Starting a coop build, it is my first build and first chickens so feedback is very welcome

[aart]

Straight on from the west

I'd start cranking up one corner and see how it changes the door gaps.
It'll take some trial and error.

 

[saysfaa]

That is what the builder did. It does make the doors work. But then the floor doesn't work. Because we (stupid, naive people that we are) made the foundation level.

The floor, on top of the commmercial treated 4x4s, commercial treated 6x6 and commercial thickness plywood - is still level. To within the meniscus of water. It bugged me, so I found the biggest for-sure flat tray I could find. The water level is the top of the dark green; not the white discoloration line below the dark green.

 

[saysfaa]

I can jack one corner up and put the block back in. And probably calculate how thick the blocks should be to support the skids at whatever off angle the doors need.

I don't see how to lift the whole thing enough to get those blocks placed on the cement blocks in the center.

 

[saysfaa]

Or why it would be better to make the whole building off level to conform to the non-square doors.

 

[aart]

That is what the builder did. It does make the doors work. But then the floor doesn't work.

Wasn't that before you got the center blocks in place?
Might have to rehang the doors then, eh?

 

[saysfaa]

The center cement blocks were in place - leveled, centered, packed in, ect.. The skids didn't touch them after the builder raised the one corner to make the doors work.

 

[saysfaa]

I'm going with Plan C... square the walls to the floor.

I only need to move the top of the walls about an inch and the walls are board and battan so should shift easier than if the walls were panels like plywood.

Then add some diagonals to hold it.

Theoretically, the handiman jacks should work but I think the come-alongs and/or ratchets from load straps will work better.

 

[aart]

I'm going with Plan C... square the walls to the floor.

I only need to move the top of the walls about an inch and the walls are board and battan so should shift easier than if the walls were panels like plywood.

Then add some diagonals to hold it.

Theoretically, the handiman jacks should work but I think the come-alongs and/or ratchets from load straps will work better.

Sounds good....so if the wall is racked(I didn't even think of that),
my suggestion of adjusting the level won't do much diddlysquat.

 

[saysfaa]

Foundation

... Each block is exactly level with the plane that slopes just barely from north to south and from west to east. ...

We think this was a mistake. That the "just barely" is about how much the top is leaning. It was half a bubble on the level but a tiny bit off on an angle is a noticable difference 10' away. That isn't the only issue or the builder would have lifted the south west corner rather than the north west corner. And the lift he did and then the weeks it stayed cranked wrong before we lowered it contributed to the skew. I don't think it will settle back much more than it is now but it might help it move back with persuation and stay there.

We haven't tried yet. We laid all the tools out, thought through the options, looked for anchors, went and bought new anchors. We expect to try tomorrow.

While looking for info on how to keep it in place once we get it there I found this
https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/192635/why-does-my-shed-door-expand-shrink - I hope it will help when we fix the doors after squaring the walls.

References for the diagonals in the wall... https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/building-rock-solid-exterior-walls/

https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.co...tallation-of-metal-strapping-as-shear-bracing

https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.co...onal-bracing-and-other-lumber-reduction-ideas This one has great links in the comments and a good point "your square length width ratio and small footprint makes an inherently strong shape unless you have a bunch of large door openings." Emphasis mine.

Ah, this is what I was looking for. Although, we've been planning to to it all internally... from the floor plate on one side to the top plate on the other. Similar sites say temporarily reinforcing the corners with lumber, angle iron, toe hooks, ect. But my shed is small and probably pretty easily shifted compared to the garages/sheds they are talking about.
https://secureservercdn.net/166.62....tent/uploads/2012/07/GARAGE-STRAIGHTENING.pdf

And this is not relevant to this project but is interesting... https://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/straightening-old-shed.328461/ especially the old barn hit by a tornado then straightened and repaired with 40 tons of hay in it. My brother has been straightening the farm's big old barn with floor jacks mostly so far. And the tool shed (think smaller old barn) leaned by many feet. My dad slowed it with a cable so it didn't fall on his house. He built the house expecting to tear the tool shed down soon after (just didn't get to it for 60 years). Anyway, the longer the building has been leaning, the slower you need to pull so that ig has time to adjust instead of breaking.

 

[saysfaa]

it worked!
I bought another level. The floor is exactly level, not even off by half a bubble. At the door at least which is all I'm trying to fix now. The walls leaned but not as much as a few days ago when I last posted. So evidently they were still adjusting.

We drilled, then screwed in anchors. Then ratcheted it tight. It moved enough for the strap to get a little slack within an hour or so. We pulled a couple more clicks and the walls are straight and 90 degrees to the floor.

The doors now fit into the door frame, the top hook works easily, the latch fits perfectly. Only the bottom bolt doesn't quite fit - it is off by half the bolt rather than way off.

I fitted one diagonal in before dark. The rest will wait because there is no electricity in the building. It will be a lot easier in daylight.