Can I request specific hardware for hanging be attached to my birdhouse?

Yes. We would be happy to add most any common hanging or mounting hardware to your birdhouse. As example, an eye-hole screw is commonly used when considering hanging the house. If you have a plan for placing the house, we can help with hanging or mounting solutions.

Does Birds in the Wood offer any special services?

We do.

We sometimes offer a birdhouse building class onsite in our shop or at the site of choice by our customer. In this class, we provide an instructor/assistant. We bring our bird house making kit for each participant. We also supply glue and tools used in the construction. We bring special jigs that are used to help hold pieces in place while the student is nailing them together.

We have also done custom craft shops where we prepare kits built around a customer theme, deliver the kits onsite and provide an instructor to guide the craft making process.

On rare occasion, we also offer installation for birdhouses and bird feeders that we sell.

We offer framing of documents, posters and photos, with or without matting. We do this in a way that is slightly different from what you typically see. Our frames are joined using a cabinet door making technique. We like this because the join is less visible and more stable than the 45-degree angle join typically used in framing. We make our frames from domestic hardwoods such as Walnut, Cherry or Oak. Our painted frames are made from Poplar.

How should I care for my birdhouse?

All of our birdhouses can be cleaned. On request, and where possible, we install a clean-out access panel in the bottom of the birdhouse. Where we do not install cleanout panels, we attach the base of the house with removable screws. The bottom plate or panel can be removed for annual cleanout which is recommended for the health of the birds.

Bringing the birdhouse in during the winter months when the birds are not making families will help to extend the life of the house. Once inside, the exterior of the house can be cleared of any dirt or debris that may have accumulated. In some circumstances, applying a new coat of sealant may also help to preserve the house.

While our birdhouses have often been outside in the elements for years, they will show signs of weathering and deterioration over time. We do offer application of sealant to the completed birdhouse in order to help protect the artwork on the house and to extend the outdoor life.

How will I know when I can receive my product?

Most of our products are made to order. We are a small shop with limited capacity. We actually do make everything we sell. Only a few products are kept in inventory. When you complete the expression of interest form, we will come back to you with a quote and a promise date. Our promise date takes into consideration the date we expect to start on your product, the time to make it and the date we expect finish it. If you accept our quote within 1-2 business days, your promise date is locked in. That will be the date the product is finished. If you are not able to accept the quote that quickly, the promise date may need to be adjusted based on our scheduled workloads on the day we receive your acceptance. Of course, once the product is ready, you may pick it up, or we can ship it to you. Shipping time from our shop to your location is not included in the promise date. We will estimate the shipping time based on your choice of carrier and shipping method.

We do have a few products that we sell from inventory. These are firmly priced and can be immediately added to your shopping cart on our website. We typically ship them by USPS, using one of their flat rate boxes. For these products, we require 1 day for packaging the product in addition to flat rate delivery times estimated by USPS.

Is the artwork identical if I order more than one of the same birdhouse?

Yes and no. We do not machine reproduce artwork; we do not use stencils; we do not use decal art on the birdhouses. Each bird house is hand painted. For this reason, there may very well be some variation in the images on your birdhouse vs. ones that you may see on our website, or one that you may have ordered previously.

Each birdhouse is definitely unique, but the overall design will not vary from what you see on our website, unless of course, you have specifically worked with us to adjust the design to match your preferences.

Will birds live in my birdhouse?

Many, but not all, bird species prefer an enclosure for their home. The size of the entry hole can affect its the attraction for the various bird species. Smaller birds such as house wrens, goldfinches and chickadees like smaller holes (e.g., 1” to 1 1/8” diameter). Larger birds such as bluebirds, warblers or tree swallows like larger holes (e.g. 1 3/8” to 1 ½” diameter).

Additionally, the birds tend to choose homes that are located in ways that reduce threats from predators such as snakes, cats or raccoons. Some common examples: hanging from a tree limb; hanging from a sign bracket, mounting high on a fence; mounting beneath a porch ceiling or eave; mounting on top of a post. Distance from the ground and from nearby vegetation that may allow predator access can be a factor.