Tile floor? Good? Bad?

[AnKa]

Well I was planning on installing the tile over a 3/4 in sheet of plywood. I could just as well screw cement backerboard on top though..... must think about this some more. I will try though, since it's essentially free. I have all the 'ingredients' on hand. I was going to try to minimize the grout lines altogether since I am not going for 'purdy' per se....

 

[CityChook]

Personally, I would totally tile the floor. But then again, I like purdy....

But truthfully, if you're going to put shavings on top, you won't even get to enjoy it. I just have a painted plywood floor and it works fine to keep moisture out. There really isn't any hard "cleaning" to be done if your shavings are deep and dry enough.

Have fun.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
But what is the structure underneath that like? Size and spacing and length of joists? If the floor has any flex to it at all -- and while it will be less with 3/4" underlayment than with, like, 3/8", it will still be really nonzero with typical coop design -- the floor will flex, the tiles and grout will want to flex also, and presto, you got cracks.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[azelgin]

If you tell me what grade and species of lumber you are planning to use for you floor system, I would be happy to look in my code book and let you know what dimension of framing lumber you will need for a satisfactory support structure, dased on deflection of 1/360 inch per inch of span @40 psf live load w/10 psf dead load @ 18% wood moisture content. Tile floors are put over wood construction every day, with excellent results.

ETA: If rot might be a problem, you could always use pressure treated plywood. If it is good enough for wood foundation systems, it sure as heck should be good enough for a chicken coop.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Of course they are. All I'm saying is, most coops are not built to those specs, and it seems like overkill for a chicken coop

Pat

 

[azelgin]

Quote:
Of course they are. All I'm saying is, most coops are not built to those specs, and it seems like overkill for a chicken coop

Pat

I understand not everybody wants to built the "Chicken Hilton".

Whenever I build anything, I try to think of what I might end up using it for later. Will the barn be a garage someday? Carport turned into a shop? Chicken coop my new office? The tax assessor in our county taxes us on any structure without wheels. Period. If, I have to pay taxes on it, it might as well be worth what they say it is and around here they say it's all worth a lot.

I used to build a lot of light commercial/office space for some developers. The kind of little strip units with revolving tenants. It was critical to look past the present tenant in the use of components and layout, so we didn't end up with a "one use only" space, that would be much more expensive to remodel for the next renter.

So, I built my chicken coops with standard framing, legal lumber spans, adequate foundations and slab floors. For myself, I see no sense in putting up a permanent structure that I can't turn into something else someday. Except for my house. I would guess it will probably always be used as a house.

 

[lovemychix]

I found a ton of those industrial tiles on sale at a lumber salvage place and I put them in my coop! I love it. They clean right up. I get a lot of teasing from other people because my coop is tiled, and the walls, ceiling, and trim are all painted in coordinating colors!

I like it and I spend enough time out there it makes it worth while. Yea...I know. I need to get a life.

 

[I LOVE COCHINS]

Quote:
Hi Anka

,
I started laughing when I so your post about tiling your chicken coop! My DH and I are building my chicken barn and I'm also going to tile my chicken coops that will be inside the barn. We are building the barn with all the extra materials that we've collected and have been given to us over the years. So far we have not spent any money

Please post pictures

and I will do the same.

 

[redhen]

i think its an awesome idea!

 

[Renee]

My chickens have a polyurethaned wood floor. It looks better than the floor in our house. As a matter of fact, most of the chicken coops on this site look better than our house.

Tile would be nice too, as long as the breeds are not too heavy and the roosts are not too high.

I also like those rubbery floors they put in horse stalls.