# Ventilation Help!



## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

My loft is 6X16, and I have three vents near the bottom of the rear. The outside vent is 5X14, and then the interior piece is angled for poop control, which has 3 1" holes drilled, with nylon netting glued to the back. The front door has a slideup window, which is about 15X18" when open. Is this enough ventilation, or should I add more vents on the bottom. I have attached pics to see.


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## sandiego (Jan 11, 2008)

hey brother! you need to think also about your health, meaning you dont want the dust from your birds get into your lungs when you feed or everytime you go inside the loft... fyi- heat rised up cold goes down...a good ventilation help your birds especialy your own health... so think hard and decide, then build it...


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

BBCDON, You can NOT have too much Ventilation, and were you live, it is Critical. Add some Fan powered Vents, (up High)Experiment with the Air pull.
I have always believed if you walk into your Loft, and the Dust Ect. flies, you do not have NEAR enough Ventilation.. Dave


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

I just can't believe that what you currently have, is going to provide a fresh stream of clean air into your loft, while the bad air is flowing out. 

Just like other poster said, good ventilation is crtical, but seems to be one of those issues that is pretty much over looked. People tend to focus on those pretty things which are pleasing to the human eye, but which the pigeons could care less about. I'm thinking that the inside of your loft is much like being locked in a closet. 

If you can afford to invest in *Secrets of Champions IV *concerning loft design, that will show you things, we couldn't describe here is many thousands of words.


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

Ok, using what you got. The three 5" X 14" holes are between studs correct? Is it possible to add more holes so you have a hole between all your studs, 16" centered studs would give you 12 holes instead of three along the 16 feet. Second, remove the vents and replace with 1/4" hardware cloth wire for max air flow. The wire would look the same as your netting but will protect your birds from trouble that could tear thur your netting. You can trim around the wire on the outside to keep out rain but leave the holes 5" X 14."

The round hole, is that the inside of the vent and only one per vent? I recommend you pull off the angled piece and put a solid piece, (no 1" hole), just above the vents. You still get poop control but more air can flow because you are not reducing the 5" X 14" hole to a 1" round hole. 

If you want take one or two of the wired 5" X 14" holes and hinged the trimed wire covering so you can pull them up and sweep poop thur the now opened hole. 

This opens up the bottom of your loft for air flow but what do you have above? I need more info, is your loft the led zepplen loft? I'll go check it out again.


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

OK, I looked at the pictures and see your front door opens into the nest box room and I assume the young bird cage is behind the picture taker. Is the door to the YB cage wired so air can flow? If so put a vent fan somewhere high and away from perches or nests. The fan will pull air from the vent holes you made in the bottom and push the air out the fan. I thought to use the roof but the way the loof is roofed it would be too much work.


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

Can you put the vent fan above your waterer beside the door? That should pull air from back to front and bottom to top. Also it looks to be away from where the birds may perch. 

That's all the help I can see, a little skillsaw work and your loft is still a work of art.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

If you take out the vent inside your house you will notice that the hole is almost the same shape/size as the vent itself. That should give you a clue. There must be a bigger hole in there and not those 1" hole.

To test your ventilation according to what I've read is to spray some thing inside the loft that you can smell. If the smell has not disappeared in 10 minutes, then you don't have enough ventilation.

I wish I can remember the engineering articles about vent where it mentioned about 20-30% of some total area of some wall. That vent entrance and exit size should be a total of 20-30% total square area. I'll try to find that article.


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

Thanks to all of you for your valuable in put. Big T, yes the partition and door to the yb section is all hardware cloth. The studs are 24" OC, and I will add more openings, cut more holes on the inside piece, remove the outside vent, and replace with hardware cloth. I will also install some power vents up high. The walls and roof are insulated, and they do provide good protection from the high temps here in the summer.


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

Thanks again Big T. Yes I can install a power vent above the waterer. That would be a great location. I am sure glad to have all of you here to help me get this rite before the birds arrive.


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

By the way, I happen to like those "pretty things".


