Bat House | Build It | Ask This Old House

Рет қаралды 30,609

Ай бұрын

In this video, This Old House host Kevin O’Connor meets with general contractor Tom Silva and landscape contractor Jenn Nawada to talk about bats and how beneficial they are. Then Tom and Kevin build a bat house.
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One of the best ways to support bats is to hang a bat house in your backyard. They give bats safe places to stay during the day while allowing them to move freely. Kevin O’Connor meets with general contractor Tom Silva and landscape contractor Jenn Nawada to talk about how beneficial bats are, and then Tom shows Kevin how to build a bat house to encourage these flying friends to nest.
Where to find it?
For the building materials, Tom has chosen 3/4” exterior grade CDX plywood [homedepot.sjv.io/LX6xLY] and 2x4 cedar board [homedepot.sjv.io/eKzr0z].
To cut the cedar board, Tom uses a miter saw [homedepot.sjv.io/KjNNMx]. He then uses a track saw [homedepot.sjv.io/0ZqxaJ] to make all the other measurement cuts on the CDX plywood. To give the bats a better area to grip, Tom uses the track saw to cut a few rows of grooves on the bottom of the back piece.
To assemble the bat house, Tom secures the pieces with caulking adhesive [homedepot.sjv.io/LXkg2M] and exterior grade pocket screws [homedepot.sjv.io/Mm5DMq]. He then uses a drill bit [homedepot.sjv.io/NkLQa2] to create venting holes, allowing better airflow. For the finishing touch, Kevin and Tom paint the bat house with an exterior grade water-based black paint [homedepot.sjv.io/MmODeo].
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Materials:
Bat house plans [amzn.to/4djyZBz]
Cedar or untreated 2x4 [homedepot.sjv.io/eKzr0z]
Non-treated CDX plywood [homedepot.sjv.io/LX6xLY]
Caulk [homedepot.sjv.io/LXkg2M]
Exterior grade pocket screws [homedepot.sjv.io/Mm5DMq]
Water-based paint [homedepot.sjv.io/MmODeo]
Note: It’s important to use wood that has not been treated with chemicals. CDX plywood can be difficult to find untreated, so consider using another rougher plywood if you’re unable to find it. BC plywood will typically do the trick.
Tools:
Tape measure [homedepot.sjv.io/rQEBXy]
Miter saw [homedepot.sjv.io/KjNNMx]
Track saw or table saw [homedepot.sjv.io/0ZqxaJ]
Power drill [homedepot.sjv.io/R50Wna]
3/4 inch drill bit [homedepot.sjv.io/NkLQa2]
Build It:
This Old House general contractor Tom Silva, This Old House host Kevin O’Connor, and special guests including Jimmy DiResta, take you through step-by-step DIY projects in this popular video series. From end-tables to cutting boards to wine racks to chicken coops and more, learn how to build from the best pros in the game. Segments include mention of all tools and materials needed to get the job done.
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Bat House | Build It | Ask This Old House
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Пікірлер: 79

@hockeyguy0212 29 күн бұрын

Put in my first bat box two summers ago. Haven’t been bitten by a mosquito since. Love having it.

@c0mputer 29 күн бұрын

Don’t you live in the arctic?

@jmert_5859 26 күн бұрын

Nice

@jo_nathan_nation6544 27 күн бұрын

The relationship between Tom and Kevin reminds me of the one I had (still have) with this boy (now man) I mentored through Big Brothers Big sisters. I am a woodworker/furniture builder and we used to build things for his mom as our activities. We met when he was 9 and he is now 26. He is now a cabinet maker and carpenter. I am incredibly proud of him. He is all grown now and has wife and two babies.

@0blivioniox864 29 күн бұрын

Nice. But forget about the bats - you can rent that out for a grand a month in the northeast.

@wilsonxyz92 29 күн бұрын

Now I want to see Bat Cave project by Tom Silva 😂

@TheCrimsonFlash 29 күн бұрын

Tom is the Bat Man.

@jank330 29 күн бұрын

cool i put my bat house up 8 years ago on the back of the garage close to our pond I'm happy to report they seem to like it.

@brystmar Ай бұрын

Now we just need a bat signal.

@SledDog5678 29 күн бұрын

👍

@Mao2187 29 күн бұрын

Side of the barn facing the sun when in Maine is best. NO TREES. also the side of a chimney or house is okay. The best is a 30 foot high pole at least 40 feet away from trees and near a body of fresh water.

