Wood for sub-floor in barn/chicken coop

[Becky2009]

Hi,
Hoping someone on here can give me some advice before tomorrow. I have an old barn style coop that measures 5m x 4m. Have built a sub floor (approx 2 feet up from ground) and ready to lay the boards tomorrow. Which boards should I purchase? I’m confused with difference between hardwood plywood, softwood plywood and OSB? Will either cover with vinyl or ideally would like to seal it with a paint so I can mop/disinfect after clearing bedding away each week? Thank you.

 

[3KillerBs]

Hello, Welcome to BYC. I can't answer that question, but I'll try to get you some help that can.

@U_Stormcrow this looks like your kind of question.

I will link you my article about using Deep Bedding in a small coop: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

 

[Becky2009]

Hello, Welcome to BYC. I can't answer that question, but I'll try to get you some help that can.

@U_Stormcrow this looks like your kind of question.

I will link you my article about using Deep Bedding in a small coop: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

Thank you

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hi,
Hoping someone on here can give me some advice before tomorrow. I have an old barn style coop that measures 5m x 4m. Have built a sub floor (approx 2 feet up from ground) and ready to lay the boards tomorrow. Which boards should I purchase? I’m confused with difference between hardwood plywood, softwood plywood and OSB? Will either cover with vinyl or ideally would like to seal it with a paint so I can mop/disinfect after clearing bedding away each week? Thank you.

I'm not fond of raised floors - more material costs, more framing, eventually it WILL fail (even though I built my first coop with a raised floor - just throwing that out there, so you know my biases.

OK, here goes. OSB is cheap, its made from chips of wood, oriented in a direction, pressed together with much pressure heat, and some rather decent glues. It is MUCH better than particle board (which is really glue and sawdust), and is better suited for outdoor use (but not exposure) than the old products. Its also only strong in one axis, and it tends to warp/bow easily. Typically, OSB is oriented longways (look at the chips, see which direction they generally point), that's the strong axis. You want your joists framing it to run perpendicular to that, in effort to compensate for its relative weakness in that axis. I don't like it, but it is a popular building product, and if protected from the elements, can last a long time.

Plywoods - Hardwoods/Softwood. Unless you are doing finish cabinetry or putting a new floor in a boat or an RV, there is no need for hardwood plywood. Typically its much more expensive (since its made from slower growing, more densely grained "hard" woods) and somewhat heavier. If you look at the edge of the plywood, you can see each layer is perpendicular to the one next to it. It doesn't have a "weak" direction like OSB, and is less prone to warpage or splitting. (OSB tries to correct that in the middle layers, but its just not the same, its more like an oreo cookie sandwich).

Plywood can usually be purchased in three major grades at the typical big box:

Interior. This $#!+ is worthless for high humidity environments like chicken coops, I've seen it swell, twist, warp, and delaminate in garage shelving, cheap cabinetry, and a host of other sometimes damp locations. Do not recommend.

Exposure 1 - this is what you are looking for. Different glues are used, its a little more moisture resistant. With care, it should be all you need. Exposure 1 basically means its allowed to get wet during construction - it can take brief and infrequent moisture contact of a serious and pervasive nature. Its not designed to be a primary water barrier, however, this isn't the stuff you want to wrap your house with, or leave exposed all the time, paint or not. Under a vinyl flo0or, however? Just fine

True Exterior / Pressure Treated - this crap is HEAVY. Its also very difficult to destroy. I purchased a 3/4" sheet of it for the bed of my trailer, rather than bolting down 2x4s or 5/4" decking as many tend to do. Probably more than you will need. Pricing MAY be comparable right now - in my area a 4x8 sheet of the thin stuff can be had for $44, while Exposure 1 in the same thickness is $41&change. If its that close, and you don't need a lot of it, I'd spend the extra $ and consider it insurance. I'm used to seeing a $10/sheet difference in pricing.

