My henhouse/run combo (will look something like what you find at www.thegardencoop.com) is being built on the concrete pad of an old shed that we tore down.
I plan on putting sand in the run, and we have bordered the entire structure with 2x8 boards to hold it in (like a big sandbox).
The run area is about 10'x10' and all but a 6'x6' square is covered by the raised coop (see pic below). The entire thing will be covered with about a foot overhang all of the way around, but I am a little bit worried that blowing rain will get the sand wet, and it won't dry, or be able to drain.
One solution that I have seen, and would like feedback on, is putting down a layer of pea gravel, covering it with landscaping fabric, and then putting the sand on top of that.
The entire concrete pad slopes a bit, so I thought about drilling some drainage holes in the 2x8's at the gravel level if water really became a problem. Holes would have to coordinate with the small openings in the hardware cloth, obviously, and I don't want to mess with this unless it is really needed and would actually work.
My husband has suggested that if it becomes an issue, we will use heavy plastic sheeting that we can cover the sides with (same as we will do in the winter to keep the snow out) when heavy rain is predicted. He doesn't think it will be that big of a problem, with the roof and the raised coop.
Thoughts on these plans? Should we do the gravel drainage layer now before we put the sand down, or just play it by ear later and use plastic if needed?
Here is a rough sketch of it (minus the roof and doors and 2x8 boards that surround the bottom); the brown stuff is supposed to be sand. And in reality it is also sitting on a slightly raised concrete pad.
I plan on putting sand in the run, and we have bordered the entire structure with 2x8 boards to hold it in (like a big sandbox).
The run area is about 10'x10' and all but a 6'x6' square is covered by the raised coop (see pic below). The entire thing will be covered with about a foot overhang all of the way around, but I am a little bit worried that blowing rain will get the sand wet, and it won't dry, or be able to drain.
One solution that I have seen, and would like feedback on, is putting down a layer of pea gravel, covering it with landscaping fabric, and then putting the sand on top of that.
The entire concrete pad slopes a bit, so I thought about drilling some drainage holes in the 2x8's at the gravel level if water really became a problem. Holes would have to coordinate with the small openings in the hardware cloth, obviously, and I don't want to mess with this unless it is really needed and would actually work.
My husband has suggested that if it becomes an issue, we will use heavy plastic sheeting that we can cover the sides with (same as we will do in the winter to keep the snow out) when heavy rain is predicted. He doesn't think it will be that big of a problem, with the roof and the raised coop.
Thoughts on these plans? Should we do the gravel drainage layer now before we put the sand down, or just play it by ear later and use plastic if needed?
Here is a rough sketch of it (minus the roof and doors and 2x8 boards that surround the bottom); the brown stuff is supposed to be sand. And in reality it is also sitting on a slightly raised concrete pad.
