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How to BuildABarred Owl HouseHow to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Copyright Notice:Copyright (c) 2008 Owlpages.comALL RIGHTS RESERVEDNo person or entity may distribute or replicate this work, or parts of this work, without receiving prior written permission. Violations of thisprovision shall be considered as copyright infringement, and subject to civil and criminal penalties.This work or parts of this work may be replicated for educational purposes by accredited educational institutions, but any and all individuals and entities must follow the rules, and meet the requirements of the Fair Use Doctrine.You may download this work from any Authorized Distribution Locations, and you may print one copy of the works for your own personaluse. If you need a replacement copy, please revisit any Authorized Distribution Location for a new copy.Authorized Distribution Locations:www.owlpages.comPublishing History:March 2008 - First EditionLegal Disclaimer:Building an owl house with these instructions requires the use of tools that are capable of injuring or even causing death. By viture ofusing these instructions, you agree to hold the author(s), contributor(s), distributor(s), and any other party involved in the creation andpublishing of this book, harmless in all cases. You also agree to use this book at your own risk, and agree that you will not hold author(s),contributor(s), distributor(s), and any other party involved in the creation and publishing of this book, liable for any damages, or injuries.Searching for owls appears to be a safe and simple hobby. But, with the fate of life, injury or death can occur while owling. Methods suggested in this book can lead to injury or death. People have been blinded while owling. People have fallen off cliffs. And, numerous people have received injuries while owling. By viture of using these instructions, you agree to hold the author(s), contributor(s), distributor(s),and any other party involved in the creation and publishing of this book, harmless in all cases. You also agree to use this book at yourown risk, and agree that you will not hold author(s), contributor(s), distributor(s), and any other party involved in the creation and publishing of this book, liable for any damages, or injuries.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Items Needed to make your Barred Owl House:Tools you will need: Hand Saw, or Circular Saw, or Jig Saw, or Table Saw, or Radial Arm SawJig saw or coping sawDrillHammerScrew DriverTape measure or rulerStraight edgeStapler or staple gun (for optional siding)Materials you will need: (1) 4’ x 4’ x 3/4” plywood (1/2 sheet of plywood)(2) Metal Tee (Simpson’s Tie or other mfg - look in the wood section of Home Depot or Lowe’s)(2) metal hanger bolts (3/8” by 6” long or longer) & (4 washers) & (4) 3/8” nuts (or wing nuts)(2) Compression Springs (from a door retainer kit)(4) 1/2” x 1-1/2” bolts, nuts, and washersGlue (Elmers glue, wood glue, or other waterproof glue)(20) 1-5/8” Stainless screws or 1-5/8” galvanized screws or 2” ring shanked stainless nails(1) hinge & (6) #12 3/4” screws for hingeAluminum or copper or vinyl flashing (optional)(50) 3/4” roofing nails for optional flashing or use a staplerPulley and 50’ of ropeWood chips - mini nuggetsThe 4’x’4’x3/4” plywood will probably be the hardered item to get home. I prefer to use birch plywood over standard plywood. Birch plywood tends to be flatter, and not warped. Home Depot, Lowes, and many lumber yards will cut the plywood in half for you. This makes itmuch easier to handle. Make sure it will fit into your car before purchasing it.The Metal Tee can be hard to find. You can find it in the lumber section of Home Depot or Lowes. If you can’t find it ask where the Simpson Strong Ties are. Most workers know the name well. The Metal Ties come in two sizes, and either size will work.The steel hanger bolts are a specialty bolt. But, they can be found at Lowes, Home Depot, or your local hardware store. One one side ithas wood threads that look like a lag bolt thread and on the other end it has machine bolt threads. 8 inch hanger bolts work the best, butare hard to find. If you can get a local hardware store to order them for you, this will make it much easier to hang the owl house.The best place to get the compression springs is from a screen door (or storm door) retainer kit. The kit has a small chain and a compression spring. There is a picture of the kit on page 21.If you have questions or comments, please refer to the Owlers Forum on www.owlpages.com.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
The drawing above will work for any 4’x’4’x3/4” sheet of exterior plywood.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
STEP #1: Mark out the drawing onto the plywood, and cutthe pieces.Make sure line thicknessis the same as the bladewidth.Tip: Make sure that you makethe line the same thickness asthe saw blade you will beusing. If you are not sure, thenhold the blade up to the lineand mark the line slightlylarger then the blade width(kerf). If this is too difficult, youcan cut the side walls first,and THEN mark the front andback walls for cutting.Remember: Measure TWICE- Cut ONCE!The distance should be EXACTLY 1’-2” from theEDGE of the drawn line to the edge of the wood.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.comSafety Tip: When you cutthe wood, make SURE thatthere is nothing under theplywood line where you aregoing to cut. If you are usinga circular saw, NEVER standin back of the saw while cutting. If you can get a helperto hold the piece of plywoodthat is being cut off, this willmake it safer and easier.
