suntuf roofing material?

[sara213]

Has anyone used this roofing material on their coops before? I was looking around home depot yesterday and I came across this material. I was looking allow some light into the coop from the roof by adding the a polycarbonate sheet down (just one, like a sky light) on the roof.

But i'm wondering maybe it will heat the coop up in the summer time on hot days :/ which wouldn't be a good idea.



website : http://www.palramamericas.com/Suntuf

 

[En Plein Air Farms]

I have it over my deck, and over the hens play pen. Love it. Super sturdy and long lasting, I've had it protecting my wood pile for at least 20 years and it still looks great, although I power wash it ever few years.

Are you in snow country? We set 4X4's across the hen pen and attached the suntuf to that, you have to account for snow load.
A panel of it in the coop sounds like a great idea, because it is wavy rather than flat you'd need to seal it well on the ends to avoid cold and rain seepage.

We got the lightest gray option, which lets in plenty of light, but blocks about 90% of the UV rays.

If you do it show pictures

 

[sara213]

I have it over my deck, and over the hens play pen. Love it. Super sturdy and long lasting, I've had it protecting my wood pile for at least 20 years and it still looks great, although I power wash it ever few years.

Are you in snow country? We set 4X4's across the hen pen and attached the suntuf to that, you have to account for snow load.
A panel of it in the coop sounds like a great idea, because it is wavy rather than flat you'd need to seal it well on the ends to avoid cold and rain seepage.

We got the lightest gray option, which lets in plenty of light, but blocks about 90% of the UV rays.

If you do it show pictures

I am in a snow country

.

Yeah that is something I would have to figure out as well...hehe..I was thinking of doing the whole roof with it (not the clear, like maybe one clear "sheet" and the others would be green) that will not allow for much light to enter.

I'm playing with ideas lol...i'm heading out to TSC right now to see what they have there for roofing materials.


thanks!

by chance can you post a picture of the roof over the hen's play pen?

 

[En Plein Air Farms]

I went out to do that before I posted, but realized the photo would look less than fine because I've been tearing out the old nesting boxes and my little girls home looks like trailer trash

If you are in cold country I wouldn't advise it for the coop roof because it has zero insulation factor, give the coop a proper roof.
I'll take a photo of the inside of the play pen too, and the underside of the deck cover. Give me a little bit.

 

[En Plein Air Farms]

Ok, here is the play pen and the deck roof both. We have once or twice gotten 3 foot of snow, the norm is closer to 10 inches.
Personally, I like to see more support for the deck roof...

We are at 940 feet altitude and get winter winds of serious nature...so on the pen roof in addition to the under support we added 1X4" planks screwed down to the edges.

Hope this helps. My little cockerl in my avatar crowed for the first time while I was out working. Too cute to be legal.

 

[En Plein Air Farms]

Hope this helps in your planning.

 

[sara213]

Good pictures! thanks very much!

Yeah and sometimes it can be cold in the winter here (southwestern ontario) although last year the winter was not to bad. it was fairly mild.

here is a model: where the squares are would be the plastic material or suntuf and the rest of the roof would be regular shingled roof that is insulated.

 

[7 Biddies]

I've got the white over my 6' x 12' run and it's plenty shady. But, the afternoon sun comes in from the side, not overhead, so I'm going to get shades to keep it out. My girls get too hot when the run is in full sun. So, I'd think about the summer months and how much sun comes in through the sides before I put the clear panel up.

PS I'm very happy with it and look forward to it lasting a long time.

 

[sara213]

I've got the white over my 6' x 12' run and it's plenty shady. But, the afternoon sun comes in from the side, not overhead, so I'm going to get shades to keep it out. My girls get too hot when the run is in full sun. So, I'd think about the summer months and how much sun comes in through the sides before I put the clear panel up.

PS I'm very happy with it and look forward to it lasting a long time.

so it stays pretty cool underneath it then?

 

[PAChickenChick2]

I can't find the post right now...but there is another member who made a cute little blue coop with the clear panel roof as her whole roof. Right now she is having problems keeping the coop cool in full sun. Some suggestions to her where to paint the clear panels a solid paint color (the underside of the panel) or to just toss a blue tarp over the panels as needed.

In reality it's going to depend on where the sun rises and sets on your coop. In the winter these panels might offer you a passive heat source...but in the summer might be too much unless you have many windows that would be able to catch the breeze from any angle. (or if you used the tarp ect..)

A long time member (patandchickens) is also from Ontario...she has her coop posted in the "coop" section..and also did an excellent post on ventilation vs insulation. Don't over insulate..read her post first.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

Many members do use the panels and love them...again...it's just going to depend on how much you use and the angles you use them. =)

chickent tractor coop by patandchickens