There are also "finish" grades which have a thin, sanded, veneer on one side or both for use one cabinets and the like. You won't be looking at it, it doesn't add strength, don't pay the extra cost. There are also marine grades (they make the Pressure treated, or "PT" stuff feel light) which tend to have more layers for the same thickness and some incredible epoxies holding them together. and true cabinet grade stuff, which like the marine grade, has lots of layers sandwiched together, but not the special glues. Chances are, you won't find either of those in the big box.

Note that you can buy "subfloor" sheets, designed specifically for your application - but because they are for human floors, they are likely 3/4" thick or thicker, and they usually have a tongue/.groove edge profile, to make fitting them together tightly easier on a large job. Whether plywood or OSB, these are going to be heavy, because they are thicker than what you need. and that tongue/groove my inconvenience you during assembly.

Hope that helps.

/Edit - and full disclosure, I built mine out of Hardieboard, its basically fiberglass reinforced concrete. Near indestructible, heavy, hard on tools. Water resistance at least as good as Exterior plywood, but no layers to delaminate, or edges to draw water up like a straw.

 

[Becky2009]

I'm not fond of raised floors - more material costs, more framing, eventually it WILL fail (even though I built my first coop with a raised floor - just throwing that out there, so you know my biases.

OK, here goes. OSB is cheap, its made from chips of wood, oriented in a direction, pressed together with much pressure heat, and some rather decent glues. It is MUCH better than particle board (which is really glue and sawdust), and is better suited for outdoor use (but not exposure) than the old products. Its also only strong in one axis, and it tends to warp/bow easily. Typically, OSB is oriented longways (look at the chips, see which direction they generally point), that's the strong axis. You want your joists framing it to run perpendicular to that, in effort to compensate for its relative weakness in that axis. I don't like it, but it is a popular building product, and if protected from the elements, can last a long time.

Plywoods - Hardwoods/Softwood. Unless you are doing finish cabinetry or putting a new floor in a boat or an RV, there is no need for hardwood plywood. Typically its much more expensive (since its made from slower growing, more densely grained "hard" woods) and somewhat heavier. If you look at the edge of the plywood, you can see each layer is perpendicular to the one next to it. It doesn't have a "weak" direction like OSB, and is less prone to warpage or splitting. (OSB tries to correct that in the middle layers, but its just not the same, its more like an oreo cookie sandwich).

Plywood can usually be purchased in three major grades at the typical big box:

Interior. This $#!+ is worthless for high humidity environments like chicken coops, I've seen it swell, twist, warp, and delaminate in garage shelving, cheap cabinetry, and a host of other sometimes damp locations. Do not recommend.

Exposure 1 - this is what you are looking for. Different glues are used, its a little more moisture resistant. With care, it should be all you need. Exposure 1 basically means its allowed to get wet during construction - it can take brief and infrequent moisture contact of a serious and pervasive nature. Its not designed to be a primary water barrier, however, this isn't the stuff you want to wrap your house with, or leave exposed all the time, paint or not. Under a vinyl flo0or, however? Just fine

True Exterior / Pressure Treated - this crap is HEAVY. Its also very difficult to destroy. I purchased a 3/4" sheet of it for the bed of my trailer, rather than bolting down 2x4s or 5/4" decking as many tend to do. Probably more than you will need. Pricing MAY be comparable right now - in my area a 4x8 sheet of the thin stuff can be had for $44, while Exposure 1 in the same thickness is $41&change. If its that close, and you don't need a lot of it, I'd spend the extra $ and consider it insurance. I'm used to seeing a $10/sheet difference in pricing.

There are also "finish" grades which have a thin, sanded, veneer on one side or both for use one cabinets and the like. You won't be looking at it, it doesn't add strength, don't pay the extra cost. There are also marine grades (they make the Pressure treated, or "PT" stuff feel light) which tend to have more layers for the same thickness and some incredible epoxies holding them together. and true cabinet grade stuff, which like the marine grade, has lots of layers sandwiched together, but not the special glues. Chances are, you won't find either of those in the big box.

