# Waterproof shell for chicken penhouse



## redefined_cycles (2 Jun 2015)

Hi all. New on here and not a professional woodworker/designer as such. Make my own drawers and shelving units and fencing etc.

I have just almost completed my project of the chicken house (with a view to maybe make my own shed after). I am on a budget and wondered if anyone has any advice with regards to waterproof outer for my small building. The bitumen stuff would probably be unsuitable as I need to apply onto wood and around all nooks and crannies.

Any advice would be gladly appreciated as well as any pointers/comments on my design or way of connecting the parts


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## Random Orbital Bob (2 Jun 2015)

Hi there and welcome to the forum. We're going to need a little more detail. What is the construction design? Is there an overhanging roof with felt on? Are the walls clad with anything (featheredge, matching, shiplap etc) or just ply? Please give us some details of how it's built and of what materials because you cant really "waterproof" the entire thing. It usually relies on good roof design that sheds water away from the walls and then good wall design that causes water to run off (overlapping featheredge being a classic example)


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## redefined_cycles (2 Jun 2015)

Thanks bob. I did try to take a pic on my cameras lowest resolution but it still wouldnt allow it to be uploaded as it must have been over the 256kb. I will try to describe.

Material is sawn treated and cls (for the framework). Overall height is around 5ft. Width 1m. Length 0.6m.
The roof is flat but just the chassis/framework at the moment. 1m by 40cm. Then the rest of the roof is on a slope (30cm wide) which will be split into a trapdoor and fixed.

The height is also added to with the legs (so actual height of their house is more like 0.6m (sloped end) and 1m (back end).

If you could advuse on best/fastest way to attach a low res image it may make more sense. Thanks


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## redefined_cycles (2 Jun 2015)

Ps. Thanks ever so much. Just came across the forum yesterday and realised i need to join (with such limited expertise myself)...


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## Random Orbital Bob (2 Jun 2015)

No worries. You'll get plenty of advice here so have no fear. I'm going to suggest you really should get pictures uploaded as it will help enormously in conveying the design. Have a look at the following link:

picture-posting-guide-t63716.html

That will give detail on how to upload pics. If your problem is simply file size and you're using a regular windows PC you can open up Paint (ships free with windows) and copy your image into paint. Crop it in paint and save at the new file size you want ie less then 256kb and post away.

Learning to post images on the forum is a very necessary step to getting good quality input because we all think better with a clear analysis of the problem ie see the thing in 3 dimensions. If for whatever reason Paint doesn't work for you, there are n number of free downloadable image editing programs off the web, one of which is FastStone photo resizer.

Get the image posting thing cracked, post up some pics and we can go from there. But it sounds to me like your framing is fine, you'll just need felt or EDPM on the roof and a suitable material to clad the frame to constitute the walls. Featheredge laid horizontally overlapping by about an inch is a common method. The featheredge will need to be pressure treated and you simply nail it to your frame. Your roofing should overhang the walls so water sheers off to the ground and doesn't run down the walls. Obviously the pitch of the roof will determine how quickly it sheers water. You could make the roof structure from simple pressure treated roofing batten, clad in WBP ply or just ply on its own as the building isn't that large. To save further on cost, 11mm OSB (also called Sterling board) is even cheaper. So you could make the frame from roofing batten and then clad that with OSB and cover the whole lot with either EDPM or traditional roofing felt.


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## redefined_cycles (2 Jun 2015)




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## Random Orbital Bob (2 Jun 2015)

well....you're on the right track.....now can we have photos showing the whole project...front aspect...side aspect ie as much perspective and detail as possible please so we can take in the concept. The photo you've sent is a start but its such a close up its very difficult to make any sense of it. Don't wish to be a pain, am really trying to help!!


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## redefined_cycles (2 Jun 2015)




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## redefined_cycles (2 Jun 2015)

no worries Bob. I don't find your help a pain at all. it's this bloomin computer that is the pain. lol.

Sorry about the duplicate posts. does it make a little more sense now??


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## redefined_cycles (2 Jun 2015)

reason for close up of that hinge was to showI had to cut out grooves of the framework to make it open. Was this cos of the hinge I was using. Do I need to be looking for a different type of hinge?? butt hinge?? to stop this from happening again (door being caught by the framework when trying to open it?

Thanks again people. Maybe I will be making my own shed in the near future afterall (that I have found this site)


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## redefined_cycles (2 Jun 2015)

will take some more pics shortly


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## Random Orbital Bob (2 Jun 2015)

LOL....you're getting there old son 

I like your branch wood perch on the inside if that's what it is...very chuck friendly 

I still cant really make out whats going on with the hinges but your frame design is now plain to see and it looks pretty sturdy and fine. You're just going to have to do what I talked of earlier and put a waterproof skin on both the roof and the walls. As mentioned I would use pressure treated (some call it tanalised) featheredge board. Are you familiar with it? It's what gets used in close boarded fencing (placed vertically) and often used to clad sheds (horizontally) with each board overlapping the one below it so the water sheds over the substrate using the same concept as a roof tile. Hang on and I'll dig out a picture of a cat house I built using (home made admittedly) featheredge. Mine is waney edge oak so not the same as shop bought featheredge but the principle of how it overlaps to achieve a water proof solution is just the same.

