- Apr 9, 2011
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Quote:
Hahahaha, yeah, I don't want to do things twice, either, but I just can't afford a hard roof for my run just now.
Don't know what kind of covers you're getting, but I can tell you my experience: We had one of those 10X20 vinyl shelters for a hay shed that lasted almost two winters. The first winter, tho, was a nice SUNNY snowy winter, and the snow drifted right off every day. The next winter was dark and dreary and snowy, (we weren't paying attention) and with just a few inches on the tarp over several days, the legs buckled, but not the arches. After we got it braced up, we just had to go out after snow and whack the underside of the canopy to get the snow rolling. We took it down after the snow stopped because it was barely hanging on, and now I had all these scrap brackets and poles lying around...
SOOO! I had a 10'X24' dog run being unused. I cut the connector brackets down to sit on the top rails, screwed and mondo-zip-tied the frame to the run and put the old canopy back on. Last four feet I covered with sunshade and the ends got chicken wire...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/84860_100_0533.jpg https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/84860_100_0596.jpg
I'm really hoping that all I need to do is watch and whack
this winter, but if it starts looking iffy, I'll try a heat tape on the rails and skip sheeting to stop the canopy from sagging...
afterthot: Uf duh! I guess my point is, the top is approx a 6/12 pitch, and was pretty daggumed solid with a vinyl top as long as the snow was not allowed to sit and sag the canopy, so depending on what you have, hopefully you can take this info and apply it to your covers, put your mind at rest and get some sleep!
For now, all I have coming is a sun shade to discourage the eagles. I think a solid top might be too heavy for the kennel to support. Since I couldn't sleep I was checking out tops for kennel runs on BYC. Some people make a PVC hoop and tarp arrangement for the top. That looks like it might be doable. Buying a truss arrangement and cover like your would be another $200 per. Heavy snow load isn't common in Seattle, but it's not impossible. The other thing is whatever I do can't look too makeshift and ugly. Mr Hallerlake would have a problem with that. It's just as well to start thinking about it now. I'd rather throw time than money at the problem.
There's some nice replica Victorian cast iron pergola thingies kicking aound, but they're over $500 apiece for anything of a size that would work. I was thinking of Japanese stacked timber style (like a scaled down version of the trellises at the Arboretum gift shop). Does Botann still have timber bamboo? That takes a lot of lateral load, and is what the stacked timber construction was modeled on.
Hahahaha, yeah, I don't want to do things twice, either, but I just can't afford a hard roof for my run just now.
Don't know what kind of covers you're getting, but I can tell you my experience: We had one of those 10X20 vinyl shelters for a hay shed that lasted almost two winters. The first winter, tho, was a nice SUNNY snowy winter, and the snow drifted right off every day. The next winter was dark and dreary and snowy, (we weren't paying attention) and with just a few inches on the tarp over several days, the legs buckled, but not the arches. After we got it braced up, we just had to go out after snow and whack the underside of the canopy to get the snow rolling. We took it down after the snow stopped because it was barely hanging on, and now I had all these scrap brackets and poles lying around...
SOOO! I had a 10'X24' dog run being unused. I cut the connector brackets down to sit on the top rails, screwed and mondo-zip-tied the frame to the run and put the old canopy back on. Last four feet I covered with sunshade and the ends got chicken wire...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/84860_100_0533.jpg https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/84860_100_0596.jpg
I'm really hoping that all I need to do is watch and whack


afterthot: Uf duh! I guess my point is, the top is approx a 6/12 pitch, and was pretty daggumed solid with a vinyl top as long as the snow was not allowed to sit and sag the canopy, so depending on what you have, hopefully you can take this info and apply it to your covers, put your mind at rest and get some sleep!

For now, all I have coming is a sun shade to discourage the eagles. I think a solid top might be too heavy for the kennel to support. Since I couldn't sleep I was checking out tops for kennel runs on BYC. Some people make a PVC hoop and tarp arrangement for the top. That looks like it might be doable. Buying a truss arrangement and cover like your would be another $200 per. Heavy snow load isn't common in Seattle, but it's not impossible. The other thing is whatever I do can't look too makeshift and ugly. Mr Hallerlake would have a problem with that. It's just as well to start thinking about it now. I'd rather throw time than money at the problem.
There's some nice replica Victorian cast iron pergola thingies kicking aound, but they're over $500 apiece for anything of a size that would work. I was thinking of Japanese stacked timber style (like a scaled down version of the trellises at the Arboretum gift shop). Does Botann still have timber bamboo? That takes a lot of lateral load, and is what the stacked timber construction was modeled on.