STEP #2: Cut water drainholes in the bottom.Mark some places for some holesPlacement does not have to beexact.If you have not already done so, pleasenotch all four corners of the base. Youcan cut 1/2 inch off the endsYou can use any type of drillbit to drill the holes. The drillbits should be 3/8” to 5/8”wide. If the drill bit is toosmall, it will clog up and notdrain water. If the drill bit istoo large it will allow snakesto enter from the bottom.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
This is how your bottomshould look after you havefinished drilling the holes.STEP #3: Cut the entry holeon the front wall.You will need a 1’ ruler orstraight edge and a protractor. If you don’t have a protractor, you can use a stringtied to a pencil.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Draw an X from all corners.This will provide you with thecenter of the hole. You canthen use a protractor or astring to draw the top oval.Now you are ready to cut thehole.There are basically fourways to cut the entry hole.(1) you can use a bench jigsaw like the one in the picture.(2) You can use a electricsaber saw.(3) You can use a hand coping saw. Can be purchasedfor a couple of dollars. (seepicture).(4) You can use a circularsaw and use plunge cuts tocut a rectangle box opening.Then use a hand saw to cutthe corners.The picture on the left is a hand coping saw.It will take 15 minutes to cut the hole, but itwill do the job.Note: Save the cut out piece. You will needit for the next step.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
STEP #4: Create a climbingladder for the owlets. We usethe scrap cutout piece fromthe previous step.Here are a couple of ways tocut the notches:(1) use a Radial Arm Saw,Table Saw, or router. If youuse this method cut thenotches BEFORE you attachit to the face wall.(2) Use a circular saw orhand saw. If you use thismethod attach the pieceBEFORE you cut thenotches.Apply glue to the BOTTOMof the ladder, and attach thepiece below the opening.If you are going to cut thenotches with a circular sawor hand saw then clamp thepiece onto the face wall andlet the glue cure overnightBEFORE cutting thenotches. If you don’t have aclamp, then use somethingheavy to hold the piecedown. Make sure the piecesdoes not move after settingsomething heavy on top. Thenext day you can then cutthe notches. If you are usinga circular saw, make surethat you lower the base plateso that it cuts about 1/8” intothe wood. Otherwise, you will end up cutting the latter in half. If you use screws to attach the ladder,make sure that you remove the screws before using a circular saw.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
If you made the notches witha radial arm saw, table saw,or router, then screw the latter into place with 3 screws(1-1/4 to 1-1/2” long).Safety: Absolutely do NOTinstall the screws if you aregoing to cut the notches witha circular saw. OR, removethe screws before cutting thenotches with a circular saw.STEP #5: Assemble the Owlhouse.TIP: It helps to have a second person to help you withthis step.Set a nail prior tosetting up sides.Setup with side walls withfloor in place.Common Mistake: Makesure that the floor fits well. Ifthe floor is too big, you willnot be able to get the sidesto fit flush. If the floor is toobig, cut one or more of thefloor sides until it fits snug,but not too small.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Add glue to the side, andspread it out before addingthe front wall.The preferred glue would bewaterproof woodworkersglue. You can also use Elmers white glue.You can spread out the gluewith your finger or a papertowel.Nail the sides together. Thebest nails to use are stainless steel ring shanked nails.You can also use galvanizedor stainless steel screws.Make sure that the sides areflush and aligned from top tobottom of each side.Repeat for all sides.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Check the alignment on thesides and the top and bottom. If it is not right pull thesides apart and redo thestep. Otherwise you will haveproblems later.Turn the box 180 degreesand attach the back side thesame way you attached thefront side.Have someone help youpush the sides together sothat you get a flush fit. Again,make sure the top and bottom are aligned correctly.Add glue to both sidesbefore placing the backside on.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.comDon’t forget to add glue toboth edges.
