DIY
Proud completion of chicken coop to office conversion
I posted last year seeking help as I began this project, so I thought I should offer an update.
I converted our (long-unused) chicken coop into a backyard office for my husband. I had never done more carpentry than building a shelf so I learned lots of new skills along the way! All completed while our son was 6-8months old, during naps or occasionally on my back.
It involved: - thorough cleaning - cut holes, reinforce headers and install two large windows (they were salvaged and flangeless which involved a whole new learning about waterproofing the openings etc) - move and enlarge doorway for standard size door - extend the single outlet to provide more electrical coverage (I did pull permits for this and did it to code with inspections etc) - insulation -drywall/mudding/texture/painting - new light fixture - pergo flooring over vapor barrier over new veneer for subfloor - tyvek and new t1-11 siding over the old sheathing - inside and outside trim and paint
It took me about two months (working piecemeal and learning new skills), and about $4500 for supplies and a couple new tools.
I had help with the heavy lifting for windows and drywall and otherwise did pretty much everything myself. Woohoo! Open for questions if you have them :)
Discussion
Those must be some smart chickens if they need an office
Hope you providing them chickens with extra pay and insurance.
I had visions of poor, homeless chickens when I first saw this; I guess I'm glad it was unused (rip chickens)
Haha yeah, we have another accessory building that for the previous owners was a game cleaning shed and for us is garden storage. We are not as hard-core country as they were.
Looks great! Was it unused for so long that you didn't need to worry about the "ghosts of chickens past"? (last I checked, chickens be stinkin')
Yes, it wasn't in use by the previous owners for at least a year before we bought it, then we owned it for 2.5 years before the project. And I cleaned it really really well.
Please make sure you have enough ventilation underneath; with the flooring the plywood cannot dry to the inside any more.
There is about a foot of space between the bottom of the subfloor and the ground below, at least 2-3" of space all around on the sides with the sheathing overhang. Intuitively that feels like enough, but curious if you know more. It would be easy to dig out a bit between the supports for more air.
Usually you want wood at least 6" above the ground to reduce the amount of splash from rain hitting the ground. You don't want to dig down just at the building because then rain can flow and pool under -- you always want the ground to slope away from your structure. Though, on a slope, it can slope through it, though ideally with a berm leading water around instead of under.
I noticed the dirt is really close just to the left of the door. If everything was as deep as the part all the way to the front it'd probably be fine, just check it every once-in-a-while for moisture, rot, or excessive mold. Just make sure you dig out much further when you lower parts to maintain slope.
Also, the overhang was a bad idea; if you can, cut it off and install a metal drip edge.
Hmm ok thanks for that, I'll take a look.
living out on a farm over the years, all I can think of is come winter, but not exclusively winter, rodents, racoons, gophers rabbits, and badgers, and many other critters will see that building unnatended and crawl beneath it, and take up residence, mice/rats/squirrels suck because they will actually find a small openeing and chew a path to the inside.
I hope OP is prepared for his future guests to live in the walls, and start chewing on the wiring.
Looks amazing, very jealous! I'm just curious why you have such a tiny desk in a standalone office? It looks a bit out of place.
My husband does telehealth therapy for work so he basically just needs a laptop. He wanted a bit more space to stretch/move around rather than a bigger desk. Also with ADHD more desk = more mess on desk.
Wow this looks awesome. Props to you.
Thanks!
Open for questions if you have them :)
How can anyone be so awesome?! Great work!👍
Looks pretty good and a very small desk.
OMG this looks so much like the house (built 1939, originally just a camping cottage by a lake) we just recently sold, only nicer! The paint color is an exact match. Shed roof, etc. I thought the new owners might have posted this after putting in big windows then I saw the title. 🤣
Love that the baby is supervising 👍
I like to pretend the chickens now work in their former office building. Maybe all chilling in the same cubicle, IDK.
Great job! Chicken coops are technically required to have two doors, though.
See, if they had four doors they'd be sedans.
🫠
Those windows are a dream. You got them for free somehow?
Great work.
I got them for very cheap ($100 for the square picture window and $50 for the rectangular sliding window, if I remember correctly) from a place that sells salvaged building materials. The square one was brand new, stickers on etc (triple paned glass!), must have just been a mis-order by a builder or something.
This looks great and what a lovely setting for an office! I would have had a much bigger desk in that space but I saw why it's a bit smaller due to his line of work. Great job!
I would love bird watching out those windows! Really cool.
Definitely! Especially the square window is so reflective that it is hard to see in, making it a good blind. There was a brand new fawn (and mama) hanging out for a few days last week!
But what about the chickens?
We have never had them, previous owners did.
Looks like a nice spot to work. I wish I could be remote again!
I wish I was going to work in that everyday.
He's going to need a bigger desk. Seriously though, I really enjoyed the progress pics. Well done!
He chose and loves the desk! More space in the room for moving, less desk space for clutter.
Really gross as a consideration.
This is absolutely beautiful work
Thanks so much!
Great results. We need to turn more offices into chicken coops though.
I'm looking to convert my 12x12 shed into an office space. It's not on a concrete slab, and it looks like yours isn't either. Any advice for protecting the base of the office?
There's about a foot of space for airflow beneath, and i installed the siding to overhang a bit as a drip edge. I didnt think about the bottom much since it was an existing structure that was staying dry before. Maybe that will bite me in the ass, not sure!
Can you link the flooring product you used?
I don't remember specifically, it was just whatever pergo or other click-lock happened to be on sale at home depot at the time. I can check later and see if we had extra in a box...
you must have some sophisticated chickens.
Is there a termite concern stacking firewood within the structure like that?
Hasn't been an issue so far! We generally use the wood we chop within 1-2 years.
Do you have AC in there?!
No, we are in the PNW. There is a longer discussion upthread!
Does your husband have pig tails?
He has long hair, occasionally in braids for ease of care/baby grabbing
So like a braid on one side or actual pigtails? Either way, picture 9 should be the cover the of a book titled “So You’re Thinking About Moving to the PNW”
Just missing the Subaru. But I’m sure that’s just out of frame
He does all kinds of stuff with his hair depending on what he's up to. He says in response to you "The two braids on either side is the most stable way to hold the hair for most physical work," he also used to live in a subaru.
Where be da chimkins?
A great conversion, but with all that space you still decided on the tiniest table in the ant furniture store?
It looks great, but why do your chickens need an office?
Where do the chickens live now?
We never had them, previous owners did. We are considering getting some and will build a much smaller coop if so.
Beautiful job! But how do you keep the smell out of the wifi?
Very nice and I see you paid bayba tax.
What's that?
Showing the baby
Ah of course! Gotta display the true difficulty level 😆
What the cluck !!
I think the big windows made all the difference in the world.
Definitely! It was a fun collaboration with my husband as the "client" and me as the architect/builder. The giant windows were the crux of his original vision, and it was his idea for the style of the inside trim, the outside barn-inspired look, and a few other aestheic choices.
Otherwsie it would have just been a nice looking shed.
Metal roof or TPO? Can’t see the roof but definitely too low of a slope for shingles.
Metal roof, just kept the same one that had already been installed.
Yeah those windows are just brilliant!