Woods-style house in the winter

[pennyJo1960]

BTW, we have a SE wind blowing in today. Outside streamers are blowing sideways. With all windows and doors shut, the streamers just inside the open screen are twitching a bit......the front SW corner moving the most. The tell tale streamers beneath the monitor and at the back are hanging limp. That is how Woods said it would work, and apparently, it does.

You do not say where you are from? are you in AK as well

 

[Howard E]

Nope, Missouri.

 

[JackE]

The monitor windows have me a bit concerned. With our high wind potential, I'm concerned that when they are open even a little bit, they will start to work like an airplane wing and generate lift which will try to rip them off the hinges. Gonna have to find a way to securely fasten them down when open. Another option I'm thinking of is to install dryer vents.....the kind with screened openings with flaps up near the peak. Upwind side would close in a breeze......downwind side would open with negative pressure to vent air. Can stuff a rag in them if they are venting too much in the winter.

Check out the pic below. See those curved pieces sticking out from the windows. THAT, is how you keep your monitor windows from flapping in the breeze. What you see, are two pieces of 1X cold rolled steel bar stock. They are attached to the bottom of each window with a screw eye. They have holes drilled in them every 6" or so. There is a heavy finishing nail hammered into the bottom of each window frame, sticking up 2". With that setup, I can lock the windows closed, and open them up from just cracked open, to fully open. The wind can do whatever it wants, those windows are not moving from where they are set. If you have the book, this info is right in there. Don't add any dryer vents, totally not needed.

 

[bruceha2000]

Nope, Missouri.

You can add that to your profile so it shows up under your Avatar in your posts

 

[Chipper Chicken]

Finally finished my original coop.  Added on the extention to make it a full 11 x about 20... to miss a big rock, lol. Used a clear-white fiberglass corregaed section in the roofing but Would definitely put in more windows. Inside is dark. IMO sunlight really helps fight off germs, molds, etc..... for a healthier flock. 

Dear Miss Arielle....I would love to see some pictures of your coops....

Chipper

 

[enggass]

Quote:
It's a lovely coop, but the lack of an overhang was the first thing that went through my head too...what if you get blowing rain (not this time of year of course...lol).

The coop faces to the southeast. I have not had any real problems with rain blowing into the front. Sometimes in the summertime when all the windows are opened up, I have some rain blow into the house. But not enough to cause any unusually damp conditions. The house drys out fast. Also, the 3ft behind the open front is covered with sand contained by a 2x10 board. The rest of the floor is pine shavings. The overhang is built to design from the plans I got out of the book. That's the way it's supposed to be.
I know it looks kind of wide open, but it's a tight house with no drafts at all. Unless I open the rest of the windows. We have had single digit temps, with over 30MPH winds, You go in that house and can feel no air movement. The chickens seem to love it too.

What's the reason behind the sand in the front?

 

[JackE]

Quote:
The coop faces to the southeast. I have not had any real problems with rain blowing into the front. Sometimes in the summertime when all the windows are opened up, I have some rain blow into the house. But not enough to cause any unusually damp conditions. The house drys out fast. Also, the 3ft behind the open front is covered with sand contained by a 2x10 board. The rest of the floor is pine shavings. The overhang is built to design from the plans I got out of the book. That's the way it's supposed to be.
I know it looks kind of wide open, but it's a tight house with no drafts at all. Unless I open the rest of the windows. We have had single digit temps, with over 30MPH winds, You go in that house and can feel no air movement. The chickens seem to love it too.



What's the reason behind the sand in the front?

I used sand up front, so the chickens wouldn't drag the pine shavings out the pop door. It works for me.

 

[enggass]

Why South East as opposed to facing more directly South? Observing the sun this AM, it seems as though facing more South would give the coop more sun time through the open windows. At least thus time of year here in Maine.

 

[JackE]

Why South East as opposed to facing more directly South? Observing the sun this AM, it seems as though facing more South would give the coop more sun time through the open windows. At least thus time of year here in Maine.

Because the couple of degrees it faces more toward the east doesn't make any difference at all, as far as sunlight into the coop goes. I'd bet that this coop, is more naturally lit up, than 95% of the coops on this forum. And it's in line with the designers (Woods) instruction.

 

[enggass]

Ok. If it's not a sunlight issue, what was Woods' purpose for the additional turn towards the east? I'm sure whatever it is it doesn't make a huge difference, I'm just curious.
Thanks.