Bird House Design
If you're looking for a basic bird house design, feel free to use the information we've provided for you below and do just that. When selecting the wood for your house, although cedar works best, just about any type of old, untreated lumber will be adequate. As a matter of fact, for a more rustic looking house, the older and more worn the better.
The design below was made with 1" X 6" cedar planking as the material. If newer lumber like this is used be sure to 'rough up' the inside walls so that younger birds are able to climb the wall to the entrance hole.
Front and Back (2 pieces)
The above image shows the dimensions for the front and back of the house. The only difference between the front and back is that the back obviously won't have the entrance hole cut into it. Also, the size of the entrance hole can vary depending on the type of bird you want living in it. For smaller birds, holes can be as small as 3/4 inch. It is not recommended to use a hole greater then 1 1/2 inches though as this can allow access for larger predators.
Sides (2 pieces)
The dimensions of the side walls will be 8 inches wide and 6 inches tall. Ensure that you place the front and back pieces between the sides and not the other way around, otherwise the bottom won't fit correctly. Attach each piece with 3 nails for maximum strength. It's also a good idea to pre-drill your holes to keep your wood from splitting.
Bottom (1 piece)
Now to attach the bottom. First, although not shown on the drawing, drill a few 1/8 inch holes in the bottom piece (shown above) to allow for drainage of any water that may get into the house. Next, lay the bottom piece on a table and place the already attached front, back and sides over it. Then, pre-drill your holes and use 3 nails on all 4 sides to attach the bottom.
If you plan to mount your bird house on top of a pole, you will want to attach it now before placing the roof on. Screws will hold your house more securely than nails and will also make it easier to remove if you need to. Use 4 screws that are at least 2 1/2 inches long for the greatest stability.
Top/Roof (2 pieces)
All that's left now is to attach the roof. The roof was designed to provide an overhang of 1 inch on the front and back and roughly 3/4 of an inch on the sides. Again, pre-drill and attach with nails, but only attach them to the front and back of the house. This will provide adequate support.
If you plan on hanging your house, you will need to now attach 2 eyes from an eye-hook set to the top. Since there will be a small seam at the peak of the roof between the 2 pieces, you will need to screw in each eye slightly off center. Also, to ensure balance, attach one eye slightly off to the right and the other slightly off to the left, with one toward the front and one toward the back. Now, string a sturdy piece of rope or twine that's at least 18 inches long between the 2 eyes and you're ready to hang your house.
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