I am building (in my head, for now) an A frame quail house with run. The total structure will be 16x8, the enclosed house area will be 4x8. The whole thing will be about 7 ft tall.
So I think I want a plywood floor for the enclosed area (OSB sheeting actually since that is what I have on hand). Since quail do not do very well with ramps and ladders I would like to have it as close to the ground as possible, maybe sitting on top of 2x4's turned sideways, so only about 1.5" from the ground. It is not likely that I would ever be able to get under it again once it stands, unless I take the whole thing apart again.
What should I do to protect the osb from rot coming up from the ground? Is it an issue at all?
A few things that I can think of but don't know if I should
Edited to add: Would stapling 6 mil plastic to the topside of the joists work? That would probably be the easiest thing to do. I'd build a frame of 4x8 with joists going every 24", then a piece of plastic and then the osb nailed to the joists.
Otherwise:
1. staple tyvek housewrap to the underside of the plywood?
2. staple felt paper (like what you put under shingles?) to the underside of the plywood?
3. just paint with a couple of coats of KILZ and hope for the best?
4. is it enough to leave small gaps in the 2x4 frame so that there would theoretically be airflow to dry it out?
My concern with some of these options might be that rot problems would be exacerbated because moisture could get trapped.
I am also going to use OSB for sheeting on one side covered with tin roofing, so there I might just staple some tyvek down. The other side of the house is going to have translucent roofing panels over purlins directly to let in some light. There'll be ventilation through two holes at the apex of the triangle.
Should I stay away from the OSB for this purpose and use regular plywood instead?
So I think I want a plywood floor for the enclosed area (OSB sheeting actually since that is what I have on hand). Since quail do not do very well with ramps and ladders I would like to have it as close to the ground as possible, maybe sitting on top of 2x4's turned sideways, so only about 1.5" from the ground. It is not likely that I would ever be able to get under it again once it stands, unless I take the whole thing apart again.
What should I do to protect the osb from rot coming up from the ground? Is it an issue at all?
A few things that I can think of but don't know if I should
Edited to add: Would stapling 6 mil plastic to the topside of the joists work? That would probably be the easiest thing to do. I'd build a frame of 4x8 with joists going every 24", then a piece of plastic and then the osb nailed to the joists.
Otherwise:
1. staple tyvek housewrap to the underside of the plywood?
2. staple felt paper (like what you put under shingles?) to the underside of the plywood?
3. just paint with a couple of coats of KILZ and hope for the best?
4. is it enough to leave small gaps in the 2x4 frame so that there would theoretically be airflow to dry it out?
My concern with some of these options might be that rot problems would be exacerbated because moisture could get trapped.
I am also going to use OSB for sheeting on one side covered with tin roofing, so there I might just staple some tyvek down. The other side of the house is going to have translucent roofing panels over purlins directly to let in some light. There'll be ventilation through two holes at the apex of the triangle.
Should I stay away from the OSB for this purpose and use regular plywood instead?
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