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Bluebird fledgling perched on rim of tipped on one side stone bird bath

Best material for bird bath

To know what the best material is for a bird bath must surely begin with the most natural, while a metal bird bath is a good option, stone bird baths are my personal favorite.

Best material for bird baths is stone with its many qualities that are sure to benefit you, and birds who use it. To begin with a stone resin bird bath is heavy thus is self-balancing, so can remain standing in wind. Stone as crevices which is natural footing for birds, whereby stone creates a natural weathering effect.

I will admit downsides to a stone bird bath is its bland in color, while ideally bought to match the stone or brick work on your property.

Not an issue as stone bird baths are still compatible with a solar powered bird bath fountain, to help you attract birds with the sound of running water.

Bath baths made in metal or plastic has the same attributes, only you'd need to keep it standing in any wind. Whereby a stone bird bath doesn't need any intervention on your part. Why stone bird baths are so expensive is because of the work that goes into them.

While a cheaper plastic bird bath is a simple mold with no other work needed to finish it.

Cast iron bird baths are my second best material for a bird bath, only they can be far lighter than you'd expect.

What color should your stone bird bath be, can be what the bricks of your house are or the color of your stone patio is - which is all in an effort for the stone bird bath to compliment its surroundings.

In regard to cleaning and maintenance, the best way to clean a stone bird bath is with dish soap only, as a bleach solution can stain the stone surface.

Stone is best material

Despite stone bird baths being more costly than other bird bath options, in my humble opinion I believe made in stone bird baths to be the best material.

To be honest with you I really do like a cast iron bird bath as the color effect can really compliment any yard, whereas your made in plastic bird bath exists to get you off the ground with a ready to go cheap bird bath.

While stone bird baths are anything but cheap, the stone - also referred to as cement or concrete - bird baths are sure to fit in with any surrounding, with no more accessories required.

What I mean by that is a lightweight bird bath, even one made in metal, can topple over in the wind, thus you'd need to use pegs to impale into the ground to keep it standing.

How to prevent a stone bird bath tipping over will only need to be level, where the overall weight of the stone bird bath will keep it upright at all times.

Stone is the best bird bath material because plastic is cheap and will go brittle, whereas metal can tarnish if its sensitive to outdoor conditions.

What a stone bird bath will do is weather, in which can actually improve the look and feel of your stone bird bath.

You can seal a concrete bird bath to prevent any algae or grime bleeding into any visible crevices, though a stone bird bath can be used just as it is if its continuously cleaned out.

Heavy, self-balancing bird bath

Best material for a bird bath in my opinion must be stone, but the advantage of that is stone is much heavier than their plastic or metal bird bath counterpart.

How this benefits you is a heavy bird bath is then a self-balancing bird bath; meaning it won't be easy for a stone bird bath to tip over by a child or pet on accident - or indeed it won't go over so easy in the wind.

Made in plastic or metal pedestal type bird baths need a lot of work to keep them standing up, thus additional accessories are needed with a lot of planning on your part.

Where you place a bird bath in your yard can be on the lawn, a patio or on pebbles while making sure its leveled, and that it would be it. Stone bird baths will be incredibly difficult to tip over at this point - while attempting too will see it fall back into place.

You can't underestimate an heavy stone bird bath because too take care of one in your yard can save you a lot of time and effort.

Simply find the spot where the bird bath belongs, fill it up with fresh water than see what kind of birds it can attract.

Of course none of this is an issue if using a stone ground bird bath, whereas a stone bird bath on a stand will still be a no-fuss affair.

Less slippy, better footing

What other benefits you get with a made in stone bird bath is the way the cement resin creates gaps and crevices - along with a rough service all around that doubles up as a natural foothold for wild birds.

You see birds who enter the depths of a bird bath bowl can get into trouble if there's no foothold on the base, of which a stone bird bath naturally provides this.

With that in mind I still recommend you put pebbles in your bird bath as to create a safer bird bath bowl for all size birds.

Bird bath water depth can be too deep if it rains thus birds will get into difficulty then; only with the use of pebbles or stones to line the base can you manipulate the water level.

While staying on the subject of stones being the best material for bird baths - in a way to line the stone bird bath with matching stones can really compliment the bird bath in use.

Bonus it may be, yet any color or decorative pebbles compliment a stone bird bath over a plastic or metal bird bath.

Stone blends as it weathers

How you'd attract birds to a bird bath is with sight or sound. While a stone bird bath is neither you can make these additional improvements later.

For now you can enjoy your stone bird bath which is hopefully in the same color scheme as the rest of the stonework in your yard.

Bird baths made in stone don't have to blend with the yard though a bird bath can really become a permanent feature if it blends.

If the new bird bath is too grey or stone color at this point, just wait until a few years time as the stone resin actually weathers as its left outdoors at all times. Not entirely important I grant you but a weather effect stone bird bath is far more attractive.

In the meantime don't mistake algae growing in the bird bath bowl as weathering, as it can be toxic to birds thus needs to be clean out.

How to keep algae out of your bird bath is to clean your stone bird bath with dish soap and a hard brush once or twice a week - while disposing of the old water of course.

Stone bird baths remain the best material for me then because it can weather in the most natural way possible. Made in plastic or metal doesn't weather the same way while appearing to look more unkempt than anything else.

Conclusion

What I believe to be the best material for bird baths is stone every time, which can be called cement, concrete or simply a resin bird bath.

Stone is warm, natural and highly complimentary to any yard setup with a bird bath.

Bonus of a stone bird bath is there's always a color theme that can match any brick or stonework in your yard - including a bird bath that can blend in with your house.

None of that is possible with metal or plastic bird baths as they appear too bold, and stand out in a bad way.

Stone bird baths are far heavier to their counterparts thus can self-balance, with no pegs stuck into the ground to keep it upright in a bit of wind.

Where else you can be sure to benefit with a made in stone bird bath is the resin creates crevices on the surface, which can in turn become better footing for birds as they enter the bird bath bowl to preen or hydrate.

In time a stone bird bath can be seen to weather in years time, and while this can be avoided if always maintaining the bird bath, the weathering effect can only help it blend in with your garden decor.

Best material for a bird bath for me is a stone bird bath that is on a stand, whereby a ground level stone bird bath can look the part if pushed into low level vegetation.

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