Installing birdhouses on your property can potentially be a great experience. Many people choose to buy birdhouses so they can attract birds to their yards.
Some even feel that the birdhouses themselves add charm to the property. It’s true that there are some very neat birdhouses that you can purchase.
Often, though, stores sell birdhouses that look a bit plain. They usually won’t be painted, and they’ll simply have a natural wooden look.
Can you paint a birdhouse? Or is this something that will be harmful to the birds?
Read on to learn about whether it’s safe to paint a birdhouse. This will help you to decide what you should do with your birdhouses.
You Can Paint a Birdhouse
It is indeed fine to paint birdhouses if you want to. If you’d like to paint your birdhouse to make it look even nicer, you’re able to do so without harming the birds.
This means that you can enjoy birdhouses that are colorful and pretty. Many people paint their birdhouses simply because they find painted birdhouses to be more aesthetically pleasing.
However, you need to approach this situation the right way. It is possible to use the wrong type of paint. Certain types of paint will be detrimental to birds.
If you want things to go right, you must only use particular types of paint. Below, you’ll learn more about the paint that you should be using when painting birdhouses.
What Kind of Paint to Use on Birdhouses
You’re supposed to use non-toxic paint when painting birdhouses. If you use toxic paint, it’s going to be very bad for any birds that decide to nest in the birdhouse.
There are many types of paint that fall under the non-toxic banner. You can use watercolor, oil-based, acrylic, and even latex paints.
So long as you’re using non-toxic paint, it’ll be fine to paint the birdhouse as you see fit. There are some other things to consider, but it’s good to know that non-toxic paint options will be safe for the birds.
Continue reading to get more information about painting birdhouses. You have many things to consider before you decide whether painting the birdhouses that you’ve purchased is the right route to take.
Don’t Paint the Inside of the Birdhouse
Make sure that you don’t paint the inside of the birdhouse. This is something that will be bad for the birds overall.
If you paint the inside of the birdhouse, it’ll cause various issues. Eventually, the paint on the inside of the birdhouse will start to chip.
It might peel off in sections when the baby birds inside the birdhouse start to scratch it. When this occurs, it’s very likely that the baby birds will start eating paint chips.
As you’d expect, this isn’t good for the baby birds. You should avoid painting the inside of the birdhouse because of this possibility.
What Color Should I Paint My Birdhouse?
It’s wise to take the time to consider what color to paint the birdhouse. Generally, it’s best to avoid painting the birdhouse with paint colors that are too dark.
Darker colors will absorb too much heat and this can negatively impact the birds living inside. To get better results, stick with light-colored paint options.
However, you don’t want to use really bright colors that stand out too much. You want the birds inside the birdhouse to be protected from potential threats.
The best option is to paint the birdhouse using colors that blend in with the natural environment. This often means painting the birdhouse green, light brown, or even gray.
Doing this will make the birdhouse harder to notice. It shouldn’t catch the attention of predators quite as easily.
Can You Stain a Birdhouse?
Staining a birdhouse is a good idea when you want to protect it. Applying a stain to the exterior of the birdhouse will help it to stand the test of time.
The wood should last longer when you stain it. However, you need to make sure that you don’t apply the stain to the interior of the birdhouse.
When you stain the interior of the birdhouse, it’ll make it unsafe for birds. There could be problems with toxicity that could harm any birds that choose to utilize the birdhouse.
Since a birdhouse is a closed-off space, the fumes from the stain could easily have a negative impact on the birds. Also, birds might chew on the interior of the birdhouse and this will expose them to chemicals.
Treating the outside of the birdhouse is perfectly fine. You only need to treat the exterior to protect the birdhouse from the elements anyway.
There’s no real benefit to staining the interior. It’ll only harm the birds that you want to attract to your yard.
Advice for Choosing Paint
Choosing the right type of paint will make it easier for you to get optimal results. You know that you can choose many different types of non-toxic paint when painting birdhouses.
Which option is going to be the best, though? There are pros and cons associated with each non-toxic paint type.
Below, you’ll learn about the different options and why you might want to choose each of them. After you’ve read everything, you can make your own choice about which paint is the best.
Watercolor Paint
Is using watercolor paint a good choice? It can be good since it’s very easy to apply to birdhouses.
If you don’t paint things very often or if you’ve never painted anything before, using watercolor paint will be among the easiest choices. It’s simple to work with and it’ll apply nicely to the surface of the birdhouse.
This type of paint dries rather fast, too. It isn’t hard to clean up when you’re done doing the job either.
A waterproof type of paint will give you good results. You’ll need to maintain the birdhouse a bit after painting it, but it’s not too hard to do so.
Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paint is also a very practical choice. This type of paint easily allows you to mix colors up when you’re trying to do something more complex than a simple paint job.
If you want to make your birdhouses more ornate, using acrylic paints might be ideal. However, you should keep in mind that the best option is to camouflage the birdhouse rather than use bold colors.
This paint dries fast and it’s also odorless. It’ll make the birdhouse highly resistant to UV damage from the sun’s rays.
It can be a bit tough to use acrylic paint on wooden surfaces. If you lack experience, you might find this type of paint to be a bit of an annoyance.
Latex Paint
Latex paint is very common and that makes it among the most affordable types of paint that you can find. It’s easy to get latex paint from any department store.
You’ll like that this paint is easy to apply to wooden surfaces. Working with this paint won’t be a problem at all, even for beginners.
It’s easy to clean up and the fumes aren’t as dangerous as the fumes that come from many other types of paint. It shouldn’t take too many coats to get the birdhouse fully painted either.
The problem with latex paint is that it doesn’t provide much protection from the elements. It isn’t very durable, and that makes it a bad choice for painting a birdhouse when your goal is to protect it and make it last longer.
Oil-Based Paint
Oil-based paint is the final option to consider, and it’s a good one. This is a very low-maintenance type of paint that will get good results.
It will apply smoothly to wooden surfaces, and it’s very simple to get ready to paint since it applies well even to dirty surfaces. However, it can be tough to clean up once the painting is done.
This type of paint has a strong odor and you might wish to wear a mask when painting. On a positive note, oil-based paints produce rich colors that look very aesthetically pleasing.
It’s also nice that oil-based paints are resistant to low temperatures. If you want to protect birdhouses from harsh winters, it might be best to go with this paint.
Final Thoughts
You’ve learned everything that you need to know about painting birdhouses. It’s fine to paint a birdhouse so long as you don’t paint the interior.
It’s also imperative to use the right type of paint. Only non-toxic paints can be used to get the job done.
You should use latex, oil-based, acrylic, or watercolor paint when doing this type of job. Be sure to choose the type of paint that will do the best job based on your expectations.
It’s also fine to stain birdhouses if you want to. This can help to protect the birdhouses and make them last longer.
As with the paint, you can’t apply the stain to the interior of the birdhouse. It’ll harm the birds if you choose to do so.
Keep this information in mind and decide how you wish to proceed. You’ll have an easy time protecting your birdhouses and you’ll be pleased with the results.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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