using white panel board on interior walls

[Manok-Tao]

I'm in the process of designing a new coop. One that both serves the girls and myself in being user friendly. I'm thinking seriously of installing panel board on the entire floor, up the walls 4 feet and the entire roost area. Panel board is the thin sheeted material (4X8) that is kinda like slick white linolium on its outer surface. It is super easy to clean and can allow me to hose out the coop when needed. Dry it with an old towel, throw down new shavings and I'm done. The odor should also be reduced to only be in the shavings as there is no exposed wood to soak anything up. Any pros and cons on this will be appreciated.
J

 

[CARS]

Cons: It's expensive when you buy it already attached to plywood. Still probably expensive in just sheet form.

Pros: Just about everything has to clean up better!

In a small coop I would do the same in a heartbeat. In my 2000 square foot barn... can't afford it

 

[CARS]

I found a pic.

I used a sheet of this (bonded to half inch ply) on top of my nesting boxes. I think the local lumber yard (not a huge improvement chain store) charged me close to $80.00 for one sheet!!! Hence, that is the last sheet I bought. Never priced the Home Depot, Lowes, or Menards.

 

[Manok-Tao]

$11.00 a sheet 4x8 Winston-Salem NC

 

[RocketDad]

I paneled my coop with 1/8" masonite with a Melamine surface. That's probably what you're talking about. It rocks. Cheap and durable, as long as you don't try to build a shower enclosure with it. I discovered it in the sign biz years ago. We made custom whiteboards for people with it.

It's available with a fake square-tile surface texture, don't get that. It lowers durability and doesn't look like tile.

The $80 product is probably (hopefully!) something else. I'm guessing counter-top laminate.

I caulked all the edges, corners, seams and screwheads in my coop with white kitchen & bath caulk. I can hose down my coop interior. I like it. It makes the coop bright too, which is good since mine is kinda small.

 

[Manok-Tao]

that's what I needed to hear! My coop design is 6X8 and the sheets only add $100. After my last one that was poorly made and all wood the extra investment will make me and the birds happier. Appreciate your post
J

 

[Manok-Tao]

to anyone else looking into this board. It is only 1/8th thick and cannot be your sole interior board. It has to be attached to another flat board. In my case I'm covering interior walls with 9/32 OSB...then attaching the melamine white board on top of it using drywall screws and a raised button type countersunk washer

 

[Manok-Tao]

ROCKET MAN
any issues with the birds getting into the seam sealant?

 

[RocketDad]

any issues with the birds getting into the seam sealant?

Nope. I slapped it around with a trowel (sloppy, but it's white on white, inside a chicken coop) so there were no high spots to get a bite off.

It is only 1/8th thick and cannot be your sole interior board. It has to be attached to another flat board.

Mine is backed by the bead-foam insulation between the studs. Haven't had any problems with floaty soft spots in the walls. But I don't have the room to go swinging a shovel around in my coop anyway, so I'm in little danger of punching a hole.

{edit to add: }

using drywall screws and a raised button type countersunk washer

I skipped that expense. I just let the heads dig into the masonite a bit, and used caulking to hide the mess. Cheating, yes, but "it's just a *&%$ chicken coop. When can we get the animals out of the laundry room??"​

 

[teach1rusl]

I believe that's what I have in my coop...(see my coop page). I love that it's easy to wipe down. Because it's so flimsy it's not the easiest thing to work with putting up. But that was probably more an issue for us than the people who put it on top of plywood because we put it up by itself on the interior to cover our insulation. I also use it as my dropping board (on top of plywood) and it scrapes up easily.

ETA: We covered seams with white duct tape, with corner round in the corners.