Sources for CHEEP (think FREE) coop building materials?!?!

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Free cycle you must be patient. There are a lot of great things that come up - I would check with homeimprovement stores and the Lead dude at construction sights.

 

[BethESH]

digitS' :

One way to overcome this is to use something like 4 by 4 posts set vertically for the corners. Holes are drilled thru them to hold the ends of your poles with large screws or dowels. Now the interior walls are the full length of the poles. The look may or may not be what you want and the 4 by 4's may have to be purchased. Construction is quick since there's no notching of the poles. It should also be easier to frame a roof over the cabin.

I was thinking about that as well...I may actually try to set some 6x6s in the corners, and also do something similar in the middle of the back wall so that I can end up with a building that is longer than 6 feet...don't know for certain...still thinking things through. (I do that a lot...progress is slowed considerably, but hopefully it'll minimize the number of errors.)

I hope you all had a terrific turkey day!​

 

[digitS']

Quote:
There you go BethESH, a "spacer" in the back wall and a door in the front. Or, a door in the back, as well.

Door frames can reach all the way from the floor to horizontal "plate" boards at the top the log walls.

Steve

 

[coberdor]

A great place to find slats for making fencing, etc. is at cabinet making companies. They have piles of the stuff, usually long, almost always hardwoods, that they use for the shelves. The slats are usually given away for free. I've made a lot of picket fences out of them as well as partitions in my coop.

Carmel

 

[BethESH]

Quote:
Yet another terrific idea!

Thanks again!!!

 

[ChooksChick]

In order to do any of our home repairs or to build, we use scavenged materials from construction sites. I always show up in my hubby's truck, preferably with another girlfriend, and ask permission. If I show up with my hubby I don't get nearly the same response...

Here's the nearly finished playhouse we've got going...

Funny part is that the girls are 11 and 13, so by the time we get it finished, they'll be too tall for the first floor (it is two story) and it'll make a great chicken coop with some minor alterations...Pretty, too!!


**ETA- It's smaller pieces of plywood and 2" x 4", etc, but over-engineered because of this...it hasn't cost us a thing yet, because even the paint is handed over from new construction.

 

[tn chick]

we have picked up end cuts from our local saw mill they throw out oak and hickory give it we use most of it in our wood stove but some pieces have been usuable for other things
freecycle like mentioned has also been great.
also craigslist i got people to donate old barn wood that were falling down.
nothing wrong with being frugal.
my kids playhouse from 20 yrs ago was torn down and moved across country thinking grandkids to play in i informed the kids 2 weeks ago there play house is becoming a chicken coop..the small white on which is 5x5x6'high

 

[cw]

we take our sawmill hickory and save it for the grill to smoke foods with

 

[Hippie Chickie]

I've checked out this website. Was looking at getting a window from someone on it for the coop. Then I found one in my garden shed from the previous owners. http://www.buildingsurplus.com/index

 

[fastEddie]

Try here - http://www.habitat.org/cd/env/restore.aspx to find your local (or closest) Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

They accept donations and also sell salvaged/leftover materials from their houses and the proceeds of course go toward Habitat's operating expenses.

One of my local ReStores has 2x4x8' ers for $1 a piece, compared to $1.80-2.00 new at a big box store. They're used but in perfectly fine shape for use in a coop. They also have a good selection of windows and doors, paint, shingles, cabinets, countertops, etc.