Next Box Question...

[Gee]

Hi guys,

 

I've recently built my loft and now I'm sorting out the internal fixtures and fittings. I notice most people use ply wood for their nest boxes, I wonder if anyone has any thoughts on using MDF to construct them?

 

Working to a budget and have access to MDF but not so much ply. Would prefer it if it's not likely to cause any problems?

 

Thanks,

 

Gee

[Guest]

Only warning on MDF board I know of concerns human health - if you need to cut it, wear a mask. Used it for most of my own loft fittings.

[zetlandlad999]

1/2 to 3/4 Plywood is what you need last you a lifetime and wont warp

[snowy]

if you can get mdf free , i couldnt see any reason why u cant use it as long as you seal it, maybe undercoat & gloss,

anyone else thinks this is ok??

[Guest jason]

mine made from free chip board and sealed with 3 coats of lead free gloss! and they look great, i'll put some photos on at some point.

[T_T]

Mine made from chipboard and creosoted thoroughly.  The reason I didn't get ply is that if your scraper catches a loose piece of ply, it will tear it, making it very difficult to scrape thereafter.

[Gee]

Thanks all for the suggestions and info, I will use MDF but will definetly seal it or treat it with something. My friend said I should creosote them? I know this is good gear for killing off bugs but I also know it's also very strong smelling. I'm guessing the loft would have to be left to dry for a long time maybe even a month?

 

Thanks again for everyones input

[Guest speckled]

:-/  Gee, would not use MDF as its compressed carboard.act like a sponge,& rose the  green wood if im not right,( some on will say) is a tanalised & i was told should not be used where animails are present, :-/ due to the poisonuos vapours. & in my personnal opion MDF< is the worst materail to use for nest boxes.Its ok for interior wall, & never exterior. The green tanalised wood should never be used. : Speckled

[THE FIFER]

BEST PAINT TO USE ON CHIPWOOD ETC, OR FOR THAT ANYWHERE N THE LOFT, OR OUTSIDE IS MASONERY PAINT, DRIES QUICK AND HAs no smell, and fills in cracks etc, i use it on my roof, put it on thick and sprinkle sand on it , will last a lifetime, i done my landing board with it and the sand, very good for keeping the birds nails in shape, also not slippy when wet, anyway its good for the inside of the loft, its also good for undercoat for smooth surfices, i have even used it on a concrete outside area and it lasts for ages,

[Guest]

Not sure that you would need to paint or creosote nest boxes, or that it would be a good thing: strong fumes in an enclosed space. The smell of creosote especially - seems to take forever to go away.

 

OK I suppose if you did it long before the birds arrived (I'd the place ready about 2 months before my first birds arrived and I used up all the old water-based emulsion paints from left over jobs in the house for all the jobs inside the loft, and oil-based glosses for all surfaces exposed to the outside). On all later build, the chipboard went up as it was (all recycled) painted or unpainted. On balance, prefer it unpainted, BUT my box perches and nest box floors have deep litter on them.

 

 

[Chatrace]

5 Gallon Plastic buckets work great also and most Bake shops have them for about $2 here, get the lid that comes with them. You can lay then on there side and stack them as High as you can see into or build a slelf about 2 feet of the floor and start you pile there. Drill a couple holes in the bottoms ,which will be the back of the nesting bucket when it on it's side and cut the inside of the lid out  leavining  about 3 inches at the bottom so when put back on the bucket it will keep the nesting material from falling out and the babies . You can put some old outdoor carpet  for the bottom so it isn't as slippery and the birds can walk around better while bringing in nesting material or even mating. When the season is over you can just take all the buckets out had hose them clean and stack  till next season. Some here have made V perches and screwed them on the bottom of the bucket so when breeding is over and buckets are clean the open end can be placed towards the wall and stacked again leaving V perches  for the off season.

[Guest]

Good post, Chatrace, what a novel idea. Cheap, clean, hygienic. Brilliant.  

[Guest slugmonkey]

I prefer unpainted wood in all of my lofts I am building new lofts and am going to use unpainted wood for interiors