My partner and I are preparing to build a coop from recycled pallet
wood. In the interest of making our work last as long as possible, I have been researching options for non-toxic,
chicken safe, easy to maintain and effective finishes for the interior and exterior. I do not want to use paint or polyurethane because of the fumes, eventual flaking everywhere and prep needed to reapply.
I think I've settled on whitewash for the interior since it seems pretty safe and easy to use. I especially like that it deters mites and bacteria. Can't believe it took me so long to find this option. This blog about it by Leigh Tate is excellent!
5 Acres & A Dream: Amish Whitewash
The outside of the coop is where I am having more difficulty. It sounds as if natural oil finishes like tung oil are a lot of work to apply, expensive, take a long time to cure and have to be reapplied very frequently to work. I am considering using this
Internal Wood Stabilizer, since it says it is non-toxic,
chicken safe and protects the wood for ages with just one or two coats applied once. Sounds too good to be true! This seems like the best idea I've found so far. Has anyone used this product or know anything more about it? I do wonder if it would interfere with the whitewash working on the interior if I just used the stabilizer on the exterior. They say you can use their product on one side and stain on the other, so I would think it would work? Will probably call them and see if they know.
Whitewash with perhaps an added pigment and maybe something to make it more weather resistant seems like it could be another option for the exterior. I'd guess the roof overhang would protect it mostly. I don't mind reapplying yearly since it seems like it's fairly easy to do and doesn't create fumes or other hazard for the birds.
Milk paint seems like it could be another possibility, but I'm not sure how durable it is outdoors. Seems like usually people put a top coat of tung oil or the like over it for outdoor use, which seems less than ideal for reasons mentioned above. Any suggestions for other options that meet my criteria of non-toxic, chicken safe, low maintenance/easy to maintain, and effective for the exterior of the coop?
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