Building with Plastic Pipes as Foundation????

[Navotifarm]

Recently when I went to pick up some guineas I saw a wonderful barn/poultry coop made out of pallets. Since I need a new coop, of course I was very interested, especially as to how to keep the wood from rotting. I use pallets for compost bins and some of them deteriorate very fast in my often wet climate.
Instead of concrete blocks, the gal who built the coop (by herself with her young son) told me she used plastic pipes. I am not sure if she just laid them on the ground or made shallow trenches for them. She said they had a big advantage in that they were uniform size and the spacing of the pallets makes them fit right over the pipes nice and tight. (I was worried they would slide off.)
I went over to Lowe's and looked at their pipes which I see do come already cut in ten foot or other lengths but schedule 30? Schedule 40? Doesn't plastic biodegrade? I have white 50-gallon barrels which got brittle and shattered in just a couple of years. I haven't found a single reference anywhere on using plastic pipes as a foundation. Never heard of this before! Nut it seems like a really great idea. And certainly more practical for a female than trying to wrestle with concrete blocks!!!
All helpful comments welcome. Thanks. Oh, and I have used flexible and one inch and half inch pipes for my garden beds and trellises though I notice people building greenhouses and chicken tractors prefer metal conduits.

[lilray]

pvc deteriorates with sun. The grey electrical conduit does not. pvc gets real brittle

[uncle Will in In.]

I don't understand how plastic pipes laying in a shallow trench would help to prevent the pallets from rotting at the bottom. Are the pallets standing upright on top of the pipes?

[ronbre]

IF you use plastic pipes you'll want to seal the ends..otherwise they are perfect trails for rats, snakes and other small critters

[Harry Chickpea]

If the pallets are siding on the pipes laid sideways, they are only an inch or two away from the moisture. If the ground is soggy, the pipes will sink. I'm sure she also made a lovely habitat for rats, who love to crawl into pipes.

[texican]

Sounds like the lady got some free pvc and was utilizing it.

Pallets are generally free for the taking around here... I have several sources... however, pvc or other pipe is not easily scroungable. I have a trailerload of pvc from an ACE Hardware 'yard' cleanup project, but even free, I'd neve use em for foundations.

Oak pallets take a long time to deteriorate in contact with the ground. If I were building something more permanent, I'd simply build a frame for the pallets, so they'd be situated off the ground and the moisture, and have large enough overhangs so they'd stay mostly dry.

[Navotifarm]

Texican is right, she built a frame out of the pipes by using the right-angle joiner pieces. So there weren't any open ends for snaaakes and rats to crawl into.
" I don't understand how plastic pipes laying in a shallow trench would help to prevent the pallets from rotting at the bottom. Are the pallets standing upright on top of the pipes?"
Yes, Uncle Will, the pallets were upright standing on the post parts. She had plywood nailed over them to join and insulate the walls and a sturdy roof with a good overhang. I would never have guessed about the pipes and pallets if she had not told me.
Come to think of it, she had laid heavy plastic on the ground before making the pipe frame foundation.
Everything seemed to be very well-designed and made. Other than I never heard of using pipes as foundation and am wondering about trying it myself.

[rambler]

So the pipes are basically stringers laying in the dirt, to keep the wood parts from touching the dirt.

I would think over time the pipe would deform under the weight, and squish into an oval shape. As it aged, the walls would split & it would settle down.

For a cheap tiny shed, whatever works for a few years works I guess. Up here in the tundra, we tend to have to build a little more sturdy to survive the elements any time at all.

--->Paul

[Wolf mom]

I did that with some 1 1/2" (?) metal pipes I had that became twisted when a high mph gust tore down one of those vinyl covered carports.

I laid them on the ground, & put pallets over them. Then put pallets around 3 sides & am using them to stack firewood on. Works well. I also have some wood stacked on pipe. Anything to keep wood off the ground. We have lots a' termites here. Not very wet, just snow that usually clears in a few days.

Being that the pallets have spaces between the slats, rodents can get nest there, not just in the pipes.

I think for a hen house, I think I'd want something a little more solid though. My 8 X 8 coop is up on cement blocks. Probably cheaper than pipe, as I didn't build a solid foundation. Just set 3 blocks, spaced, per side and a few in the center. Then I stapled wire mesh around the outside buried a few inches into the ground. Everything has to be "movable" like on skids, or the tax man cometh.

[Just Cliff]

I use 3/4 inch pvc for my greenhouses and chicken coops. I have one that is 10 years old and has still not broken from UV deterioration. I did have breaks because of lack of support in heavy wet snow. My Fault. I got the plans from NCSU for a greenhouse. Its really pretty easy and cheap. I make my coops from it because I need the coops covered to keep owls and hawks out. I would still use preasure treated wood for ground contact. You can get it free at Lowes. Ask them for the skid boards that come under a new bundle of wood. They usually keep it right outside that back door or even up under the wood racks. I've got loads of the stuff. It measures 1 1/2"X2 1/2"X48" As far as the plans. I have been unable to find them again on their site.(very large and not well organized) I do have printed copies ....Somewhere.