Waterproof shell for chicken penhouse

[redefined_cycles]

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??

 

[AndyT]

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.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

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.

 

[redefined_cycles]

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

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

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.

 

[redefined_cycles]

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...

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Good man.

I'll await with baited breath for the pics

 

[redefined_cycles]

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...

 

[John Brown]

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

 

[John Brown]

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!

 

[mikej460]

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.