# New Loft Using Existing Structure



## DrElectron (Sep 19, 2008)

Hi Gang,

New to the forum and back into racing homers after nearly a 30 year hiatus... Hope to show what can be done with an existing structure to save time, materials, and hopefully a few $$$...

Keep-em-Flying,

Dr.E


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## DrElectron (Sep 19, 2008)

*Getting Started...*

Hi Gang...

I first got into racing pigeons while in Jr. High School some 50 years ago... After moving to Alaska, I put together a small loft with a few nice birds, but the climate was too severe, no one to race, too hard on the birds...

I now find myself in the NW corner of GA and the pigeon bug, long dormant, has struck again... With an active racing group in the Chattanooga area, perhaps I can finally get a chance to fulfill my long ambition to race...

I am fortunate to have a detached two car garage, "The Man Shed", on the back of the property with an overhang on both sides... I have chosen to use one of the eight 9'x9' bays on the sides to build a breeding loft... Other posts have asked about using an existing garage etc for a loft... My thought is that the fewer walls and roofs that you have to build, the easier and more cost efficient the project becomes... 

I built the base using 4x4 pressure treated timbers on the perimeter and 2x4 pressure treated studs for floor support... The studs are on 16" centers and have been filled with 4" insulation... Over the foundation is 1/4" stainless steel wire mesh to keep the critters from eating through the floor covered with 17/32" sub flooring...

The following photo shows the start... More to follow...

Keep-em-Flying,

Dr.E


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Welcome, Dr. E.! It's good to have you here! Thank you for the photos! Looks like you have things coming right along. Please keep the pictures coming!

Terry


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Looking good. I don't have insulation under the floor, but I did put hardware cloth down before laying the floor. Can't be too careful. Keep us updated on the progress.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

looks like a good start...can't wait to see the progress.....I thought we only had "man sheds" here in VA ...my hubby and his brother have those...lol...


Yes ol' GA is a great place for the pigeons, glad you got the bug again....
alaska.....burrrrrrr


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## DrElectron (Sep 19, 2008)

*Let There Be Walls*

Thanks Terry & Jay...

I wish I had a picture of my first loft... At age 12 and being a "City Boy", I was lucky to even know what a hammer was let alone how to use it... Standard lumber sizes, stud spacing, 4x8 sheets of plywood, all just things to be learned later in life... It was cobbled together using whatever bits and pieces I could find within bicycle range and drag home on my wagon... But in the end I had a 4' by 6' box with an attached screened in flight...  Pigeons didn't seem to care what it looked like and they gave me several years of pleasure, then I discovered girls...

Why the builder of the "Man Shed" used 9' spacing between the roof supports is a mystery to me but I am going to try and get my framing to accept full sheet sheathing except for a small fill piece on each wall that will all come out of one 4'x8' sheet and not leave any edges hanging out in space... Built my first wall on the floor, stood it up and nailed it in place...

WhoooHooo !!! Progress...

Dr.E


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Oh, Lordy........I remember those days well..........I thought at one time we'd NEVER get through building walls.........
Going to be a nice loft when you're done. Got any ideas on the nest boxes? I ask, because my husband just built some for a new fancier here, and they are pretty darn neat if I say so myself. It's all one piece and we're taking it over Sunday to just hang it on the wall. He usually used dowel rods for the doors but he tried to save this guy as much money as he could. Still turned out really neat and tidy.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That guy is going to love those nest boxes.


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## DrElectron (Sep 19, 2008)

*Progress Continues...*

Hi Gang...

Lovebird, those are really nice nest boxes... Thanks for the picture as I have been pondering my nest box set up and it will really help... I have 12 nest box fronts waiting for their boxes... Oh boy, get to use more power tools...

My next step was to build the forward wall and install two windows... I found three storm windows at Lowes on sale for $25 each... Glad I poked around as the vinyl windows were three times as much...

Framed up the wall with the windows in place then removed them to keep from breaking them while raising the wall into position... Nailed her up, windows installed, and stood back to admire my handy work...

My "Spousal Unit", being an artist, had the poor taste to point out that the windows weren't exactly straight... I had noticed this but figured the birds would not complain... Perhaps I will have to do something before closing her in...

Keep-em-Flying,

Dr.E.


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## DrElectron (Sep 19, 2008)

*Final Wall & Windows*


Hi Gang...

Got the entry door hung and plumb then installed the final wall with window to complete the exterior framing...