Here I am adding somestainless steel screws tomake sure that the box willlast as long as possible.ScrewsI generally use 5 screws&nails per edge (20 screws &nails for all sides).NailsSTEP #6: Add hangingbrackets to the back of theowl house.Drill 1/2” holes with aSpade BitThe brackets shown in thepicture are Simpson StrongTies. You can find these inHome Depot or Lowes. Theydo come in two sizes, andyou can use either size. Onthis owl house I used thesmaller brackets.Important Note: Alignmentof the brackets is very important.Spacing isImportantAlign in CenterMake sure the brackets arealigned in the center of backboard.I generally use 1 inch of spacing for the edge of the bracket to the edge of the board for the TOPbracket. I generally use 2 inch of spacing for the edge of the bracket to the edge of the board for theBOTTOM bracket. Remember that the roof must clear the top bracket hole. Otherwise, you will not beable to hang the owl house.Drill 1/2 Inch holes with a spade bit with a drill. I use 1/2 x 1-1/2 inch machine bolts. I use 1/2 inchwashers .How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Optional Step: If you planon adding some type of siding (Aluminum, copper, orvinyl) now is the time to addit to the back side.This owl house is gettingvinyl siding. I add the vinyl.siding AFTER I have drilledthe holes. I tack the vinyl siding onto the back with shortnails (3/4” long) or staples. Ithen drill the vinyl siding fromthe back side of the backwall.You can do this step beforeyou assemble the house, orafter you assemle it. Mostpeople find it easier to do itafter assembling the box.I then insert the bolts andadd a washer and nut to theother side. I then tighten thenuts and bolts.We use the siding for threepurposes. FIRST, it providesweather protection. BarredOwls will use the house formany generations. SECOND, the smooth siding prevents raccoons, snakes, andother preditors from preyingon the eggs and owlets.THIRD, the shiny surfaceattracts owls.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Inspect the interior of the owlhouse to see if any nails arescrews are sticking out.If you find them sticking outon the interiror, remove themwith a screw driver or hammer. The little owlets liveswill depend on well you dothis.Nail Sticking Out!Here is the finished productof this step.Notice: The bottom is notpermanently attached at thispoint.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
STEP #7: Attach the roof.You can use any hinge. Thehinge we used to build thisowl house was used.Important Note: Make sureyou use 3/4 inch longscrews. If the screws are toolong, they will stick into owlhouse. If they are too short,the hinge will be too weak.The easiest way to attach thehinge is to turn the owl houseupside down. Place thehinge in the middle.Check both sides for equal spacingHow to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.comImportant Note: Before youadd the screws to the hinge,make sure that the sides areequal and the back of theroof is up against the metal TBracket.
Before you put the screwsinto the hinge, make surethat the back of the roof isright up against the metal Tbracket.Insert the #12 3/4” screwsinto the hinge.This is the finished product ofthis step that shows the roofopened up.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
This is the final step with theroof closed.Step #8: Secure the bottom.With some of the scrapepieces, cut them and attachthem like pictured. This willkeep the bottom from fallingout when the house starts torot.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Step #9: Optional step - Addweather protection.In this case, we are usingvinyl. We add it to the top,sides, and back. But, we donot add it to the front (We donot want the owlet’s talons toget caught between the vinyland wood).Here we are adding the vinylto the sides.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Step #10: Optional Step Add a perch bar.In this case, we used a deadbranch to create a perch bar.Step #11: Attach a lockinglatch.The locking latch keepspredators from opening thelid and snatching the eggs orowlets. Raccoons can bequite crafty, and are quitecapable of opening the roof ifthe locking latch is notinstalled.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Step #12: Attachment boltsfor attaching the owl houseto the tree.Pictured are 2 hanger bolts.The best hanger bolts are 8inch hanger bolts. 8 inchhanger bolts are hard to find.6 inch hanger bolts will work,and easier to find.Compression springs arehard to find, so the best onescan be obtained from (2)door retainer kits. Doorretainer kits can be purchased from any hardwarestore.Remove the metal rods fromthe springs and dispose ofthe rods. Keep the rest of thehardware for the next step.The end result is pictured onthe right.The compression springs willallow the tree to grow andexpand without destroyingthe owl house.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Step 13: Attach a chain(from door retainer kit) thatcan be used to lift the owlhouse up the tree.We use the left over hardware from the door retainerto make the chain lifter.Attach the metal bracketsinto the side walls.Step #14: - Protect the side walls with parafin was to prevent bees from building nest inside the box.Wasp and Hornets are the two most common bees to build nest in the owl box. Bees can sting and killthe owlets.Now we are ready to hang the owl box.