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

The only thing I will reiterate is the dust getting in your lungs thing that sandiego mentioned in an early post. Make sure you don't take in too much dust very bad for your health. I have been to countless times by the flyers in my area to keep the dust out of my system. Some of them have gotten really sick from inhaling too much from poor loft ventilation over the years. Use that vacuum cleaner of yours frequently!


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

bbcdon do not cut yourself short. You biult a beautiful loft and like the rest of us, after it's built you find things you would do different. I cannot tell you how many things I have changed or wish I could changed and I have only had my loft for a year. The important thing is you care enough to learn and correct before you or your birds got sick. Experience is the great teacher. I love your loft and my birds still want to move to your loft. Led Zepplen Rocks!!!


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

Big T said:


> bbcdon do not cut yourself short. You biult a beautiful loft and like the rest of us, after it's built you find things you would do different. I cannot tell you how many things I have changed or wish I could changed and I have only had my loft for a year. The important thing is you care enough to learn and correct before you or your birds got sick. Experience is the great teacher. *I love your loft and my birds still want to move to your loft*. Led Zepplen Rocks!!!


Mine too! LOL


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

I talked to Mike Brown today. Put a deposit on my birds, and let him know that I need to modify my ventilation before I take possession of the birds. He told me no problem. Man, it is getting close!!! He even let me choose which youngsters to pick out of the different breeding pairs, including nest mates!!! He is a heck of a nice guy!!!


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

bbcdon, Just remember to find out the Ventilation System in his Loft,and Match it, THEN give your Birds MAX Ventilation, gradually! Dave


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

bbcdon give you ventilation system the smell test. Break wind in the loft, then have your wife come in ten minutes later. If she hits you you need more air. LOL


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

Big T said:


> bbcdon give you ventilation system the smell test. Break wind in the loft, then have your wife come in ten minutes later. If she hits you you need more air. LOL


Oh...you are so bad!!! 

Dan


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

I added floor vents between each stud at the bottom rear of the loft, I also added ceiling vents, and a roof vent. Here are pics. Do you think this will be enough? Thanks, Don. As far as the smell test, I hope I did a better job on the loft, than in the house!!!!!!!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The nest box fronts are cute, but how does the little door open? I like the name plates.


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

The I bolts in the bottom of the nest fronts. You pull them out and then you can swing the whole front up to do what you want, (clean poop, change nest bowls, water, feed, etc).


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

bbcdon said:


> The I bolts in the bottom of the nest fronts. You pull them out and then you can swing the whole front up to do what you want, (clean poop, change nest bowls, water, feed, etc).


They're really cute. I saw the hinges for lifting them up to clean, but you have a perch on the outside. Does the small door in the middle open, so that a bird can land on the perch and go in the door? Or will they be locked in the nest box all the time?


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

The opening barriers are screwed in to the back of the opening frame. I will open them up during breeding season. I do not want them pooping and messing the nest boxes up unless they are nesting.


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

I think it looks good. How hard would it be to put a fan behind the ceiling vent. This would pull fresh air from the the floor vents into the loft and push cool air into the roof. Just an idea if you got the power to do it, but it looks great.


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

Putting a fan would be really difficult because the ceiling is sealed with insulation above the plywood. Besides the roof vent, when I built the roof, under neath the eaves between the studs, and above the top plate, there are 1" holes that are sealed with 1/8" hardware cloth. This way, I hoped that air is drawn in through those, and out the roof vent. In other words, there are 22 holes drawing air into the roof, above the ceiling which will be drawn out through the roof vent.


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## bloodlines_365 (Jan 15, 2008)

okay..... as a handyman i like your idea but it wast enough with those tiny pre-drilled 1 inch hole... for me i would frame a few half inch wire cloth to a piece of 1x2 wood or 1x1 and put it in between those studs maybe put one and skip one...... all around it and painted it red... and make sure they are high enough so the water when it rains wont bunch back inside....

FAN.... to much of a hassle the wiring,cralling under that 1 foot ceiling, plus the dust would go in circulate around the house ceiling...


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