upright and rafter spacing

[mqoh]

We did ours as a post and beam structure with posts 8 feet apart and 2x4 uprights to serve as "nailing strips" for the hardware cloth.

Build thread here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/large-open-air-coop-in-central-nc.1443812/

I love your roof and I’m going to do a take on it. I’ll send you a pic when I get done. But how many rafters do I need. Structure is 12 feet with a one foot overhang on each end. Every 2 ft would be 9 is 2 feet overkill or right

 

[aart]

Florida

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[3KillerBs]

I love your roof and I’m going to do a take on it. I’ll send you a pic when I get done. But how many rafters do I need. Structure is 12 feet with a one foot overhang on each end. Every 2 ft would be 9 is 2 feet overkill or right

DH isn't sure whether he put them on 16" centers or 24" centers.

@U_Stormcrow, can you advise?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Since there is no reason to build it like a people house, it only need be strong enough that you can carefully walk on it occasionally for maintenance, I use 2' on center, purlins spaced approx 24" oc - and I use 5/4 x 6 pt deck boards instead of 1x4 grade 2s for my purlins. Locally, they are cheaper, pressure treated (in case there should be a leak), wider (easier to hit with screws from the top), thicker (more thread grip), and much less likely to have a knot in them which renders it structurally useless.

Did I mention they are often cheaper?

Here are some pictures of one I threw together in a weekend. That's the goat shed. I did something similar with the bunny barn I just extended off the shed.

/edit Thickness of your rafter is based on Span. For my purposes, I'll take a 2x4 to almost 10' unsupported length (meaning a 2x4x12, to allow me 1' of overhang on each end (roughly). I weigh about 165# and of course we have no snow loads. 2x6 for anything of greater span. Whether that's sufficient safety margin for you or not?? I can't answer that. they do make span tables.

 

[sdm111]

I've done 5' studs on open walls with chicken wire and 2 deck boards wrapping the bottom 6 ' high with no problem doing pheasant habitats with the whole top in chicken wire and the rearhalf corrugated metal roof. It lasted a decade or so till I tore them down

Total size was 10' deep 24' wide 6' high divided into 4- 6' wide stalls

 

[3KillerBs]

Since there is no reason to build it like a people house, it only need be strong enough that you can carefully walk on it occasionally for maintenance, I use 2' on center, purlins spaced approx 24" oc - and I use 5/4 x 6 pt deck boards instead of 1x4 grade 2s for my purlins. Locally, they are cheaper, pressure treated (in case there should be a leak), wider (easier to hit with screws from the top), thicker (more thread grip), and much less likely to have a knot in them which renders it structurally useless.

Did I mention they are often cheaper?

Here are some pictures of one I threw together in a weekend. That's the goat shed. I did something similar with the bunny barn I just extended off the shed.

/edit Thickness of your rafter is based on Span. For my purposes, I'll take a 2x4 to almost 10' unsupported length (meaning a 2x4x12, to allow me 1' of overhang on each end (roughly). I weigh about 165# and of course we have no snow loads. 2x6 for anything of greater span. Whether that's sufficient safety margin for you or not?? I can't answer that. they do make span tables.

Thanks. I knew you'd have the figures handy.

I could guestimate from my build photos, but it's too dark to go out and measure the roof supports.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

oh, and you want your roofing screws to have approx 3 full thread penetrations thru your purlin - because basicall they ifrst three threads constitue the point of the screw and have no effective grip strength.

Into purlin vs Thru purlin is the difference between your roof peeling in a summer storm and a cat 1 'cane. In theory, the roof is stronger than that, but the same excellent ventilation we provide for our birds also means a lot of air can get under the roof and push upwards. Those tiny screws have limits - as does the thickness of the roof itself. More purlins plus more screws = greater resistance to wind uplift forces.

 

[mqoh]

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View attachment 3398807

 

[mqoh]

I did that once. I guess I didn’t do it right

 

[mqoh]

Since there is no reason to build it like a people house, it only need be strong enough that you can carefully walk on it occasionally for maintenance, I use 2' on center, purlins spaced approx 24" oc - and I use 5/4 x 6 pt deck boards instead of 1x4 grade 2s for my purlins. Locally, they are cheaper, pressure treated (in case there should be a leak), wider (easier to hit with screws from the top), thicker (more thread grip), and much less likely to have a knot in them which renders it structurally useless.

Did I mention they are often cheaper?

Here are some pictures of one I threw together in a weekend. That's the goat shed. I did something similar with the bunny barn I just extended off the shed.

/edit Thickness of your rafter is based on Span. For my purposes, I'll take a 2x4 to almost 10' unsupported length (meaning a 2x4x12, to allow me 1' of overhang on each end (roughly). I weigh about 165# and of course we have no snow loads. 2x6 for anything of greater span. Whether that's sufficient safety margin for you or not?? I can't answer that. they do make span tables.

If you were nearby I’d bake you some cookies. Can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help