Bring on the Birds! The DIY Birdhouse That Blends Into Your Garden
A JAPANESE HOME TREND COULD SAVE YOUR GUTTERS
Learn About Rain Chains
Lately, you may have seen a line of tiny buckets or bowls hanging from the roofs of some of your neighbors’ homes. While these could be mistaken for windchimes or simple decorations, they actually serve a much more important purpose. Homeowners know water is one of their home’s biggest enemies, and an efficient drainage system is vital to protecting any structure from damage. So, that’s exactly what those tiny buckets do, and they’re called rain chains. What is a rain chain? While most American homes direct water with a metal downspout, the Japanese have used rain chains for decades. Originally called kusari-doi , or “chain gutter,” these additions guide rainwater safely to the ground and are a great way to save your gutters. Unfortunately, it’s far too easy for water to build up and become so heavy that it can tear rain gutters from your roof. Even if you have a downspout, the hole can become clogged, stopping water from being successfully redirected, and this can result in costly repairs. A rain chain is fixed through a small hole in the gutter, where the water will leak through and travel down the chain into the buckets, then gently to the ground or into a water-harvesting receptacle. This smooth transition moves water through your gutter system and doesn’t create a giant water spout that can damage landscaping or the ground from high water pressure. If your home doesn’t have rain gutters, you can still attach a rain chain to your roof. Find the spot where water seems to accumulate on your roof, and attach an S-hook to the underside of the eave. Then, hang your rain chain from that hook to help move the water away from your house.
Springtime is filled with flowers, baby animals, and colorful birds flitting through the sky. And while many people love to watch our fine feathered friends, not everyone wants to put a colorful birdhouse in their yard that clashes with their decor or attracts unwanted visitors like squirrels. Luckily, there is a style of birdhouse that will blend into your yard, keep pests away, and is incredibly easy to make — it’s a flowerpot birdhouse! To make a flowerpot birdhouse, you’ll need the following items from your local hardware store: • Drill with a regular drill bit and a 1 1/4-inch hole-boring drill bit • Two 1 1/4-inch fender washers • 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch carriage bolt • 7-inch-diameter flowerpot (preferably terracotta) • 1/4-inch nut • 6-inch-diameter round wooden plaque • Sandpaper • Outdoor acrylic paint • Sponge brush Step 1: Choose your location, and drill! Pick a vertical surface like a fence or wall to mount your birdhouse onto. Try to pick an area where people rarely walk. Then, determine how high you want the birdhouse to be, and use the regular drill bit to make a hole. Step 2: Mount your pot. Take your flower pot and align its drainage hole to the hole you drilled in step 1. Then, slide one of the washers over the carriage bolt before pushing the bolt through the drainage hole and into the drilled hole. Slide a washer over the end of the bolt sticking through the other side of the fence or wall, and twist the nut onto the bolt to hold the pot in place. Step 3: Give the house a door. Use your 1 1/4-inch hole-boring drill bit to create a door in the round wooden plaque, about 1 1/2 inch from the bottom. Use the sandpaper to smooth out the edges of this hole for the birds’ safety, and use your outdoor acrylic paint to coat only the outside of the plaque and let it dry. Once the paint is dry, push the wooden plaque into the pot until it is firmly wedged inside, and you’re done! This birdhouse is an excellent way to attract birds to your yard without the obviousness of a stand-alone house. Also, its lack of a perch stops predators from gaining a foothold that can lead them inside. To make the pot more discreet, hang it in a corner where shrubs or trees block it from view.
Rain chains also upgrade your home’s exterior without a costly investment. Most rain chains in the United States are made from metal, so they blend in nicely against a house and age beautifully, resulting in fewer recurring maintenance costs.
Luckily, these are easy to install and can be a fun project for the whole family. You can find rain chains at many stores, such as Lowe’s, The Home Depot, and Walmart.
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