have a line to my coops and yes it is hardwire love that heat lamps are not needed if a bird has feathers also they have caused allot of fires

 

[townchicks]

I say, if you want tile, go for it! Heck with what others think. You can get it pretty reasonably at Habitat Restores. And of course, we want pics.

 

[Feranix]

Good day there alright let start with a big Welcome to Backyard Chickens then on to the coop you can get linoleum scraps pretty cheap and they work or like mine I buried hardware cloth and have a dirt floor my girls can have dirt baths in the rain and be dry
white shaving about 3 or 4 inches deep over the floor and be sure to get the large ones as they are doing small and large now but only white ones please

Thank you for the welcome! I keep thinking about linoleum, but I hear with my winters they usually only last about a year. I have also read that chickens tend to scratch and tear them.

What do you mean by buried hardware cloth? Do you have that on/under the linoleum?

I think I have white shavings. I can't remember exactly which ones. I just get them from Tractor Supply. I use them for my Chinchilla too.

Electricity buried is you best bet we have a line to my coops and yes it is hardwire love that heat lamps are not needed if a bird has feathers also they have caused allot of fires

I definitely plan on burying it and I know the risk with heat lamps. I can't do anything indoors and I plan on buying chicks so I will need the heat lamps. I will build an apparatus to make it so the heat lamps won't be able to move and to help prevent any sort of fire. I'm quite familiar with them because we had a heat lamp on a lizard cage that our cats had knocked off and it nearly started a fire IN THE HOUSE. Cats.

I say, if you want tile, go for it! Heck with what others think. You can get it pretty reasonably at Habitat Restores. And of course, we want pics.

I just want what's best for cleaning, but not too expensive. I was gonna use Lowe's .57c Cermaic Floor tiles (and maybe whatever they have on clearance to offset the cost), but I will also need cement backer boards, mortar and sealer. That will definitely come out to above $100.

 

[pennyJo1960]

if there is wood now do not worry about cement backer board in my view
but I buried the hardware cloth around the perimeter of my coop out about 2 feet so nothing can dig in easily

 

[Feranix]

if there is wood now do not worry about cement backer board in my view
but I buried the hardware cloth around the perimeter of my coop out about 2 feet so nothing can dig in easily

I was told that if I don't use a backer the tiles will move/crack. How long has Linoleum lasted for you?

 

[aart]

I was told that if I don't use a backer the tiles will move/crack.

Exactly......even with the backer board, in freezing temps like you have I wouldn't bet on it not moving and cracking.... it would be a heartbreaking mess to replace/repair.
I used a heavy duty foam backed vinyl sheeting and it's held up well for 4 winters here, I used it to line my poop boards too. See My Coop page.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sounds like you have a good starting structure to work with.

1) Honestly if you want to tile and know how to do it, I wouldn't let someone else's opinion stop me. I don't know how well it would work in a coop though as others have noted.

Black Jack #57 is like a thick paint. You don't want to use anything under it - it goes directly on the wood and you can apply it with normal paint brushes. It does say it needs to be completely dry and above 70 degrees when being applied, so you have to plan accordingly.

2) My walls are just studs and the backside of some Tyvek so I'm not sure what to suggest.

3) I just run extension cords. Main issue for me is I would need to pull permits for an outlet, whereas a coop without an outlet wouldn't need a permit here.

 

[aart]

I too use heavy duty outdoor rated extension cord.
As to walls, post pics of coop inside and out for more specific suggestions.

Oh, and, Welcome to BYC!!