Siding material, ventilation, and other coop questions.

[3KillerBs]

Whoa, that sounds great! I'll have to check it out. Do you have to put anything over it to seal it in?

Barn paint is made as an all-in-one product.

The drawbacks are limited colors. But I *like* barn red for my chicken coop and white for garden items.

 

[black_cat]

Barn paint is made as an all-in-one product.

The drawbacks are limited colors. But I *like* barn red for my chicken coop and white for garden items.

Yep, I was about to say, I could only find it in red and white! I was thinking blue and white, but the lure of all in one paint might be too strong to resist.

 

[3KillerBs]

Yep, I was about to say, I could only find it in red and white! I was thinking blue and white, but the lure of all in one paint might be too strong to resist.

Sometimes you can also get dark green depending on where you buy it.

I like the classic look of barn red with white trim.

 

[black_cat]

Sometimes you can also get dark green depending on where you buy it.

I like the classic look of barn red with white trim.

I agree with you! I love that look as well, I just wasn't planning on going with it. I think that I will now, though!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

"Barn Paint" is what I used to paint my hardieboard. Fired up the sprayer and did the barn - 17' wide by 42' long.

Hardie sucked it up, and the barn was (briefly) pink with lighter pink mottling. Second coat made it a very respectable red.

Used the same stuff on the shed.

and the hen house.

always have most of a 5 gal bucket on hand. When it gets towards the bottom gallon, I pickup another 5.

 

[black_cat]

"Barn Paint" is what I used to paint my hardieboard. Fired up the sprayer and did the barn - 17' wide by 42' long.

Hardie sucked it up, and the barn was (briefly) pink with lighter pink mottling. Second coat made it a very respectable red.

Used the same stuff on the shed.

and the hen house.

always have most of a 5 gal bucket on hand. When it gets towards the bottom gallon, I pickup another 5.

For a henhouse, do I really need to get a whole paint-sprayer thing or can I just use a good old fashioned brush?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

BRUSH.

I just happen to own a semi-professional paint sprayer, so it was the way to do the whole barn in about 2 hours - more than half of which was clean up.

I built my hen house later, and did it with a brush. Roller is good, too, depending.

and with the 6x6 sizes you are suggesting, I'd use plywood, not hardie - too many cuts. That's not a bad size to shingle, either. Quick work of it if you have a good hammer. Don't forget your flashing, and don't skimp on the underlay - though you have enough pitch you wont have to use one of the modified bitumen options, which will help w/ cost.

The one caveat with a shingle roof is that, to be effective, the roofing nails have to penetrate the sheathing a good distance - so you will have LOTS of exposed nail points under your roof. Almost 500 nails per square, more if you are in a high wind zone, as I am.

For cost and labor hours, I would not shingle, but I have exactly NO care for appearance, only function. Most aren't so fortunate.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I made my coop out of plywood but then I used pine boards to put on the outside. I got the pine boards for cheap from a local sawmill and because I wanted them rough cut to match the garage the coop is attached to.

 

[black_cat]

BRUSH.

I just happen to own a semi-professional paint sprayer, so it was the way to do the whole barn in about 2 hours - more than half of which was clean up.

I built my hen house later, and did it with a brush. Roller is good, too, depending.

and with the 6x6 sizes you are suggesting, I'd use plywood, not hardie - too many cuts. That's not a bad size to shingle, either. Quick work of it if you have a good hammer. Don't forget your flashing, and don't skimp on the underlay - though you have enough pitch you wont have to use one of the modified bitumen options, which will help w/ cost.

The one caveat with a shingle roof is that, to be effective, the roofing nails have to penetrate the sheathing a good distance - so you will have LOTS of exposed nail points under your roof. Almost 500 nails per square, more if you are in a high wind zone, as I am.

For cost and labor hours, I would not shingle, but I have exactly NO care for appearance, only function. Most aren't so fortunate.

I personally would rather do different roofing that isn't shingles, but as the person trying to appeal to the parents, I may have to find a way to manage it. I've never built anything before, (I'll be assisted in this project, don't worry) and I've turned red the parts where I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm glad that I would be able to do a brush, because it definitely seems A) more fun, and B) cheaper. I'm not in a very high wind zone, and my chicken coop is sheltered on one side by a rocky cliff like hill, and it is under trees.

 

[3KillerBs]

I personally would rather do different roofing that isn't shingles, but as the person trying to appeal to the parents, I may have to find a way to manage it. I've never built anything before, (I'll be assisted in this project, don't worry) and I've turned red the parts where I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm glad that I would be able to do a brush, because it definitely seems A) more fun, and B) cheaper. I'm not in a very high wind zone, and my chicken coop is sheltered on one side by a rocky cliff like hill, and it is under trees.

Can you get some books about building from the library? There are tons of them intended for the average handyman to build sheds, etc. that would teach you how to do basic construction.

As a general rule, it never pays to skimp on your construction.

Though I have to admit that my father thought anything that couldn't be expected to last 25-50 years was a temporary make-do and not worth the effort and I married into a family of engineers.