Remodeled chicken coop done!

Dad bought this building used in 1949, put a new front on it and used it for a portable pasture hog building for 20 years or so. After that it was just used mainly for storage, while deteriorating in the weather. My son and some friends put some old used galvanized roofing steel on the roof maybe 15 years ago to slow the deterioration, but it kept going downhill. Three years ago I lined the inside with chip board, or whatever you call it, to tighten it up a bit and we put chickens in it. The old buzzards quit laying last fall so we got rid of them with the idea of getting new chicks this spring. The building's condition was to the point where I either had to do a lot of work on it or drag it to the burn pile. It has become part of the family so I decided to push it into the shop and rebuild. Here's the end result. I stripped off all siding and roofing and built it back up from there. It's maybe 30 percent original by now. I sheeted it with 3/4" CDX and put the steel over it. While I was at it I put fiberglass insulation in the walls. I left the old sheeting on the roof and put down 2X4 nailers for the steel roofing, with 1 1/2" of salvaged bead board insulation between the nailers. Then I put in a light ceiling using 1/4" mahogany underlayment for the ceiling board and fiberglass insulation between the rafters. it'll probably sag, but what the heck. New treated skids went underneath. I admittedly get a little carried away with my projects but I just can't go half way.
It only had two windows in the tall side so I added three more and lowered the new ones by about six inches.
Three windows on the side and one in the end can lean back for ventilation. All windows can be removed for more ventilation.
The old wiring was, well, old with a porcelain light switch and the works so I re-did the wiring. No mouse will chew it now.
Not a very good pic of the door but it's 3/4" CDX that I lined with sheet aluminum. Helps to have a close neighbor with a sheet metal brake. LOL.
Another view. This building should outlast me by a long shot unless a tornado blows it away. Sturdy as it is I could probably go out in the field, drag it home and continue using it. If we decide to not have chickens it can be used for about anything. I suppose I could move in there if Marilyn gets mad enough at me but I don't expect that anytime soon. LOL Why didn't I just build a new one? It's because restoration is what I like to do. Period. Jim

Looks like a beauty now! Nice work. Bruce

Dad was poultry farmer from 1928 to 1962. He used 6 buildings about that size to raise his replacement flock every year of 2,000 birds. Lots of memories cleaning, patching those things every year. They never looked as good as yours.

Dang I"m impressed! Very nice work, I would be ashamed to put chickens back in a building that classy!
I recently had to put my Dad in a home so I"ve been busy the last few weeks moving some of his stuff. I needed some storage space (as we all do) so I moved this 8 X 10 Morgan building he had out behind the house so I had a place to put some of his things for now. After seeing your work I"m almost ashamed to admit I moved this and "just started stuffing things in it" without prettying it up like yours! Awesome job!!!

.

You are a handy handyman. That is beautiful, nice job.
Hey, that wouldn't be the roof the stitches came from, would it?

Yep. I took extra care to be sure there were no sharp edges anywhere around the doors and corners for anyone to get cut on and then I do this. LOL. The numbing stuff has worn off now and WHOOOOEEEE! Gonna have to put the keyboard up high so I can keep the hand up there to type. One major thing that goes along with a project like this is a high price tag. Those buzzards will never lay enough eggs to even pay for the windows. It's a little like tractor restoration huh! Jim

Jim ,

I recommend a sheet of linoleum on the floor to speed up
cleanup......... you might as well go all the way. Have it in
mine, wish I had your electrical skills.

That's a good idea. Never crossed my mind. Thanks for the tip. Jim

Be a awful nice playhouse for kids or grandkids now!!!

Jim that turned out super nice!

Fixerupper,
Really great job. Like the way you retained the original look - very neat.

Nice work. That looks a lot like a "portable" building I built at my prior place to put lawn mowers and garden tools and misc. stuff. Used red metal sides with white roof to match the barn that it is sitting next to. New owner hasn't moved it so it's been sitting in the same place for about 18 years. Put it on skids to avoid any issues with building permits and such, but never intended to move it.

I wanted it to be a kind of a darkish gray with a dark blue roof and dark blue corners but I was out voted. Rest of the farm is white with brown steel roofs so according to the rest of the family I had to stay with the status quo. LOL Jim