Anyone Can Build A Decorative Birdhouse

Bird lovers, more often than not, keep birds as pets in their own homes. Often these bird lovers keep decorative birdhouses outside as well. Birdhouses are not hard to find, as there are many of these that can be found at local pet stores. Before building one however, there are a number of considerations that you should keep in mind.

There are a great number of various decorative birdhouse designs that can be found in pet or home stores. These are also made up of different materials; this could be confusing to those who don't have an idea on what should be the best material for birdhouses. The materials range from wood to plastics of different colors.

Anyone can make their own birdhouse from scratch instead of purchasing one. The best material for this would be wood because it is easier to cut. Wood as a material for birdhouses is also very attractive and can be weather-proofed as well. Being a natural element, wood birdhouses complement backyards quite well.

Choosing the best kind of wood for making a decorative birdhouse can easily be done. The wood for a birdhouse should be three-quarters of an inch thick, to maximize insulating properties. This is especially needed to attract nesting birds. Another consideration in selecting wood for a birdhouse is its resistance to decay. Although wood is durable by nature, there are some kinds that are more known for its durability than others. Since birdhouses are exposed often to natural elements like rain and sunshine, the ideal wood materials should be redwood, cedar or bald cypress.

A decorative birdhouse looks even better if it is given a coat of paint. However, not just any color will do. For wooden birdhouses to refrain from rotting earlier, painting it with a dry earth-tone color would be best. This kind of color makes the surface of the birdhouse cooler because sunlight is reflected by it, rather than absorbed. Predators are less likely to be attracted to earth-tone colors. It should also be remembered that only the exteriors of a birdhouse should be painted, as possible ingestion of painted wood could harm the birds.

So, after the wood material and the paint have been bought, putting together a decorative birdhouse would already be an easy task for anyone. For longer-lasting birdhouses, it is best that its wooden pieces be glued first before being nailed together. Take care not to leave any nails sticking out. Nails are sharp and could rust over time; this could potentially present a real danger to the birds.