Questions about interior paint and OSB sheathing

[EggieRowe]

So far our coop is framed, floored, and roofed. I'm using 3/8" plywood to sheath the outside of the coop which will get painted. I'm thinking about sheathing the inside of the studs with 1/4" OSB and caulking up all the joints to cut back on nooks to clean and harbor pests. I plan on covering the floor with a sheet of vinyl flooring for easier clean up in spring and fall.

Is it okay to use OSB on the inside since it shouldn't ever get direct contact with water? And do I have to paint it? Should I paint the plywood floor before I put the vinyl sheet down?

 

[chfite]

I use OSB in my coops. I paint it. Just seems to be a good idea.

I did not sheathe the inside. It's just a chicken coop.

I would paint under the flooring, just be sure.

Chris

 

[EggieRowe]

Since you're in Taylors, do you mind telling me if you a) ever use supplemental heat in winter, and b) how open is your coop? (Like ballpark surface area made of wire mesh or vents, 10%, 50%, etc.) I was thinking of making one whole wall of the coop wire mesh for most of the year and then closing it up for December & January.

 

[teach1rusl]

I'd say in Greenville, you could get away with a wire wall...facing south most likely. You could always tarp most of the open face come winter time. So supplemental heat should certainly not be needed (unless you have delicate breeds such as serama). I have vinyl flooring in all of my coops and painting the floor has never been needed.
If you're going to have an open face to your coop, I'd skip the osb interior, as it will most likely get wet with rains blown in...

 

[chfite]

My coop has a hardware cloth floor, vent along the top 8 inches of an 8 foot long, 4 foot tall wall, vent along the top of a 4 foot wall, 18"x18" or so door vent. Overall, the coop is 4 feet by 8 feet. The coop is shielded from the north wind by a much larger building plus the trees and other plants here.

I have no insulation. The chickens seem to do well without it. I use a birdbath heater in winter to keep the water supply from freezing. I just run an extension cord to the heater. That is the only use of electricity at the coop.

I have another coop that the chickens never use. It has a solid floor. Otherwise it is the same as the other one.

Chris

 

[EggieRowe]

Thanks for the info! Finishing it up *THIS* weekend because my poor girls are 8 weeks old and still living in a small shed in my downstairs. We're all ready for them to go outside!

Teach: The wall I wanted to cover in mesh faces almost directly south and the roof overhangs it by about 3 feet. I'm going to skip sheathing the inside now, but I will paint the interior surfaces in case rain blows in.

Chris: I think I have relatively the same amount of ventilation as you do. (12" across the top of the 10 ft wall and smaller vents along the top of the 9' walls.) I didn't know they made bird bath heaters - I was thinking of using an aquarium heater, but those aren't designed to be outside. Probably will save me and/or the chickens from being electrocuted.