@BamBamBigelow.. 29 күн бұрын

Yes, The Bat instructions!

@silentlou4375 29 күн бұрын

Would love a video on a nest box for Chimney Swifts (much more involved than a bat house).

@craigbrowning9448 Ай бұрын

Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da- Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da- Bat House!

@duncansutherland47 29 күн бұрын

Awesome!!

@GoodwillCriminalsOfDallas 29 күн бұрын

Want to see the ultimate bat cave. Head to Austin, Texas. The main highway bridge is home to one of the largest bat colonies in the world. It is an amazing experience to watch them leave to go hunting in the evening.

@Mizzelphug 29 күн бұрын

There was a bridge like that here in Houston too, but I think Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico has everyone beat on amazing bat populations.

@robertoler3795 29 күн бұрын

my next project we hve bats here in Gig Harbor thanks guys

@jmason61 29 күн бұрын

This is cool! I always thought they were more just like a birdhouse with big empty spaces inside. But I suppose they need to be more specific if they are actually going to attract bats

@susanvasquez3625 27 күн бұрын

Have a care for what you place it over as well. Bat guano is very acidic. Be sure to put the house where droppings will fall to the ground, or where you can clean them off with a pressure washer as needed.

@tim22589 29 күн бұрын

Perfect for when you want to get back at the HOA.

@Navy1977 27 күн бұрын

How does it get back at the HOA? 🤔🤷

@tim22589 27 күн бұрын

@@Navy1977 Bats are endangered species and protected under federal law. Once established, it's a crime to disrupt a bat habitat.

@Navy1977 27 күн бұрын

@@tim22589 "The majority of bats in North America are not federally protected." Regardless, how does building bat houses get back at the HOA?

@subliminalfreedom 29 күн бұрын

Neat

@Its_crazyadamla 29 күн бұрын

Tom Silva is the star of the show....

@BradThePitts 29 күн бұрын

Been a fan since 1979. Tommy can't go on forever, I fear TOH will loose its charm when he permanently retires.

@Kevin-mp5of 29 күн бұрын

*lose

@Navy1977 27 күн бұрын

@@Kevin-mp5ofThat's a pretty loose comment. 🤔🤷🤦🤭🤣🤣🤣🤣

@christophercope6311 25 күн бұрын

Who makes the track saw?

@Andrea-bw8xm 29 күн бұрын

I recall reading that the best location for a bathouse is high up (like you said) on the northeast side of the house/ barn. Your model is nice and big. Was the gap between the partitions only 3/4"?

@Navy1977 29 күн бұрын

5/8's. I thought you needed 3/4 to 1 inch spaces? Even bigger is OK.

@4speed3pedals 24 күн бұрын

Has anyone figured out the dimensions? If you dabble in wood projects, how many sheets of CDX are you willing to waste?

@ryan71100 5 күн бұрын

Anyone have the plans for this?

@MegaRiffraff 29 күн бұрын

👍🏻

@patmcbride9853 20 күн бұрын

The bats will be plenty warm in my neck of the woods, even if the bat home is painted white.

@lordgarth1 28 күн бұрын

I was going to put one up but was warned that (at least where I live) once you put one up it becomes protected habitat and you can’t relocate it or remove it. So best check state regs.

@Kevin-mp5of 28 күн бұрын

It's the same with the squatters here in California, once they move into a vacant home you can't get them out because their habitat is protected by FJB...

@Navy1977 27 күн бұрын

Where do you live?

@Jack-xo2zp 29 күн бұрын

That house looks like a good place for honeybees to build a hive in.

@SledDog5678 29 күн бұрын

Or wasps

@LetsGoBrandon-FJB 27 күн бұрын

🔦🦇

@JillKrause-fj7ku Ай бұрын

Will this keep them from moving into your house. They have moved into mine and they don’t seem to mind the material, water etc. we have tried everything to make them leave. Do you have any suggestions?

@KendrasEdge757 Ай бұрын

Hire a pest control contractor to remove them. Then hire a contractor to seal up your house.

@JillKrause-fj7ku 29 күн бұрын

@@KendrasEdge757 thank you we did that a few years ago. they managed to get in somewhere else last year and had babies we were told they are endangered species and you just have to live with them until they are old enough to survive on their on. Which was from April of last year until August. In August they put in a one way escape for them to get and and not back in. I then paid another company to come back out and double check all the places they could enter. So far I haven’t seen signs of them getting back in this year. But if they get in and have babies it will be too late.