Note that you can buy "subfloor" sheets, designed specifically for your application - but because they are for human floors, they are likely 3/4" thick or thicker, and they usually have a tongue/.groove edge profile, to make fitting them together tightly easier on a large job. Whether plywood or OSB, these are going to be heavy, because they are thicker than what you need. and that tongue/groove my inconvenience you during assembly.

Hope that helps.

/Edit - and full disclosure, I built mine out of Hardieboard, its basically fiberglass reinforced concrete. Near indestructible, heavy, hard on tools. Water resistance at least as good as Exterior plywood, but no layers to delaminate, or edges to draw water up like a straw.

Wow, thank you so much for such a detailed and helpful response. Really appreciate your advice. If I didn’t put Lino/vinyl down, would you recommend painting with a rubber paint? I don’t want to do deep litter and would like to sweep and mop. I have 3 ducks too so I need it to be as waterproof as possible - they’re pretty messy

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I also have ducks, mine don't do ramps, and stay on the ground. Actually, I'm taping two liners together to make a pond for them - or would be if I wasn't typing. They are heavy (20' x 37.5'), which is why I'm inside, instead of doing what I'm supposed to.

I nave NO ZONE ZILCH experience with the "rubber" paints. Can't speak to them.

I **DO** have experience with the silicone paints - used it to repaint the roof of my RV. Three observations. One, its expensive. Two, it is nice and waterproof, with good adhesion. Three, thick as it goes down, I've watched my chickens dust bath by digging bowls in recycled concrete base. There isn't a paint on the planet I've met thick enough to stop their nails from going right thru it. At the expense, you'd be better off putting down a shower pan liner (they will go through that, too, eventually!) which is basically a thick rubber mat. Or vinyl roll flooring, which is thicker, but less waterproof, and becomes brittle with time.

Oh, and throw away your brush/roller when done with those paints - no saving them. I guess that's four observations.

 

[3KillerBs]

would like to sweep and mop.

Dry chickens are healthy chickens.

Wet cleaning of a chicken coop is not recommended except in extreme circumstances.

 

[Becky2009]

I also have ducks, mine don't do ramps, and stay on the ground. Actually, I'm taping two liners together to make a pond for them - or would be if I wasn't typing. They are heavy (20' x 37.5'), which is why I'm inside, instead of doing what I'm supposed to.

I nave NO ZONE ZILCH experience with the "rubber" paints. Can't speak to them.

I **DO** have experience with the silicone paints - used it to repaint the roof of my RV. Three observations. One, its expensive. Two, it is nice and waterproof, with good adhesion. Three, thick as it goes down, I've watched my chickens dust bath by digging bowls in recycled concrete base. There isn't a paint on the planet I've met thick enough to stop their nails from going right thru it. At the expense, you'd be better off putting down a shower pan liner (they will go through that, too, eventually!) which is basically a thick rubber mat. Or vinyl roll flooring, which is thicker, but less waterproof, and becomes brittle with time.

Oh, and throw away your brush/roller when done with those paints - no saving them. I guess that's four observations.

Mine won’t go on ramps either Thank you again for your responses. I was thinking of a paint to help with keeping the boards as waterproof as possible but think vinyl may be the way to go. Good luck with the pond!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Mine won’t go on ramps either Thank you again for your responses. I was thinking of a paint to help with keeping the boards as waterproof as possible but think vinyl may be the way to go. Good luck with the pond!

THANKS! I'll need it. Finished liner should be about 37.5' x 37.5'. Assuming I lose a bit over five feet of liner to each side, and an average depth of 3', its... a lot of gallons of water (roughly 81 cu yd - 14k gallons) ...then I need to make a bog filter for it. Advice: Don't do this.

The ducks enjoy the $9 kiddie pool, and when a drake gets too randy, he can't drown a hen in it. Easier to clean, too. Also, a leak costs you... $9 and a trip into town.

This was my wife's idea.