Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Cabinet Hinges to Make a Better Birdhouse


Do you love your backyard? If you do, chances are you have a birdhouse or two or three out there to keep the wildlife coming in and out to entertain you. However, once you have put that birdhouse in place, how many times do you clean it? For many people the answer to this question is, “what do you mean, clean it?”

Cleaning a birdhouse is very important for a number of reasons:

o Old Food – Food that has been put in the birdhouse feeder and not eaten right away can start to rot. When you keep pouring new food in, it just continues the cycle of rot and mold building. If your feathered friends eat this bad food, they can get sick.

o Infestation – Bugs can get everywhere, including in your birdhouse. If the birdhouse you have put in your yard becomes infested, birds will not live there, or if they do, and lay eggs, their young could be hurt or killed by the bugs trying to share the space with them.

o Disease – Just like humans, birds carry disease. Once a bird has moved out of your birdhouse, you need to clean it out before another bird moves in to stop the possible spread of disease.

So, how do you clean a birdhouse? Make sure it is easy to open.

When you are first purchasing a birdhouse you may notice that some have a side that can open so you can easily clean them out. But, if you have fallen in love with one that does not have an opening side, you can always make one yourself. All you need is a few cabinet hinges, a saw, some screws and a screwdriver.

Start by taking a close look at the birdhouse you have. Many are constructed in a manner that makes them easy to cut open where the four sides have been glued together, to make the walls of the house. Next, look at how the roof and floor have been attached. You will need to figure out how you can clear one wall from each of these pieces.

It’s time to cut one side of the birdhouse open. You should completely be able to remove the piece in your hand. If your cutting was less than even, now would be a good time to pull out some sandpaper and file it down to a smooth surface.

Now it’s time to add on the cabinet hinges. There are plenty of cabinet hinges you can choose from for this project. One thing to keep in mind is to try and find cabinet hinges that match the birdhouse, or those that you can hide on the inside of the birdhouse so they don’t detract from the overall image.

Take your time in lining up the cabinet hinges and the new door. You should put the hinges on the house first, and then line up the door so it will be able to open and close properly. You may want to use a pencil to mark when the door at the right points before drilling.

Once you have put it all back together, hang it up in the yard, wait for the birds to move in and enjoy the fact that you can now offer them a safe and clean home.

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