rigid foam insulation?

[chloemama]

Hello
I was wondering if putting this under the floor, we are planning a raised coop, and in the walls will make the coop too hot? I have order 8 chicks - all standards size including Cochins, Dominique and Wyandottes.
I have read that I don't need it to be super super air tight because they will produce a fair amount of heat on their own.

My concern is not making it too warm and them getting cold. Oh- I live in RI so the winter is cold but I don't think it's harsh...but that may be just me

 

[3goodeggs]

Make the under neath of the floor inaccessible to them, or they'll eat it.

 

[Chieftain]

The block styrofoam insulation that's out there is outstanding stuff to use, but you must protect it with plywood sheathing. It keeps the coop from getting too hot from without, and from losing heat from within.

good stuff!

 

[chloemama]

Thanks.
I was thinking of sandwiching it between plywood inside and barnbaord outside. Inderneath I was going to put up a metal barrier to help keep anything out and not let them peck at it. So- great i won't over-insulate then

 

[Whispering Winds]

I was at work one day and when I left I noticed BIG half sheets and quarter sheets of thick pink foam insulation blowing all over the place. I guess it blew off of a truck that was on the main drag through town. I drove around several blocks and brought home about 8 nice pieces. Took me about 3 days to get it all. I used it in the Alpaca barn where we didn't get the metal up, and its great stuff . . .

 

[patandchickens]

If you put it under the floor you had better be darn *positive* your carpentry is tight enough to keep mice out, as that is the easiest place for them to take up residence.

Honestly I do not see any point in insulating a floor, when instead you could just put in extra shavings (bedding) in the wintertime and get the same or better insulation value for much less work

If you are going to apply the insulation to something, apply it to the ceiling and/or walls (and yes, cover it with plywood or etc to peckproof it, and make your carpentry tight enough to keep out mice).

But, to answer your actual question, no, insulating the floor is not going to make a coop too hot

I have read that I don't need it to be super super air tight because they will produce a fair amount of heat on their own.

Uh, do remember that a coop should not be airtight at ALL, not even close to remotely, in fact it needs quite a lot of ventilation yes even in the wintertime. Even when you insulate, you still need vents you can have open to maintain air quality. And not just little hole-saw holes nor house-type floor-level heating vent thingies, either -- openings of Good Size. See links in my .sig below for more on the subject.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[gsim]

Pat nailed it good. Deep litter is the answer for a warmer floor. And do take steps to keep them from getting at the stuff. They are known to peck it to shreds and to eat it too. You can't go wrong with insulated roof deck or side walls as long as chooks cannot get to it. Still holds down heat gain in summertime. Ventilation is vital year-round. I have a permanently-fixed 6 sq ft of it that is never shut.

 

[littlethorn]

Quote:
Second this - foam anything cannot be exposed or they will not stop picking until it is gone. Hubby made this mistake when he was insulating ours.

 

[chloemama]

great info all!
I won't use it underneath. I was thinking that along the roof line or rake or whatever it's called. I was going to leave it open on both sides. Cover it with hardware cloth and make it so I can close them if it got too cold. Additionally I was looking into getting a solar powered attic vent - when it gets too warm it automatically opens to let out the heat.

My bf is a framer by trade so I don't anticipate any wanky coop LOL If I was doing it well there would surely be LOTS of ventilation!

 

[Chieftain]

There's always an exception to things like this because it really depends on your coop design.

If you have a smaller coop that is raised above your run, you most certainly should insulate underneath it, and then protect the insulation with plywood. Otherwise the floor of the coop will be perpetually cold no matter how much litter you put over it.

Ever fill a waterbed and then try to sleep on it before it was warm?? No matter how many blankets you put over the mattress, it still leaches every calorie of heat out of you in short order. If your coop is built with the floor on the ground or close to it, you don't get as much cold air blowing through, and the dead air space itself can be enough by itself. If the wind is blowing freely under the floor, the flooring acts like the coils of a refrigerator and will radiate any heat there is. It's the same treason why bridges always freeze before the regular roadway does...same theory.