Roof tips

[fifenashia]

So after the fence breach this weekend I have been eyeing my homemade coop with a very critical eye. Frankly I am AMAZED They survived a year in this thing!

So I am going to start with the big parts that I know need fixing. Problem is... I am AWFUL at construction! Math has never been my strong suit and reading blueprints is like greek to me!

The first problem that I would like to fix is the roof. Right now, it's a frame with some supports and a sheet of roofing material from lowes that does not fit the whole thing, so we improvised with a tarp. This had led to MANY leaks and a very stinky run!!

I am thinking of doing a slant roof. Where in the world do I start? I also keep thinking if it slants, there is going to be a LOT of gaps that I need to try to cover. Any tips?


Additional things I want to re-do include: If you have any suggestions I am OPEN!

1. Switching the door, right now it opens into the coop and it should open out.

2. The house itself just has OSB plywood,
2b. I would LOVE to have ventilation windows, nests with an outdoor door to access them and actual siding!

3. None of my wire is buried, it's all stapled onto the frame. I would ideally like to trench and bury the existing wire as well as maybe adding hardware cloth inside for added security.

 

[harvster]

Pictures of the current setup would help with ideas.

 

[fifenashia]

I'm looking for some good ones.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Get a book on building sheds -- a book on pole-built sheds, if you can find one, but a book on just 'backyard garden sheds' would be okay. Roofing your run is the same as building a shed with no walls

That will show you how to construct things. You will want some extra diagonal bracing on the sides to compensate for not having solid walls, but that can be the last thing you construct and not something you neeed to worry about right now.

I also keep thinking if it slants, there is going to be a LOT of gaps that I need to try to cover.

Do you mean the triangular gable openings, and the fact that one wall will be higher than the other? That is not a problem, you just secure hardwarecloth (or whatever) over them. No biggie at all.

3. None of my wire is buried, it's all stapled onto the frame. I would ideally like to trench and bury the existing wire as well as maybe adding hardware cloth inside for added security.

It is much easier, and pretty much identically secure vs most digging predators, to do an apron rather than buried wire. So I'd suggest that. Look at other threads for instructions, it's discussed often.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[fifenashia]

This is where I started, my father in law came over and helped me frame it up.

We had massive flooding that spring and we should have moved the coop, but we didn't think it would get that bad again. WRONG! You can the OSB board though, and I thought we were going to put up siding but hubs didn't, he just had me paint over it.

Here is one view of the roof, you can at least where it does not cover the whole run, at the time I thought it would be okay, give them a sunlight! But after the first few good rainstorms, I changed my tune!!!

This is the winterized version, we stapled cardboard all over the inside of the hen house, and then that heavy duty plastic sheeting on top of the cardboard for added insulation.

The other problem though is that we are limited with tools, this WHOLE thing was built just using a reciprocating saw and a good old fashioned hammer and nails, and the staple gun too. We don't have a circular saw and NO experience with building anything. I guess overall I should be pretty impressed with myself, but I see it in my head as being better.

I'll go out tomorrow and get better pictures of the roof.