Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

@farmerjan Sorry to hear about your friend....

Baymule said:

Uh-huh......and @farmerjan is looking over her shoulder for some creepy old man pointing a camera at her......

Click to expand...

Are you calling @Senile_Texas_Aggie a creepy old man?

I'm using the #9 and #10 star head screws in 3"+ for the framing and framing to sill/other framing/etc. attachments, & in 2" for the decking and siding. I've had no problem with stripping out screw heads or breaking the screws. I have worn out a couple of the bits since I started using the star head screws a year or more ago, but they are cheap to replace. The screws ARE expensive but I believe they'll prove better than nails in the long run. I generally buy them in the 3lb (or is it 5lb?) plastic containers. The 20V DeWalt drill has worked exceptionally well, battery has lasted quite long as in all day. I always have a 2nd battery fully charged and ready to go so just swap them out daily or as needed.

greybeard said:

Won't be easy drilling either, going thru 2 different woods to get down into the sill or joist and still be able to pull the wall plate down tight...be prepared to strip out some heads, break off some screws and wear out some bits..keep your batteries charged up good...

Click to expand...

I have 2 cordless drills. One has a countersink in it the other the star head bit for the screws I am using. Yeah it takes longer. Yeah it is WAY easier on the hand and wrist with respect to torque.

I have had problems over the years, with screws rusting in half just below the heads when drilled thru or into PT lumber and especially true in areas where urine and feces are present. Have not had the same trouble with galvanized nails or lag screws.
Maybe goat poop & pee is different than cow poop and pee..

greybeard said:

Maybe goat poop & pee is different than cow poop and pee..

Click to expand...

Less of it AND the poo in pellets rolls off and doesn't soak in. Since the goat squats, she normally gets a little further from the wall to empty the bladder. I suspect they will be easier on the nails than the cows. Mine have been.

That is something I hadn't considered... They poop wherever they happen to be standing and like MH said, they are normally dry little balls like what you get from rabbits. Even when moist, they dry out pretty quick... not a lot of moisture. Pee on the other hand might/could become an issue. So far they poop everywhere on the dance floor, but seem to only squat in toward the center. Hopefully that will remain the case. Not worried about the screws holding the PT plywood decking down but the screws holding the walls down... now those rusting out might present a bit of a hazard. Maybe down the road I'll "back up" the star screws with some galvanized lag screws. I haven't needed a countersink... I just put a little weight behind the drill and push at the end & run them down flush or just below the surface. They pull themselves (heads) down into the wood with little effort.

Are you able to seal the floor with a oil based paint and while wet use sand or "Shark" anti slip ..? .that would keep the floor from soaking the urine into it and rotting it out. Then shavings to soak up the wet pee ? If you can keep the goats away from it... the rolling of the paint is easy, although i have a sand floor in our goat castle, i have painted the walls with the oil based paint so when i want to clean inside ...i just use the hose and everything dries quickly. I only ask because it looks like you used plywood..... or Thompsons water seal would work

I used 3/4" pressure treated plywood for the floor. It will take a while for moisture to do any real damage to it. In the past I've used a product called black jack https://www.lowes.com/pd/BLACK-JACK-Rubr-Coat-4-75-Gallon-Fibered-Roof-Sealant/3043257 on the floor and lower walls of a raised floor chicken coop with deep litter inside. It worked really well but I don't think it would stand up to sharp goat hooves. Also, it's getting late in the year to apply anything like that outside due to temps. Might revisit the options come spring, but for the winter it's gonna just have to do as is.

RollingAcres said:

Are you calling @Senile_Texas_Aggie a creepy old man?

Click to expand...

Yup, sure am!!!