SOME INFORMATIVE FACTS

For hundreds of years, people have built purple martin houses in hopes of hosting these charming and uplifting birds. Today, the dependence of the purple martin upon man-made housing has never been stronger. The vast majority of North America's nesting Purple Martin population east of the Mississippi River seeks out human supplied housing in order to socialize, find a mate, nest, and rear young. Houses erected for Purple Martins have been made from many different types of materials throughout history. A listing of these house materials includes steel, aluminum, plastics, and last but not least, wood. All of these materials have been used with success. However, it is worthy to note that each and every material has its own specific benefits and shortcomings. The information that ensues is not presented with  a goal to elevate one specific material over another. It is however offered to point out and recognize the merits of Western Red Cedar, a material that is oftentimes overlooked. Armed with this information, hopefully all who continue on to read the following will have a truthful yet different perspective concerning this natural material that has earned rightful recognition as a natural material suitable for most any outdoor application…. including Purple Martin Houses.

 DURABILITY
Western Red Cedar is a wood product that offers excellent inborn durability. The naturally occurring oils (technically known by the scientific community as phenol preservatives) make it highly impermeable to water and resistant to insect infestations and decay. It is also very worthy to note that the wood is also free of sap and resin. Thus it takes on applications of paint very well. Western Red Cedar lies flat and stays straight. When service life of  WRC products is considered, the actual numbers are quite surprising. In an uncoated condition and exposed continually to the environment, it will last up to 30 years. Additional information about the service life of WRC follows in another section. Because of its natural resistance to moisture, it is a wood that performs well in humid regions. It is no wonder that this wood is the top choice amongst natural wood materials used in outdoor applications.

PRACTICALITY - HEAT RELATIONSHIPS
The cellular structure of Western Red Cedar creates natural interior air spaces that give it an insulation value higher than most any other wood. Its insulative value is vastly higher also than that of other construction materials including brick, concrete, and metal of the same thickness. Copolymer plastics also do not offer the same higher thermal benefits when put up against WRC of the same thickness. What this all translates to is that structures built with it will be warmer during cooler temperatures and cooler in the heat.

 Thermal conductivity, simply defined, is the ability of a material to conduct heat. When thermal conductivity is considered, Western Red Cedar has thermal characteristics that are unequaled by other Western Softwood Species, except for Alpine Fir. Alpine Fir offers like properties thermally, but cannot provide the durability and stability that WRC does. Western Red Cedar is the unrivaled champion of wood products for Purple Martin Houses.

Inaccurate Statements

Wood houses, including those made from WRC, attract more Starlings than do metal or plastic houses.
 Fact
The size and inner dimensions of a Purple Martin house's compartments are responsible for the degree that they are attractive to European Starlings. The type of house materials has absolutely no affect upon whether it will be attractive to Starlings or not. Although enlarged compartments are far more desirable and beneficial to nesting Purple Martins, Starlings may be drawn to them also. Proactive plans put in place to control the direct competition between martins and starlings must include methods to limit the competition between the two species. Unfortunately, offering a house that is made from another material other than wood WILL NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.

Western Red Cedar martin houses are high maintenance and require frequent upkeep.

 Fact
Western Red Cedar is a wood that is free of sap and pitch and absorbs properly applied paint well. Adding paint applications to the exterior surfaces of the martin house is desirable. First off, it will extend the service life of the house. Studies have proven that unpainted WRC exposed to continual weather will last up to 30 years. With the application of a high quality oil based primer and a finish coat of 100% acrylic latex paint, it will last nearly double that amount of time. When properly applied, paint applications can last up to 10 years or longer before another application is required. The paint used to coat the house should be lighter in color. White is preferred. Houses that are painted white offer dual benefits. First, they will reflect sunlight better. Second, they will enjoy an extended service life. Although houses with white exteriors will not eliminate all heat induced problems associated with a martin house, they are helpful in reducing some of them. The naturally inherent thermal properties of Western Red Cedar add to the heat reducing virtues associated with painting the outside of the house white.

  WESTERN RED CEDAR - A WOOD OF THE PAST FOR THE PRESENT!