So more intel on the hinges please.


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## Random Orbital Bob (2 Jun 2015)

so a couple of things to note here which might serve you in your chickenopolis

Feet...my cat house has sacrificial oak feet so that keeps the frame out of touch with the ground which will cause it to rot super fast as the water sucks up the end grain of the framing. (Mine were turned because I have a lathe but that's complete overkill for what you're doing so ignore the shape and just think of the design solution to avoid rot).

Ridge tiles which I cut out of regular shed roofing felt. Where my roofing featheredge joins at the apex of the roof, naturally a gap exists which would let water in. So the little overlapping mocked up ridge tiles were cut out of roofing felt and are completely waterproof, shedding the water onto the rest of the roof.

You can ignore the "porch". That was added later when I noticed madam liked to lie with her feet out of the entrance. The porch avoided her tutsies getting wet.


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## redefined_cycles (2 Jun 2015)

Thanks again and the input from your cat hosue will indeed inform my ChickChillHouse. You did spot correctly the natural perch taken from my tree.

Regarding the hinge. I think I bought standard indoor hinges (stainless steel for the outdoors) and the edge meant the side door (pictured open) would not open fully. So I took out some grooves in the would which were obstructing and heyho...

Any input to inform my house is greatly welcomed. Work in progress.... PS. the sloping ply roof you can see, next to this will be another door and that sawn batten is yet to be screwed in place to allow the hinges to go on...


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## Random Orbital Bob (2 Jun 2015)

That's better...can get it in perspective now.

So the lower hinged flap is presumably an egg retrieval door is it? The point at which the upper wall meets that lean to roof will be at risk of water ingress as will the flat roof at the top. So you need to think through how the water will run off the transitions from roof to walls at those points. Obviously you'll need to ensure whatever you clad the outside with is carefully overlapped to prevent drips from running into the gaps. Where that's not possible to achieve with the physical cladding then some other form of tight fitted waterproofing might be necessary. Frequently used in construction is lead flashing but for builds like this, roofing felt is normal for the tricky bits, carefully wrapped to facilitate the passage of water.

What you need to remove altogether from your thoughts I suspect is the idea there is a chemical water proofing solution. Your first post caused me to think you were maybe thinking a magic coat of creosote or some such would solve all your problems. Get that out of your mind and think physical barrier (cladding of some sort) that will be arranged in an overlapping form like roofing tiles and you'll be fine.


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## AndyT (3 Jun 2015)

A suggestion for the hinge question, if it's not too late.

Fix a strip of wood (a 2" wide strip cut from the top of the flap would be plenty) across the whole width, above the hinged flap, with its top surface sloping at the same angle as the flap. Then use your same hinges, but mounted on the surface, screwed down into both pieces. Or better still, buy some galvanised or black T-hinges and use them, with the short bit on the narrow strip and the long bit across the width of the flap.


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## redefined_cycles (3 Jun 2015)

Thanks Bob. Yeah, I wasn't thinking a chemical barrier but rather a physical one more closely resembling the vynil wrap theory used on cars. Previously I had used innertubes as barriers in high risk areas and wondered if there was some sort of rubber sheet-flexible-that could be used. 

Your input is highly appreciated and it has already lead me to start thinking about which way the roof cladding/fetheredge will sit (length or widthways)...

Thanks again and keep any thoyghts/suggestions coming as they appear in thou mind...


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## Random Orbital Bob (3 Jun 2015)

The flexible waterproofing rubber you seek is called EPDM and I'm pretty sure it's what's used in pond liners. It's all the rage as a roofing material substitute for felt on flat roves these days and in fact a mate of mine in the village has only just finished building his flat rooved shed with it. google it, you'll find dozens of local suppliers selling it.


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## redefined_cycles (3 Jun 2015)

Andy and Bob. Thanks fellas. Will look into that liner material.

@andy1 is it possible to send a quick sketch pal. Sorry for asking you to go out of your way. Thanks


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## AndyT (3 Jun 2015)

redefined_cycles":2plwazee said:


> Andy and Bob. Thanks fellas. Will look into that liner material.
> 
> @andy1 is it possible to send a quick sketch pal. Sorry for asking you to go out of your way. Thanks



I hope this will do - drawn on my phone with one finger!






You could notch the strip to fit round the uprights, bevel the back at an angle or fit it with brackets. Or long screws and a gap!


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## redefined_cycles (3 Jun 2015)

Very artistic. I will get onto it in the morning then line with edpm.

