What Should I Do Next?

[katarobb]

Hello Friends! I'm just getting started on a new coop/run build for my four hens. I'm a novice builder so I'm looking for all the advice and affirmation I can get along the way. I know "chicken math" suggests I should be building for 20 but my township limits me to four and no roosters so I seriously don't see my small flock ever growing. I'm planning an 8x12 foot run with a covered roof, no floor, and hardware cloth walls. It will be approx 6 feet tall so that I can stand up inside and a 4x4 foot coop (or slightly larger) in one corner. The coop will be elevated so that the chickens can go under it. At the moment, my chickens do not free-range. I think this will be big enough for them to be comfortable.

So, it feels like getting the foundation right will be the hardest part. So far I have dug a crude trench. I ran into a few large roots that I didn't want to cut. I'm thinking that I will sit concrete blocks in the trench and attach a 2x4 (pressure treated) frame to the blocks with concrete nails. Here are my questions about next steps:

• I don't know how deep the blocks should sit in the ground. Should the top of the block be below grade or should it stick up a bit when this is all finished?
• Do I need enough concrete block so that they sit right up against each other or could I get away with leaving some space (six inches or so) in between them? One on each corner, two additional on the short sides and three additional on the long sides or something like that?
• How do I go about making sure the blocks are level? I'm thinking I dig too deep and then fill back in under the blocks once I have them level. Is it ok to just fill back in with dirt that I took out of the trench? Should I be putting gravel or something different under the concrete blocks? This could get expensive fast. I hope the concrete block can go right on top of the dirt in the ground.

Here's a photo of where I am to date. I'll continue updating and asking questions on this thread as I go. Thanks in advance!!

 

[katarobb]

Here are two photos I've found that give an idea of what I'm trying to accomplish. Which would you say is best, and why?

 

[pintail_drake2004]

If a job is worth doing, its worth doing right the 1st time. I use to work construction, and have built many houses. Without a good foundation, any structure is destine to fail at some point. Setting blocks in a trench without a proper footing is not going to last long The first heavy rain or freeze, those blocks WILL move from the ground shifting or settling.

IMO pouring a concrete footing on a properly prepared trench will definitely be the way to go. Set your block on the footing in/with mortar. after the mortar has set, you can back fill your trench with dirt. Fill the inside of your blocks with concrete, and set in some concrete anchor bolts. Forget the concrete nails, they have a tendency to destroy the concrete block before they actually anchor anything. By having the anchor bolts set inside the concrete blocks, you have created a solid footing to add your base plate for your walls. This allows you to simply measure and drill an appropriate sized hold to set your base plate over and simply tighten a washer & nut to secure it to your foundation.

if you zoom in on this picture, you can see the anchor bolts sticking up through the base plate of the walls under the window. I suggest adding more than you thing, You can always cut them off later if you don't need them.

 

[katarobb]

If a job is worth doing, its worth doing right the 1st time...Without a good foundation, any structure is destine to fail at some point.

I agree 100% which is why I am trying to learn exactly how to get a good foundation. Thank you so much for taking the time to help and explain. I really appreciate your experience.

IMO pouring a concrete footing on a properly prepared trench will definitely be the way to go. Set your block on the footing in/with mortar. after the mortar has set, you can back fill your trench with dirt.

Just want to make sure I totally understand. I think you mean that I should start by pouring concrete into my entire trench and letting that dry. How deep should it be? When I do a quick calculation, it would be close to 2 dozen bags of concrete even at just 2-3 inches depth. I'm starting to wonder if it would be worth the delivery charge to have a big-box store like Home Depot deliver bags of concrete, cinder blocks and lumber all at once to avoid many trips back and forth...

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm starting to wonder if it would be worth the delivery charge to have a big-box store like Home Depot deliver bags of concrete, cinder blocks and lumber all at once to avoid many trips back and forth...

We ordered lumber once and will never do it again.

WAY too many warped and crooked 2"x4"s -- many of which couldn't be salvaged even for minor projects. A significant enough percentage that we had to go buy more 2"x4"s despite having calculated a safety margin into the order.

Delivery is great for heavy/bulky but uniform items -- like those concrete blocks/bags of concrete. IMO, unless you're working on the scale of an entire house it's better to hand-select your lumber.

 

[DaisyG2317]

We ordered lumber once and will never do it again.

WAY too many warped and crooked 2"x4"s -- many of which couldn't be salvaged even for minor projects. A significant enough percentage that we had to go buy more 2"x4"s despite having calculated a safety margin into the order.

Delivery is great for heavy/bulky but uniform items -- like those concrete blocks/bags of concrete. IMO, unless you're working on the scale of an entire house it's better to hand-select your lumber.

X2!! We built a 600 sq ft deck and had all the materials delivered to have it one and done, and the messed up, warped, funky boards were such a hassle, definitely wouldn't have chosen them myself!

 

[3KillerBs]

X2!! We built a 600 sq ft deck and had all the materials delivered to have it one and done, and the messed up, warped, funky boards were such a hassle, definitely wouldn't have chosen them myself!

It's like they send the cull lumber not the good stuff.

 

[DaisyG2317]

It's like they send the cull lumber not the good stuff.

And then they send along with the warped ones the boards that look "ok" but after looking at them have like a crack running the whole length or a knot the size of the board

 

[katarobb]

Delivery is great for heavy/bulky but uniform items -- like those concrete blocks/bags of concrete. IMO, unless you're working on the scale of an entire house it's better to hand-select your lumber.

Great point! Thanks for chiming in!

 

[pintail_drake2004]

Footings are poured with weight/size of the overall structure in mind. 12-14" wide and minimum 4" thick (round up from the thickness of a 2x4 when you set your concrete frame). Bags of concrete are not always cheaper than having ready-mix delivered. If you have your site prepped (trench dug wide enough, ground and rock packed) and your form set, its relatively easy to have a ready-mix company pour the concrete and strike it off level. That's another point, if you order ready-mix you want "self leveling" its easier to work with.

Go to the lumber yard and inspect your boards in person, don't trust a company to give you the best in the pile. To them, they are all the same.