@KendrasEdge757 29 күн бұрын

@@JillKrause-fj7ku wow! Thats just ridiculous y’all had to just live with it. Well hopefully they did a good job checking to make sure everything is sealed up. I know you weren’t asking me, but I don’t think this would necessarily keep them out of your place if you built this, but if they found it first than maybe so 🤷‍♂️

@adamdejesus4017 29 күн бұрын

I had ORKIN do a bat exclusion in my attic, they were pricey but thorough, and bats *have not returned* it has been five years now. They also do a re-inspection every year since the work. The trick is every gap/hole larger than a dime needs to be plugged. My bats have since moved into the woods, I see them every night, they still keep the mosquitos down but they don't show up in my living room! I thought about a bat house to keep them around but they found their own new digs.

@fmradio42 29 күн бұрын

Be careful and working on shutters. I seen bats behind them.

@gameeverything816 29 күн бұрын

No batman sybol on the front?

@SledDog5678 29 күн бұрын

I thought the same!

@montanaspring7176 27 күн бұрын

oh no., the table was cut

@gpslightlock1422 28 күн бұрын

How about a Robin's nest next to it? Can't have Batman without Robin!

@Navy1977 27 күн бұрын

That's cleverly humorous. 🤣🤣🤣

@Guardducks 29 күн бұрын

Pops gone batty.

@LastofallJedi 29 күн бұрын

The perfect rental for a wasp queen looking for a new place to set up residence. How much are you asking? The wasp queen asked.

@GP1080HD 29 күн бұрын

Why Kevin is so quiet today? Everything alright??!!??!!??

@Kevin-mp5of 28 күн бұрын

Bat got his tongue?

@Kevin-mp5of 29 күн бұрын

Bat soup?

@jacobbirkenfeld9261 23 күн бұрын

Says “its important not to use any treated lumber so we don’t build this bat house full of chemicals, so buy cedar 2x4s. Then proceeds to tell us to buy P.T. Plywood to make up 85% of the bat-house with….

@tomcook8897 16 күн бұрын

Thought that was weird too

@spencer2365 Ай бұрын

Nice to see them finally using quality cordless tools. Milwaukee is for tradespeople, Dewalt is for homeowners

@KendrasEdge757 Ай бұрын

They were using expensive Festool for a few years. Guess Milwaukee gave them a better deal and more people can afford them over festool.

@johnlebzelter4208 Ай бұрын

Haha. No one asked for your opinion.

@allentoyokawa9068 Ай бұрын

Makita is far better

@KendrasEdge757 29 күн бұрын

@@allentoyokawa9068 opinion, but better than what? A hand saw? What’s the starting point. Saying ___ is better than ____ is subjective and opinion.

@joeivo911 29 күн бұрын

@@johnlebzelter4208 loser.

@BradThePitts 29 күн бұрын

Forget the carpentry, Tommy has the best comb-over in history. Who's his barber, I need to see him!

@saulgoodman2018 11 күн бұрын

Hell no. I hat bats. I don't want them no where near my house.

@godspeed2u Ай бұрын

First 😊

@Physign Ай бұрын

Here come the “no one cares” comments 😂 Glad to see someone enjoys this old house as much as I do

@godspeed2u 29 күн бұрын

@@Physign Love your comment. Feeling goofy today

@Navy1977 29 күн бұрын

@@godspeed2uThat's a real Mickey Mouse comment you probably stole from Donald Duck or maybe even Max Goof himself. What a goof ball you are. 🤔😁😉😊🤭🤣🤣🤣🤪🤪🤪🤪😊

@metalechoes1 29 күн бұрын

You can tell they're running out of ideas.

@0blivioniox864 29 күн бұрын

TV and Movie houses have been out of ideas since the 2008 writer's strike.

@waguchan2414 29 күн бұрын

I enjoyed this episode. They installed similar bat houses in the parks where I live, so I considered building one.

@Navy1977 27 күн бұрын

@@waguchan2414It's a great Scout or community project.

@WoogieboogieOG 29 күн бұрын

Bat house?? We use to hit them with a broom and put them in the freezer in Tupperware as a kid. Why you ask? Because if you try to release the dang thing it comes back into your house through same spot.