Another Q. A problem I would have on one of the main trapdoors where the door is made from the outdoor ply of 12mm (the other trapdoor is from 20mm pine so wouldn't have the aforemetioned problem) is when screwing the hinges into it (the 12mm ply). My screws are no smaller than 25mm so go straight through. I could go and grab some 12 or 14mm screws but then am worried that these wouldn't be strong enough??

At the moment (with my bodge method) i have attached thin strip in the back end of the door (where the screw goes in) to catch the sharp end of the 25mm screws. Any work around??


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## AndyT (4 Jun 2015)

I agree that short woodscrews in thin ply would not hold well. Doubling up the wood locally would help but your other option is to use some small screws and nuts, probably M4 or M5. Use large washers on the back to spread the load.


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## Random Orbital Bob (4 Jun 2015)

LOL...I've used the very bodge you talk of ie the filler wood at the back to hide the sharp points. Nothing wrong with that as long as it doesn't interfere with the opening/closing. Andy's suggestions are better quality without doubt. Last idea on that though is you could simply either dremel off the oversized points if you have one (or angle grinder or hacksaw and hand file). But for the sake of expediency your method is quite alright. You can buy thicker gauge short screws (stubbys we always used to call them) that have greater holding properties over shorter distances.


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## redefined_cycles (4 Jun 2015)

Thanks again. Off to go do some bodging now then. When i come back hopefully someone may have suggested which way you would have the fetgeredge roof going. Longways (longer lats going across the width) or shorts


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## Random Orbital Bob (4 Jun 2015)

mate...you don't need anyone to tell you that...just think roof tiles. If you poured water at the apex of the roof and watched a drip flowing down the slope then each "tile" MUST overlap the one further down or the drip will simply fall through the gap and your roof will leak. So if the roof is pitched and you're planning to clad it in featheredge than they must be laid parallel to the ridge and overlapping exactly like my cat barn pictures. If it's going to be a flat roof then cladding wont work because there's no run off. Then you'll need a total covering of an entirely waterproof material...expensive = lead or copper, cheap = roofing felt or EPDM. If it's EPDM (likely lets be honest) then it must cover the entire roof and the ends wrap the framing such that if water drips off that flat waterproof top it drips on to the waterproofing of the walls. The typical solution to this is to extend the roof to overhang the walls (creating eaves essentially) and wrap your felt right under the overhang. Decoratively, on sheds, folk often embellish the ends of the roof with wavy cut facia boards etc which often hides the cut end of the felt. On a chicken house you could certainly get away with just tacking it (staples ideally) to the underside of your eaves and leave a tight fit. Most of the run off would then go straight of the roof onto the ground...any that gets round the overhang or wind blown will be caught by the cladding on the walls which should be tight up the underside of the overhanging roof. A bead of caulk at the point they actually join wouldn't harm for belt and braces (silicon caulk).

But just keep thinking about the overlapping principle behind regular roofing tiles and the orientation of any covering will suggest itself.


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## redefined_cycles (4 Jun 2015)

Yep, was already thinking the overlap principle with any extra edpm around the run offs at the sides. Long ways it is then.

Done the little bodge on the hinges and seems to work a trwat. Used #10 screws and dremelled off the extra ends...

Will post a pic when able...


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## Random Orbital Bob (4 Jun 2015)

Good man.

I'll await with baited breath for the pics


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## redefined_cycles (6 Jul 2022)

Just wanted to update this here thread. Firstly thanks for all the responses and sorry I've not been about. About a year or 2 after doing the chicken house and having my lovely chickens roaming about, I ended up getting a heart infection. Couldn't put my finger on it at the time - I'm reasonably healthy and ride 200 miler bike rides with 100 miler mountain bike rides every year or so - so first thing was to get rid of the chickens and hence the chicken house and everything.

Turned out it was the smoking/vaping and now about 5 years later it seems I'm fully recovered and doing my 200 milers once again. Still prone to chest infections after say, breathing in a fly or two...

Anyway, just as well someone from the admin team sent me a message and reminded me of mt membwrship here. Turns out I've been thinking about clwaring up the outhouse and sorting out lots of shelving so I can finally organise and arrange things in there.

Once I figure out how to open a thread I'll try and show what I already did in there when we moved into this house and hopefully from the mess, you'll realise the gravity of the problem...


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## John Brown (6 Jul 2022)

For what it's worth, I have read that roofing felt is a bad idea for chicken houses, as it accommodates mites.


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## John Brown (6 Jul 2022)

John Brown said:


> For what it's worth, I have read that roofing felt is a bad idea for chicken houses, as it accommodates mites.


And I've just realised that I've replied to a very old thread!


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## mikej460 (6 Jul 2022)

John Brown said:


> And I've just realised that I've replied to a very old thread!


me to, I was thinking 'roof felt? nooooo!' For some unknown reason it is an excellent host for red mites and they can kill your hens in short order.


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