How to Build an Atrium for Birds

Make an outdoor house for your birds so they can fly around in the fresh air without escaping or getting lost. An atrium is a structure large enough so that your pet birds can stretch their wings and fly around in the comfort of your backyard or patio. Making your own atrium is convenient because you decide exactly how large it is and customize it to the needs of your breed of birds. Find the materials you need in the home improvement store.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Tape measure
  • Chalk
  • Wood boards
  • Hammer
  • Nails
  • Concrete
  • Water
  • Wheelbarrow
  • Spade
  • 1-inch-thick Treated lumber
  • Table saw
  • 12-gauge Welded-wire cloth
  • Wire cutters
  • Ready-to-hang door
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Instructions

    • 1

      Draw up the plans for your bird atrium and take note of the dimensions on the paper. The measurements of the atrium depends on how large your bird is. The width of the atrium will need to be three times the wingspan of your bird. Make the length of the atrium six times longer than the length of the bird's body. Calculate the height of the atrium to be four times taller than the height of the bird.

    • 2

      Measure and mark an area on the ground with chalk, in the spot where you want the atrium to be, at the width and length you determined. Place wood boards along the lines that meet in the corners of the area, with the broad sides of the wood boards facing out, on the ground and nail them together where they meet.

    • 3

      Pour two to three bags of concrete mix into a wheelbarrow, add water and stir with a spade until it has the consistency of thick cake batter. Scoop the concrete into the area surrounded by the wood boards and fill the area so that the concrete is even and level with the top edges of the boards. Wait one week for the concrete to cure.

    • 4

      Measure and cut treated lumber to build the frame of the atrium, with a tape measure and a table saw. Use boards that are 2 to 3 inches wide and no more than 1 inch thick. Cut four boards to the height you determined, six boards to the length of the atrium and six boards to the width you determined.

    • 5

      Assemble the frame with the four longest boards running vertical in the four corners of the area of the atrium. Nail the boards for the sides of the frame horizontally along the top, of the vertical boards, in the corners where they meet. Nail for more of the side boards at the other ends of the vertical frames and the last four around the middle of the vertical boards to reinforce the strength of the frame.

    • 6

      Cut a panel of 12-gauge, galvanized, welded-wire cloth to the width of the atrium, multiplied by the length -- this piece is the roof of the atrium. Cut four more panels of wire cloth to the height and width of the sides.

    • 7

      Line up the edges of the panels of wire cloth with the edges of the frames and nail them in place, with a nail through the wire and wood of the frame every 2 inches.

    • 8

      Measure the area of a pre-made ready to install door and cut this area out of one of the walls of the atrium with a pair of wire cutters. Place the door in the opening and attach it with a hammer and nails, or with screws. Your atrium is now ready to be customized for your pet birds.