Coop Construction--Part 3 (AKA: Sawdust is a'flyin')

I thought I would write an update of our progress on the chicken coop. It's pretty much all we've been doing around here, so I can't think of anything else to write about!! First of all, DH and I borrowed my dad's truck Sunday afternoon and made another trip to Home Depot to pick up some more supplies. One thing I really wanted to get is this mitre box and saw set. I had seen this on one of the decorating blogs I follow and thought it would be great for not only our coop project, but for other projects which may require angled cuts. And it's only about $8, so you can't beat the price. Today I cut a bunch of 1X2s to trim out the interior and exterior windows. I was so proud that I did it all by myself, but let me tell you, hand-sawing really works the biceps. My DH screwed the mitre box to the top of a sawhorse which totally made the process easier. I am right-handed and the first time I used the mitre box, I didn't have it screwed into anything and my left arm and shoulder were KILLING ME from trying to hold the mitre box still with the wood in it and saw it at the same time. Anyhow, for being a total newbie at building anything, I felt pretty good about cutting all the trim by myself. I admit that I was drooling over the power mitre saws I saw (no pun intended) at HD, but they are over $200, so therefore not an option.

Over the weekend I put Styrofoam insultation in the lower half of the ceiling and DH and I covered it with OSB as shown in the two photos below.

Before we attached the side wall, we tacked up a layer of aluminum window screen and a layer of 1/2" hardware cloth. By doing it before the side walls were up, the rough edges were completely enclosed between the walls. Below you can see the "view" of the edge of our pool through the newly screened window.

Today we used quarter round to cover up the gaps and seams in the walls. It didn't fit perfectly, especially where the ceiling meets the wall, but it will make the interior look more finished. (Although DH keeps reminding me, "It's just a chicken coop.")

Below you can see how we trimmed out the inside window frame. I was pretty happy about how my mitred corners fit together. I will use wood putty to fill the little gaps before painting.

We also framed in the new doorway/front wall using 2X4s. So we've gotten a lot more done and are able to check a few more things off the to-do list. Hopefully, within the next few days I will get started priming and painting the interior. That will make a big difference in appearance. Our little chicks should arrive in about 2 weeks. What I really need to be doing (in addition to working on the coop) is getting their brooder ready since they won't actually live in the coop until probably late August or early September.