Question 1

Why do we use stain on our dove houses?

Accepted Answer

Doves are more attracted to dark-colored dove houses than light-colored dove houses. We experiemented with this many times before making the choice to stain our dove houses. Stained cedar will last many times longer in the elements than unstained cedar. If left unstained, dove excrement itself would stain the cedar in such a way that the wood could not be cleaned and would appear very unattractive. By staining our dove houses, bird excrement cannot seep into the wood. This allows our dove houses to be cleaned with soap and water to bring them back to their original state. The reason we do not use water sealant is because water sealant would allow the cedar to turn gray and age much quicker, while also not protecting against UV rays nearly as well as the stain we use. For a better understanding of the differences between Sealant vs Wood Stain, check out this video from Olympic: (Olympic Video)

Question 2

Why does the stain have a strong chemical odor?

Accepted Answer

Water is a chemical. All stains are composed of chemicals. The stain we use is composed of environmentally-friendly chemicals. The odor should dissipate within a week or so of being outside in fresh air. As far as the smell bothering your doves, you have nothing to be concerned about! There has been a great and long debate in the birding world as to if birds even possess a sense of smell. A few birds that have been proven to possess smell are vultures, seabirds, kiwis, and parrots. Backyard birds, like doves, have not been proven to possess a sense of smell. And even if they’re able to smell the wood stain on our dove houses, the entire purpose of choosing Environmentally-Friendly Wood Stain is so that it is not damaging to animals, the environment, or humans; hence, the smell will not harm them. To reiterate, the smell will dissipate within a week or so of being outside in fresh air.

Question 3

Some Attributes of Our Wood Stain...

Accepted Answer

Interior/Exterior Formula 99% ultraviolet Protection Brazilian Rosewood Oil No Petroleum Distillates Environmentally Sound VOC less than 1 g/liter Safe for Use Around Children and Animals

Question 4

Why We Chose Environmentally-Friendly Wood Stain...

Accepted Answer

We care about animals, the environment, and our own brains. We stain all of our dove houses indoors, so we wanted something that smells far less intense than regular stains. We also chose it to avoid the inevitable brain damage that would ensue, should we use a regular stain with a higher VOC content.

Question 5

Why do we use a Weather-Resistant Underlayment backing?

Accepted Answer

The main purpose of using a light-weight backing material is so that our dove house is light enough to be mounted with just one screw. The purpose behind staining the front of the backing is purely visual, so it matches the color of the rest of the dove house. If extreme circumstances cause damage to your dove house backing, please email us here: (loveydoveybirdhouses@gmail.com). We’re happy to work with you!

Question 6

Is the one screw included with the dove house strong enough to endure bad weather?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! We live in the 2nd windiest city in the United States. We’ve had our dove houses mounted to our house through extreme gale-force winds and torrential rains. They’ve never fallen down or even budged, for that matter. Placing your dove house under an eave, and closer to a corner will ensure they receive as little exposure to strong winds as possible.

Question 7

Are the staples we use strong enough to hold our dove house together?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We use staples because we found that they hold far better when used in pairs and inserted at an angle. When attempting to pull our dove houses apart to test the strength of the staples, we found them to be more than adequate. If it takes extended time to pull our dove houses apart with human levels of strength, we’re not in any way concerned with doves or the elements pulling them apart. If you have an experience with your dove house not being as securely held together as we intended, please contact us at: (loveydoveybirdhouses@gmail.com). We’re here to help!

Question 8

What are your dove houses made of?

Accepted Answer

All boards, other than the backing, are made from Cedar. The backing is made from Weather-Resistant Underlayment.

Question 9

Will the wood dry-rot in the sun?

Accepted Answer

Not at all, as we use eco-friendly wood stain that prevents sun damage.

Question 10

How do I clean out my dove house?

Accepted Answer

We designed our dove houses with that exact thought in mind. The wood panel that makes up the base of the dove house slides into and out of place. Just unscrew the wing nut (you can do this by hand, no screw driver needed), pull out the bottom board and the nesting material should fall out of it’s own accord (you may want to do this over a trash can).

Question 11

Will the doves/birds leave a mess on the side of my house?

Accepted Answer

For those worried about birds leaving a mess on the side of your house, have no fear! Correct placement of the dove house will ensure that birds won’t have the opportunity to leave unsightly messes on it. Make sure the top corner of the dove house is no more than 1 inch from the eave of your house. This will keep smaller birds from roosting on the top of the dove house. Also, if you mount the dove house on an inside corner of your house, leave at least 2 inches of space between the side of the dove house and the inside corner of your house. This will ensure that other birds do not roost on the side corners of the dove house.

Question 12

How do I get doves to nest in my dove house?

Accepted Answer

We have some top-secret advice about that on our ‘Nesting‘ page.

Question 13

My product arrived damaged…

Accepted Answer

Inconceivable! In any case, you’ll want to contact Amazon about that. They have all the answers. All of them. Okay, maybe not all of them. In that case, contact us through our Contact Page.

Question 14

What is your refund policy?

Accepted Answer

We maintain allegiance with Amazon. They handle our refund policy with an iron fist. Safe. Stable. Secure.

Question 15

What is your shipping policy?

Accepted Answer

All of our products are now shipped and sold through Amazon. To visit our Amazon shop, click here.

Lovey Dovey Birdhouses

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