Should birdhouses be painted

It can only depend on you if your birdhouse should be painted or not, as it relies heavily on the structure or environment the box is mounted too or hanging off.

Birdhouses should be painted in a shade that keeps the birdhouse discreet as possible, to the structure its fixed to. If its an untreated wooden post mount, then the birdhouse must be left unpainted. Paint can offer protection against the outdoors, but only clear preserve can be used to avoid using a color palette.

To put it simply, a birdhouse can be painted or left untreated, with one or the other offering protection to the occupants.

Birdhouses can be painted if you need to match the birdhouse to the structure its fixed to, in order to blend it into its surroundings, to prevent it being noticed by people or natural predators.

Aim of the game is to only paint, stain or leave a birdhouse untreated if its hard to see.

When you buy a birdhouse for Bluebirds, notice how non of them are painted by the manufacture - thus its not ideal to do so when you get it home.

Bluebird houses should be painted to keep it discreet on your chosen spot, but would otherwise be allowed to weather in the coming months to help it fit into its outdoor garden environment naturally.

Color palette would be limited to shades of brown, or paint shades close to wood its named after.

You'd want non toxic, exterior paint only with a bonus waterproof solution to prevent moisture sinking deep into the grain.

Left untreated if possible

If at all possible I recommend that you do not paint your birdhouse, while favoring a clear preserve instead, or go for something with a little tint to it.

Color palette would be that close to what the birdhouse is made in, such as cedar wood; but an option to create a deeper shade is a possibility.

Reason to not paint a birdhouse is to not create some sort of eye catching ornament in your yard - birdhouses must not really be seen to people, thus it cannot be an attraction to potential predators.

Ideally, a birdhouse left unpainted can allow to weather in due course, so would basically blend in with the wooden decor in your yard.

If you continue to repaint garden sheds, fences and furniture, then paint the birdhouse in the same color of paint currently in use on your outdoor decor.

What happens then is the birdhouse mounted to a fence or side of the shed, would simply blend in with only the birdhouse entry hole visible to the naked eye, in theory.

Paint can offer protection

To not use paint to finish a birdhouse is really up to you, and the environment the birdhouse is currently sat in.

However, its worth remembering to brush on a couple of coats of paint on your birdhouse can offer some protection from both harsh to hot weather conditions throughout the year.

Wood such as cedar must be preserved before painting I must add, but after that one to two coats of paints is going to protect, and therefore extend the birdhouses life expectancy for much longer.

Result of that is a birdhouse that doesn't show early, or later signs of splintering, bent or warped wood.

Whilst exterior grade paint can only be used, you'd need to use a brand of paint that is promoted as including preserve or an all weather protection.

Painted birdhouses can offer a coat of paint that can allow dampness to enter the grain, or simply let wet float on top of the surface, which is what waterproof paint can do.

Color keeps it discreet

How you decide to paint a birdhouse would be how you go about painting your garden furniture, with a can of paint and paint brush, and that is all.

Don't over complicate the brushing method, just go up and down while making sure paint is allowed to sink deep into the grain. With that, you'd have to tap the brush into any corners or tight spots, while painting any shingles on a birdhouse roof in an upward trajectory to get into crevices.

What color you pick to paint the birdhouse can only be the shade what the birdhouse is mounted to - so be sure to save any left over paint to finish off the birdhouse.

You can go a shade lighter or deeper if you believe it compliments the structure its fixed too, but only do so if other items near by inherit that same color theme.

What you must be focused on is keeping the birdhouse as discreet as possible.

The birdhouse entrance hole will be seen, but you'd need to paint over any shiny or reflective hardware to prevent catching the attention of predators wishing to kill the young or steel the eggs.

Cats can be attracted to a birdhouse so your priority must be to keep the birdhouse out of harms way - so never change location of the box in order to match the color unless you've really thought it through.

Stain is more viable

So far you've only really thought about painting a birdhouse with a splash of paint brushed on using a simple paint brush.

But have you thought about other options to you that may be more feasible.

What I mean is to use a different medium other than paint can see better results in the finish - as well as blending the birdhouse more into its surroundings.

Painting a shed for example can allow the wood grain to remain visible, so a well painted birdhouse would look out of place as it takes on paint better.

To use stain in instead of paint on a birdhouse would mean the grain is guaranteed to show, even with two or three coats.

It would therefore be up to you how many layers of stain too use to match the object the birdhouse is fixed to.

Stain can have exterior grade qualities while allowing the stain to sink deep into the grain, for that extra layer of outdoor protection paint can't offer.

To summarize

If at all possible I would prefer you to keep the birdhouse unpainted, and so would the birds the birdhouse is intended for.

Example of that, is its hard to buy a birdhouse for Bluebirds that are painted.

Unpainted birdhouses is a must then, but to paint it can be a matter of safety for the birds. Untreated wood can allow to weather, thus can be harder to see by people, pets and predators.

To paint a birdhouse it must be a color that matches the structure the birdhouse is fixed too - such as a shed, porch post or garden fence.

Color can keep the birdhouse discreet as possible, with only the entry hole seen if you look carefully.

Birdhouses should be painted under certain circumstances, but never paint in bright colors, or revert to creating a decorative, replica country house type of thing.

Preserving the birdhouse in a clear or tinted treatment is a must to maintain the birdhouse in the outdoor elements - but certain brands of paint do offer a paint with a preserve combination.

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