*update* EPIC FAIL: Winterizing (new pics on post #30)

[nincomcoop]

I was thinking of covering the gaps between boards with feed bags too, but then someone gave me the idea of using Gorilla Glue brand Duct Tape! So far its working very well!

 

[DazeGoneBy]

Necessity is the mother of invention. You guys are so creative!

We have venting along the roofline, as well as cutouts and a cupola, so even though we'll cover the coop walls to cut the draft, they still have plenty of ventilation up top.

I'm still having trouble with them not understanding to come inside the coop when it is raining. They just sit there in the rain. Bird brains!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Love your coop! But have you seen the $5 OSB at Lowes? It's a sheet 4ftX8ft. It's cheap! It's really easy to cut, and that's probably what I'd use to cover up the inside. I just used it for my inside walls in my coop and then I painted it. My mom had an old gallon of red paint from like 5 yrs ago (sitting in her basement) and I used it to put on the first two coats of paint. Then i went out and bought the color I actually wanted (orange!) and put on a couple more coats of paint- so the walls are really well covered! I can't think of anything cheaper than the OSB sheets. It might be a bit thicker than you were thinking- BUT you wouldn't have to get more insulation if you didn't want to, just cut them out and put them up.

 

[EggyErin]

Sorry, but I had to laugh. I can so feel your pain but it's so nice to see when other people's brilliant plans go a bit awry. I don't feel so alone....

 

[DazeGoneBy]

Well, we are back to 80 degree days here in Texas, so this project has been on hold while hubby made some other coop modifications. Just got a PM from someone who told me his uncle wrapped his coop in brown tarp, which collected the heat of the sun and kept it toasty inside...and nothing for the hens to peck. Since we'll probably on have a total of 2 months of "cool" weather that gets below freezing in the evening, that seems like a quick, easy, cost-efficient option.

 

[Steadfast]

The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray...
Especially when chickens are involved!

 

[ECBW]

80 degree today? Is it safe to assume your winter is mild as well?

I would think that making sure the gaps in your siding are closed, is more important. Rain or snow can seep through the gaps and get the insulation material wet. Once the insulation gets wet, it would be tough to dry out, being concealed in the walls. It can lead to all sorts of problems.

If your winter is mild enough... why insulate?

 

[kichohana]

I think your winterizing is on the right track. The tarp idea your friend had is a inexpensive temporary solution. The sun will rot it over the winter and you'll have to do it all again next year. The better route would be to re-line your interior walls with either the luan plywood or the osb, like Hawkeye95 mentioned, or put boards over the cracks like Dobieslady1 said - creating a "board and batten" siding. I don't think you need it for insulation purposes, but more for closing up the gaps in your siding to keep out the drafts.

I'm in central North Carolina - we get freezes, light snow, sideways rain, etc. As long as the coop is dry and not drafty, you don't need insulation. The girls wear down coats! The cupola venting you have up top will be plenty to let out the humidity the girls put out. I used a heat lamp for a month their first winter, but I realized I was just spoiling them. The extra light was affecting their laying habits and I wanted them to be more "natural" and slow down their laying over the winter.

Obviously the foam insulation was the wrong route to go. I had the same problem. Used blue 1" foam to partially close up their upper vent last winter and used a few scrap pieces around their run to keep them from kicking the sand out - my chickens thought that blue foam was so tasty!

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
Mine did the same thing with a utility shed door. Pecked a huge hole in the insulation!

 

[DazeGoneBy]

Quote:
You are right on track with my current thinking, even down to the natural laying in the winter and not spoiling them with a heat lamp (it never gets so cold here in Texas, anyway).

I hadn't thought about the tarp rotting, so thanks for that. Hubby spent so much time making a cute coop that he probably wouldn't go for that anyway.

The main point, as you say, is to cover the gaps to stop the drafts, and do it in a way that won't absorb and hold moisture to create a whole new mold problem, as ECBW pointed out.

I'll post pics of our second winterizing effort when we get it done, and the new coop mods my hubby put in, as a bonus.