# Improving dirt floor loft



## roses (Aug 25, 2015)

Hello. What's a good way to improve a loft with a dirt floor and shallowly buried hardware cloth? I just don't like the fine dirt and tendency to turn to mud. Thinking of just laying some bricks or concrete blocks on top but the texture is kinda rough which makes me think it will trap poo in there forever. What about gravel? Can I lay down those red bricks without using the stuff that binds them together? I think building a wood floor might cost less but I can't build anything and would have to hire someone to do it...


----------



## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Most breeders lay down plywood and just scrape it every few days.


----------



## roses (Aug 25, 2015)

Right on top of the dirt without building anything? Won't it eventually warp with water or is that not really an issue?


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

No, you would have to build a frame to lay it out on. You could probably do that by putting down sand, then pressure treated 4X4s for the outside of the frame, and running pressure treated 2X4s across to support the floor. Kinda like a deck floor.

Another thing some do is to use sand, and scoop it out to clean it. You would need to change out the sand every now and then.


----------



## CBL (May 13, 2014)

No it would rot, I would say elevate on a set of concrete blocks that how mine is.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Why would it rot, being built on sand or gravel? They already have the structure and just want to add the floor. Not build a new structure. Putting down sand or gravel first, then the 4X4s would keep them dry. They wouldn't rot.


----------



## AprilS (Nov 15, 2015)

Brick sounds great you can power wash it --- you could set it in sand or concrete more pricy than ply but ply won't stand up to power washing and it holds bacteria.

You could also put sand on it and sweep it off... Also birds love brick it's good for their nails and to sand their beaks ... I have lots of it in my house and my birds love it ... They scrape their beaks on it and love to walk on it ...


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Power washing doesn't work in a loft. Different if it were an outside aviary that is open. In a loft, it would stay wet and the dampness grows bacteria. You want to keep a loft dry. Wood is actually the best thing as you scrape it, but not power wash.


----------



## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Ply would hold good for a year or two. Floor made out of timber would be more sturdy and offers more security against vermins in the long run. So elevated wooden floor is what people usually prefer. You can go for cement floor too if you don't have problem of dampness.


----------



## roses (Aug 25, 2015)

Thanks for all the input everyone! I think I will go with putting down a layer of sand and doing the raised plywood. Brick would look nice but in the end ease of maintenance wins but I may consider the bricks for a later time. The "loft" isn't really a traditional pigeon loft it's kind of like an aviary covered on most sides and has a roof. A mix between a loft and an aviary? Yeah I just want to find a solution for the floor. Someday I want to build one of those beautiful lofts I see here!

I love in Southern California so power washing might work for me. When I spray down the loft it dries very quickly when it's hot. But I dont own a power washer haha.


----------



## Whytpigeon (Sep 14, 2015)

roses said:


> Thanks for all the input everyone! I think I will go with putting down a layer of sand and doing the raised plywood. Brick would look nice but in the end ease of maintenance wins but I may consider the bricks for a later time. The "loft" isn't really a traditional pigeon loft it's kind of like an aviary covered on most sides and has a roof. A mix between a loft and an aviary? Yeah I just want to find a solution for the floor. Someday I want to build one of those beautiful lofts I see here!
> 
> I love in Southern California so power washing might work for me. When I spray down the loft it dries very quickly when it's hot. But I dont own a power washer haha.


First thing to keep in mind is keeping the loft dry, a wet loft grows disease and mold. Power washing is not wise, or is the brick. I think if you keep a dry loft a wood floor is easy to scrape and keep clean. Using stall dry on the floor after you scrape makes the droppings dry up and scraping is much easier and dry. Now if this aviary loft is in a warm climate, that is fine, but if you have wind and cold you are going to need to protect you're birds better from cold winds. Using the right size hardware cloth for the open parts is necessary to keep snakes and mice out.


----------



## alby68 (Mar 18, 2013)

A 1" square coated wire floor, or expanded metal floor, is by far.... the best way to go. anything else is just settleing, and quite frankly bad for your birds. you will struggle with disease if your birds have access to their, and other birds droppings.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

A 1" square wire mesh lets in a lot of other things. And not great in cold areas. A wood floor works great. The wire mesh seems more like going for something easy, as you don't have to scrape all the time.


----------



## alby68 (Mar 18, 2013)

it needs to be 1" square coated wire to let the droppings fall through and not accumulate - 3/4" square would be ideal, but hard to find. the aviary should be completely screened over the wire walls, and down to the ground so nothing can get in the coop, including snakes, mosquitos, birds, rats, etc. perches should be available to keep the birds off the floor/wire. also there needs to be at least a foot of space under the wire flooring, and the wire needs to be supported with wood 2x4's, so you can walk on or put bath water bowl on. and Jay, the less work you have to do, the more time you have to spend with your birds observing them and relating. you will be soo happy you did this, unless of course you love scraping, and dealing with sick birds from time to time.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If you scrape every day the droppings aren't really a problem. Doesn't really take all that much time. We are relating to the birds when we are in there cleaning. Leaving holes that size on the floor would let mice and rats in. Wouldn't feel safe doing that, and screening on the aviary so mosquitoes can't get in, stops the birds from getting the suns rays that they need for D3, which they need for utilizing calcium. If your birds are let out all the time then they would get sunlight when let out, but for those that aren't, they wouldn't. Kind of takes away from the reason of having an aviary. So all depends on what you do with your birds. I do have screen on the loft shutters, and pet screen that I can drop down on the aviary when it is a dark dank mosquito type day, but on other days it is rolled up to let the sun through.


----------



## wildcat hunter (Jan 17, 2014)

I have treated plywood in my loft. Its been there for over 30 years ( 1980 ), its just fine. If you have an open loft then you "must" lay the floor at an angle so any rain that blows in will run off. If you have a wire floor any larger than 1/2" , mice will get in - not good. Also you need access to get a rake under the wire floor and pull out the poop. Go with treated 3/4" plywood on treated 2x4's on blocks.


----------



## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello. I don't know if this was suggested, but i have seen a cement floor covered with large cardboards. It is free and hold moisture below the board not on top. I have read that sand is a no no. Have also seen two by four type wood as a floor for a small loft. Feed was stored below the floor, in a closed container. Wetness makes the ammonia smell if the dropping are left too long on not so hot days. Some have recommended painted drywall panels for the floor. I have used grates from used appliances, which were small enough to easily lift for cleaning the dirt floor.


----------



## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Most loft floors are wood. Droppings dry well on them. Easy to scrape.


----------



## Whytpigeon (Sep 14, 2015)

Iam not a fan of wire flooring, one is pigeons like to walk on the floor and peck around, a wire floor is not the most natural or comfortable thing for a bird to try to walk on, I know I have them in the aviaries only. Droppings may fall through but they still coat the wire, it is hard to clean once it builds up.. Under the loft would have to be sanitized at some point because a pile of feces will be under there, I prefer to scrape it off and put it in a bucket and then put in the compost. I would not like to have to clean under my loft where a pile of poop needed to be removed. It attracts dung Beatles and roaches and vermin, no thanks.


BUT IT IS A VALID OPTION!


----------

