- Jul 30, 2013
- 248
- 31
- 126
The one thing I wish I had known before I started?
Don't paint it.
Seriously, don't. Stain or varnish it if you want.
If you have designed a coop that has a lot of contrasting pretty (and functional) trim painting it will quadruple your time. If you combine it with an open coop or run where wire is involved you will have to prepaint it and it will need three coats and they will take forever. They will also chip if you don't baby it for the first week or so while it cures so if a child of yours or husband walks past it suddenly there will be a chip out of the paint and you know the chickens will peck at that chip until the end of time.
Yeah, the colours are cute, the trim makes it pretty. You however will be covered in primer for several weeks and it will seem like the coop will never be finished.
Oh and Behr alkyd paint? The worst. It may have been a mistint and cheap, now I know why. I'm lucky if that stuff dries in 16 hours and it is really goopy to apply.
If you ignore me at least build the coop, apply the trim then dismantle it and paint all the trim at once. This piecemeal lark is for the birds and I can't cut the next piece to fit because I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE DANG PAINT TO DRY!
(this is why you next to never see a cheap commercial coop painted or if you do it is extra)
Don't paint it.
Seriously, don't. Stain or varnish it if you want.
If you have designed a coop that has a lot of contrasting pretty (and functional) trim painting it will quadruple your time. If you combine it with an open coop or run where wire is involved you will have to prepaint it and it will need three coats and they will take forever. They will also chip if you don't baby it for the first week or so while it cures so if a child of yours or husband walks past it suddenly there will be a chip out of the paint and you know the chickens will peck at that chip until the end of time.
Yeah, the colours are cute, the trim makes it pretty. You however will be covered in primer for several weeks and it will seem like the coop will never be finished.
Oh and Behr alkyd paint? The worst. It may have been a mistint and cheap, now I know why. I'm lucky if that stuff dries in 16 hours and it is really goopy to apply.
If you ignore me at least build the coop, apply the trim then dismantle it and paint all the trim at once. This piecemeal lark is for the birds and I can't cut the next piece to fit because I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE DANG PAINT TO DRY!
(this is why you next to never see a cheap commercial coop painted or if you do it is extra)
