need everybodys help on paint

[frank arendt]

I have 36 big naturals that I use..For the past 4 years,I virtually have to scrape and sand,and repaint them..Someone on the forum I'm sure has solved this problem..Would certainly appreciate some needy advice,thanks..frank

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Some things to do that may help:

1) did you remove all the mold from the outside before you painted? If not, then soak the gourd in water for 15 min, then remove all the old paint & mold with a wire brush, scraper, or pressure wash the gourd. The gourd must be very clean..paint will not stick to the mold

2) make sure the gourd is extremely dry before you paint. Some people store them in a barn, they absorb moisture, and the paint will not stick. Put the gourd in a very dry place, beside the heater, beside the stove, beside a hot water heater, or wait until summer and put them in a dry place so they get very dry

3)use an exterior primer paint, brush it on, and let it dry well. Go over any places that may still be showing thru the primer..I prime my twice. The primer paint seals out the moisture and it is a very sticky paint so it sticks to the gourd very good. Some people lightly sand the unpainted gourd so paint sticks better.

4)brush on any kind of exterior paint


Hope that helps...Most paint jobs should last 3 or 4 years, especially if you take down the gourds during the winter months and store them in a dry place. I repaint some of mine that I repair, some have bad stains so I may repaint them, some I don't repaint until they need it

[Guest]

Frank,

I was just reading info here on this site. Clique on PMA Shop, Clique on Gourds, then Gourd Supplies. There is information about cleaning the gourds, soaking them in Copper Sulfate, I think thats what it said, Priming them and painting them with an oil based paint. Hopefully this might help you.

Rip.

[TreeGreenwood]

I read an article here a year or two ago about using white Elastomeric roof coating. It's very waterproof and resistant to UV rays, stays somewhat flexible so it doesn't crack or flake. This is only my second season with naturals painted with Elastomeric but they don't need repainting this year.

Take care,

Tree

[John & Linda - KY]

You don't HAVE to paint them at all. We clean ours out, drill the entrance hole, drain holes and hanging holes and are done. Of course, if you're going to do nest checks and changes you'll have to add a clean out port. Our gourds don't last as long as those that are treated and painted -- usually 3 - 4 years. We hang 36 gourds and have their ages staggered so we have to replace 8 - 10 per year, so we just have to be sure to have that many ready before the next season. The martins like them just as well. -- John

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

John, the people in the SE of the US did it exactly like you describe for over a hundred years!

Do you put in a vent? Do they seem to get hot, or better, have you lost any babies due to the heat...I am still in doubt if it gets too hot for martins, but I do vent mine.

[John & Linda - KY]

Emil -- We don't vent our gourds. It doesn't get as hot here as in TX, LA, and the other more southern states. 90+ degrees is a HOT day here. Last summer was an unusually hot summer and we might have lost a young bird or two to the heat, but not normally. A friend of ours in AL got us started on natural gourds -- brought us a dozen and showed us how to prepare them. We're doing them the same way he does for his ~75 gourd colony. -- JohnP

[Guest]

I read an article here a year or two ago about using white Elastomeric roof coating. It's very waterproof and resistant to UV rays, stays somewhat flexible so it doesn't crack or flake. This is only my second season with naturals painted with Elastomeric but they don't need repainting this year. Tree

TG,

Where do you get Elastomeric roof coating? Is it expensive? Does it paint on just like paint? Did you use primer before using Elastomeric?

[TreeGreenwood]

I've seen Elastomeric roof coating under brand names like Kool Koat, Cool Seal or something similar at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Lowes and Home Depot. At Wal-Mart and K-Mart, it's in the paint section near the coatings for driveways and decks. In home improvement stores, it's usually in the roofing section by the roof patching stuff. I bought my gallon can at Lowes. It's no more expensive than premium latex house paint.

I used an acrylic primer over the gourd and plastic parts like access port and tunnel entrance. Elastomeric is thick but goes on like a thick latex paint. The instructions recommend that brush strokes criss-cross, horizontal on the first coat and then vertical on the next coat that is applied immeditely so the layers bond.

I did a search for 'elastomeric' on the PMCA home page and got a few hits but couldn't find the forum posts that described the process I used. I may have saved the text at home (I'm goofing off at work for a bit right now). I'll check on Friday. One hit stated that Elastomeric is thick enough to have beneficial insulating qualities. Check http://www.purplemartin.org/update/NaturalGourd.pdf for some pertinent comments by a more experienced landlord.

Take care,

Tree