Shutters on my coop windows?

[Chick_a_dee]

I was just thinking of some way to keep the cold out of my coop at night even better. I have 4 single pane shed windows on each wall of my coop. I can't film the windows because 3 of them the chickens have access to. I was thinking! of putting shutters on the windows on the outside to keep the window off them.

Does that sound like a relatively okay idea? Mine are self-flashing windows as well, so I'd have to build the sides up a bit to get the shutters over them.

 

[chicksalot]

Are you talking filming on the inside or outside of the coop? I don't think the birds will eat at plastic sheeting. I don't know just how much help it would be to use shutters to 'insulate'...anything is worth a try tho...you can always modify as you go.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
We insul film our windows on the house (plastic shrink film inside, and 6 mil plastic sheeting on the windows we can't do inside due to the dogs or cat.

I can't do it on the outside of the coop without staple gunning it to the side of the coop, something I'm not willing to do. And on the inside, the girls will just peck at the plastic as a few of them enjoy sleeping in the window sills at night.

I was thinking of making wood shutters similar to those you see on a house, wood has an R value though low I figured it'd be okay to insulate the windows at night. It's -8 C in the coop right now, probably -20 or so outside and since the windows are single pane shed windows they let a lot of heat out. I could make the shutters so they have some durofoam insulation on the inside of them, and are latched shut at night. Opened at about 7AM which is about half an hour to an hour before the sun comes up (they have a light on from 5-8am).

 

[lhowemt]

shutters will help, but you might as well just make storm windows so you don't put the chickies in the dark. A storm window you'll be able to fit tighter than shutters that will swing open and closed.

 

[allisojo]

I agree. Anything is better than nothing, and storm windows likely have the same R-value as shutters. If you were going to do shutters, which I suppose block all of the light out, you could just do a big piece of styrofoam or something that insulates more efficiently. You can make "shutters" out of anything, I suppose. Why not choose something that has a higher R-value than wood? Just MHO. Thanks.

 

[patandchickens]

Slatted shutters will do next to nothing; solid shutters would give a *bit* of insulation but not a whole lot unless you construct them very, very carefully to fit tightly all round the edge and down the middle.

As others have said, you'd get much more value by just making a styrofoam panel that fits into the windows and you put it in every evening and remove every morning. Just glue (using foam-safe glue!) some foamboard to a piece of masonite or suchlike, with hook eyes to hang it from at the top.

If you would prefer a lower-labor more transparent solution: Can your chickens really *access* all the windows, like b/c there are roosts in front of all of 'em or something? If they can't reach it they can't peck, and you can just tape up clear film or (for better insulation) bubblewrap (use the stuff with big bubbles, and put it bubble side towards the glass).

If somehow they *can* stand at all windows and peck, I'd suggest screwing on plexiglass type stuff (from the inside) wherever the chickens can reach, and taping on bubblewrap as per above for all the upper parts of the windows.

Actually you *can* plastic-wrap windows fairly well from the outside without staplegunning, btw. What you need to do is staple the plastic (and use translucent 6 mil construction type sheeting, not window film) to strips of 1x2 or 1x3, like a frame but not connected at the corners so you can stretch it. Then screw this to the outside of your window framing/trim - you will only need like 2 screws on each side, won't mess up the trim much at all. Ta da. The plastic itself may not last more than one season but it is easy to replace for next year if necessary.

BTW, is your ceiling insulated. If it is, then windows are the place to focus for further insulation work; however if your ceiling does not have the equivalent of R20 or so, you will get more benefit from addressing that first.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
I think I'll do the little frame with the 6mm construction sheeting, basically vapour barrier. We have a massive roll left over from the bathroom at the old house LOL. We went a little overboard and went over code with it cause we could.