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Step #15: Selection a location for your Owl House.Try to selection a locationthat is 30-200 feet from awater source. A water sourcecan be a lake, pond, river,stream, swamp, or waterhole. Even a dribbling streamwill work.Water SourceYou do NOT want to place itso close to a water sourcethat the owlets drop out ofthe box and fall directly intothe water. They will drown ifyou do this.Try to keep the owl house 100 feet away from a house or building.Try to keep the owl house away from roads. Barred Owls fair very poorly with cars. They tend to flyvery low and have a high incidence of car impacts.Try to place the owl house facing north, or in a location that is protected from the sun. This is moreimportant in the southern part of the United States.Don’t worry about squirrels taking over the owl house. If a Barred Owl decides it wants the owl house,when squirrels are using the house, the owls will either evict or eat the squirrels.Male Barred Owls are the ones who pick the nesting location. Males like to roost in a nearby tree. Ifyou have a conifer tree nearby, this will help attract them to using the owl house.The best time to hang a Barred Owl house is November. In November the bees are hibernating, andBarred Owls will have 3 months to find the house.Try to pick a tree that is 1 foot or larger in diameter.The Barred Owl House should be in dense woods, but the entry hole should be fairly open for easy flying to entry hole by the male barred owl. Remember, the woods may not seem very dense in the Fall.Barred Owls will rarely nest on mountain tops. But, you can find them in the foot hills near mountains.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Step #16: Create rigging tolift and hang the owl house.We usually pick somethingstrong that we can putaround the tree and hangfrom a branch to lift the owlhouse. We use a rope andpulley to easily lift it.It doesn’t have to be a chain,but must be strong enough tosupport the heavy owl house(30-40 pounds). If you use arope, make sure that theknots are good enough. Youwould not want the knots tountie while you are hangingthe owl house. Safety first!Chain wrapped aroundthe tree.Make sure the chaingoes around the TOP ofa branch. This will keepit from falling down tothe ground.We then hook up the pulleyand rope.We then install the top hanger bolt into the tree. (Attach about 1-1/2 feet below the pulley)We drill a hole in the tree for the top hanger bolt. For a 3/8” hanger bolt, we use a 5/16” drill bit todrill the hole. When drilling the hole in the tree, remove the drill bit after drilling 3/4” into the tree andremove any saw dust. This will make it easier to drill. To install the hanger bolt, screw two 3/8” boltsonto the hanger bolt, and tighten them against each other. Then use a wrench to screw the hangerbolt into the tree. Do NOT install the bottom hanger bolt at this time. We will do this AFTER we havehung the owl house.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Before we lift the owl housewe want to attach the owlhouse stablizers. This willhelp keep the house fromswaying on the tree.You also need to add treebark chips to the bottom ofthe owl house. It should beabout 5-6 inches deep. DoNOT use sawdust. You canget the bark chips from anursery or Home Depot.Attach the rope to the chainon the back of the owl house.Safety Tip: Never EVERstand under the owl housewhile rising or attachingthe owl house. If something should break, youdon’t want to be injuried orkilled by the owl house falling on you.This is at least a 2 personjob. So get someone capableof helping you.If you do not feel confidentdoing this, hire a tree firm tohang the house for you. Falling off the ladder is veryeasy.Also do not hang the owl house on a windy day. The wind will move the tree, and could cause you tofall from the ladder.Always double check everything before lifting the house. Safety always comes first!How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Your ladder needs to be on the left or right sideof where you are going to lift the owl house.Once you have lifted the owl house, climb theladder and lift the owl house onto the tophanger bolt. Grabbing the opening of the owlhouse seems to be the easist way to handlethe owl house while trying to slip the metalbracket onto the hanger bolt. Once you haveslipped the owl house onto the hanger bolt,attach the compression spring, and screw onthe washer/bolt.Now you can drill the bottom hole and attachthe bottom hanger bolt. Attach the compression spring and bolt.You do not want to tighten the bolts all the waydown. The owl house will NOT be rigid on thetree.I like to use wing nuts instead of standard hexhuts. Both have their pros and cons.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
Here is a picture of the bottom hanger bolt installed.Here is the finish project!You don’t want to visit theowl house every day. Thiscan scare them away.Male Barred Owls will sometimes drap dead squirrelsover branches near a suitable nest, so if you do seethis, it is a sign that a MaleBarred Owl is interested inyour house.Once they start to use thehouse, they will return toyour house for the rest oftheir lives. Even their offspring will use it if their parents are killed. If you have toreplace the owl house or tree years from now, they will take to the new owl house or location if it islocated near the first house.How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com
How to Build A Barred Owl House - www.owlpages.com STEP #1: Mark out the draw-ing onto the plywood, and cut the pieces. Tip: Make sure that you make the line the same thickness as the saw blade you will be using. If you are not sure, then hold the blade up to the line and m