The more I looked at the front windows the more they bugged me... Not only were they not straight, but standing in the loft my eyes were looking into the wall above the windows... So, out they came and with a few nips and tucks, they are now where they should be...










There will be a 3' x 3' screened in storage area inside the door with a safety door into the bird area... Time to put in the interior sheathing, nest boxes, and perches... Plan to use a non-porous tile on the floor for easier cleaning... I can almost hear them cooing already !!!

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated... 

Keep-em-Flying...

Dr.E


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## Guest (Oct 5, 2008)

it all looks great but Im just curious why you didnt build it on the corner where you would have gotten two sides that could have let in more light ? other then that I wouldnt change a thing


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

LokotaLoft said:


> it all looks great but Im just curious why you didnt build it on the corner where you would have gotten two sides that could have let in more light ? other then that I wouldnt change a thing


I was thinking the same thing. But, in the pictures, if you notice, there is a window at one end, and a door to the house on the other end. He probably didn't want to block these. It looks great though.


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## Guest (Oct 5, 2008)

I guess you are probably correct as I didnt really see the window down there lol , now it makes more sense


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## DrElectron (Sep 19, 2008)

*Bay Choice...*


Hi Gang...

Jay 3 has it pretty much correct... I chose the sunnier side of the garage for my initial choice... The back bay would not only block a window, it would place the loft rear wall against an apartment wall... The front bay would have blocked the entrance into the garage... So, one bay back will allow for a nice covered entryway to both loft and garage... This leaves me one more bay on the sunny side for future expansion of another 9' x 9' loft... My screened flight will be on the front to give the birds full access to the sun... This loft will be for breeding stock that can't be allowed to fly having been acquired from other racers...

My racing loft will be constructed at the end of our lake on the dam next to what we refer to as "The Boathouse"...










This will give them a large open shot to their landing board... We are in the woods so some thought has to go into our loft locations...


Keep-em-Flying...

Dr.E


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

What a beautiful area. I can just picture your birds, flying over a nice little loft, built right there with the beauty of nature surrounding it. That is a beautiful spot. When you do that, we all want to see the photos.


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## Ivor (May 12, 2008)

What a nice place and a great job Dr E, I really wish to live in the country, but for now I can see yours and make me dream about my own loft. =)


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## DrElectron (Sep 19, 2008)

*A little more progress...*


Hi Gang...

Thanks Jay3 & Ivor, we feel very fortunate to live here on the Mountain !!! They refer to this area as the "TAG Country" We are in the very NW corner of Georgia and when the wind is right, able to spit into Alabama and Tennessee... 

Tosh & I went to the Chattanooga racing pigeon clubhouse on Friday last and enjoyed seeing Alvin's coop and operation... They have a beautiful place to meet and get the birds ready for their races... Their trailer for transporting the birds on race day is really something... I will get a picture next time we go up... Followed Alvin around while he got his Young Birds ready for Saturdays race... I really learned a lot in the couple of hours we were there...

Some minor progress on the loft here... Sealed the V-perches with a coat of water based varathane, and got carried away and decided to stain the nestbox fronts... Another coat on the perches and a couple on the nestbox fronts and I will deem them ready to be "Pooped" on... Hopefully will start closing the loft in later this week...

Keep-em-Flying...

Dr.E...


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

looks like an assembly line for lofts. Very nice. Did you build or buy the perches and box fronts? It's going to look terrific! Keep taking photos. I'm enjoying watching the progress. Save this picture of the perches, cause you'll never see 'em looking like this again. LOL.


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## DrElectron (Sep 19, 2008)

*Nest Front's / Perches*

Jay3...

Perches and nest box fronts were purchased from Foy's... My Lowes is a 60 mile round trip so many times it's less expensive to have the "Big Brown Truck" bring things rather than run the pickup over and back for materials... Time was a factor as well... Next expansion will not be a push to completion so will build my own...

Keep-em-Flying...

DR.E...


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Whew! 60 mile round trip? I think I would mail for them too. Let them use the gas.
It's going to look great. You haven't finished this one yet, and already you're talking expansion. You do look ahead, don't you? Most of us figure that out after
we've built the first one. But then, you've done this before. LOL.


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## bjanzen (Sep 15, 2007)

DR. E,

Glad to see your progress.......looks to be a nice start. Alvin had told me that someone down there was getting started. He got me started a little over a year ago. Great guy. Good luck and let me know when you are ready for some birds. I have a few too many 

Barry


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