Building a door, Part 1

So our work on the chicken coop today lasted about 45 minutes.

I swear we started out strong.

Of the two doors we still need to build on the coop, I decided the one leading into the run area would be easiest to build. Or so it seemed.

We did everything right. We measured the door opening like a gazillion times. We subtracted a 1/4 inch all around to allow for clearance. We cut the 2x4s that I stained the day before to size. Everything was going according to plan. Smooth even.

Then we started putting things together. The screws were 2 inches long. I had concerns that they were too short, but Matt and I  pushed on. We set up the wood pieces on the floor, and I held the ends together while Matt drilled screws into them. Then the wood started splitting. So Matt pre-drilled the holes, then we got on the floor again to finish screwing everything together.

We were making progress. Serious progress. We were almost done with the basic  frame. But then something went wrong. Matt lifted the frame, and we heard a snap. A corner on the other end had come undone. The 2-inch screws simply were not long enough.

That was it. There would be no more work on the door today.

Instead I drove Matt to Home Depot, where we bought 3-inch screws.

Matt and I agreed we would finish the door tomorrow morning. I’m hopeful that we’ll finish the project. Or, at the very least, that we’ll make it past the 45-minute mark!