S K Manufacturing EXRP19 Martin House 1.9 Inch Instructions
- May 15, 2024
- S K Manufacturing
Table of Contents
S K Manufacturing EXRP19 Martin House 1.9 Inc
Product View
Model: AB with EXRP19 Pole
Engineering Note:
After all the pieces of the American Barn are correctly assembled, this barn
will become Very Solid.
Please read all directions before starting assembly.
Before you begin assembly you must purchase the EXRP19 Pole
IF ANY ITEMS ARE DISCOVERED MISSING, DO NOT RETURN TO STORE.
EMAIL US AT
[email protected]
Parts list
- 1 Roof
- 2 Floors
- 4 Perches
- 2 Barn Sides
- 1 Attic Floor
- 4 Door Dividers
- 4 Door Panels
- 4 Wall Dividers
- 2 Pillar Dividers
- 2 Attic Room Dividers
- 1 bag of 34 Snaps (white or black)
- 2 Attic Bell Curve Side Walls
Assembly Instructions
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Step 1: Purchase the EXRP19 Pole.
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Step 2: Receive your EXRP19.
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Step 3: Remove the Topper and rope out of the EXRP19 Pole box.
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Step 4: Remove the roof from the American Barn box. Turn the roof inside out so that the shingle design is on the outside. The hole in the roof will be covered by the Topper when installed on the EXRP19 Pole.
(sold separately)
Floor image enhanced to show the hole label detail.
Only Holes I and 2 are used on this model. -
Step 5: Feed the rope through the Topper.
Fig. 1:
Pull one end of the rope through the pole Topper.
Fig. 2:
Keep rope tangle free. Take the two ends of the rope and put them through the roof top opening.
Fig. 3:
Continue through the attic floor.
Fig. 4a:
Ensure the two floor sections face in the same direction. Run one end of rope through Hole I on the second floor and the other end of the other rope through Hole 2.
Fig. 4b
Separate the ropes and make sure they are not tangled.
Take the rope from Hole 1 on the second floor and insert it into Hole I of the first floor.
Now take the rope from Hole 2 from the second floor and insert it into Hole 2 of the first floor.
Fig. 5:
Ensure plenty of rope has been pulled through each hole. Then separate the two floors. Tie the two ends of rope with a loose double knot below the bottom floor. This way the rope will not pull back through the floors during the rest of the assembly process.
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Step 6: Fold the Pillar into a square and lock in place.
NOTE: The “UP” arrow goes on the outside of the Pillar.
Special Note: The ropes must be inside the Pillar. -
Step 7: The Pillar has tabs that will snap into the center section of both floors.
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Step 8: Insert the tabs into the corresponding holes in the floor until they lock into place.
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Step 9: Take a wall divider and locate the bottom tabs as shown and the corresponding holes on the floor and the Pillar. Insert the two dividers. Ensure the tabs are locked into the corresponding holes on the floor and the Pillar.
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Step 10: The door dividers will snap into the entrance side of the floor.
NOTE: The tabs and the arrows in the floor indicate the entrances of the barn. -
Step 11 : Place the second floor atop the dividers. Be sure the floors are turned in the same direction. Push the tabs of the standing dividers into the corresponding holes.
Insert the second Pillar (around the ropes) and add dividers on the second floor exactly as the first floor (Steps 6 through 10). -
Step 12: The attic floor fits over the top Pillar, and allows the corresponding tabs from the dividers on the second floor to be pushed in place on the attic floor.
NOTE: If the shelter appears WARPED at this point, do not worry. It will straighten during the following steps. -
Step 13: The 2 Attic Bell Curved Side Walls are inserted by pushing the tabs into the corresponding holes in the attic floor. They snap in the Attic Room Dividers.
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Step 14: Place this assembly on its side. Place a barn side panel here, ensuring its textured side is facing outward, and align the holes on this piece with those on the floors of the shelter.
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Step 15: Be sure the corresponding holes in the side walls and the floors are aligned before inserting the snaps. The smaller holes are where the Perches are to be inserted.
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Step 16: Ten snaps go into each side of the barn. Be sure to push the snaps in all the way.
Repeat Steps 14 through 15 on the opposite side wall.
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Step 17: With the barn upright, take the roof and place it over the barn. At each corner of the roof, you will find an alignment hole that corresponds with a slide tab. Push the small tab through the pre-cut hole to attach the corner of the roof (all 4 corners) and slide into place.
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Step 18: Starting at the roof , peak, place snaps down each side of the roof to the eaves.
Align roof holes with the snap holes in the side walls. -
Step 19: The four door panels are attached by inserting the end tabs through the molded holes in the side panel as shown. The door panels will swing up. Press the floor tabs behind each door panel until it snaps into place.
Additional Information
House Notes: Additional Information
To Clean and Inspect
To gain access to the inside of the home, the doors swing up and down. To
open, press down on the two tabs on the flooring. Pull the bottom of the door
upward. When closing, close door until the floor tabs click into place.
Maintenance Tips
The home can be painted with Fusion® paint to change its color. Apply
Rain-X®or Armor All® to the roof if desired, to allow water to slide off of it
easily.
Nesting Help
Adding a small amount of pine needles/straw into each Martin compartment gives the Purple Martins a start in nest building.
Purple Martin Basics
Generations of North Americans have celebrated purple martins, and we are glad to help you on your journey to become a successful landlord. Our shelters offer some of the latest innovations in purple martin housing, and the information here can improve your chances of attracting this magnificent, migratory swallow.
HISTORY: Records indicate that Native Americans have been offering
shelter to purple martins since pre colonial times, hanging hollowed and dried
gourds in groups for these migratory birds. They found that martins ate
several insects that were harming crops, and this led to a beneficial
relationship and the birds forming colonies.
Over time, erecting multi-compartment housing for martins became a popular and
practical practice, and martins are now entirely dependent upon manmade
shelters east of the Rocky Mountains. As the fate of these birds is now M.,,
in our hands, it is extremely important that we provide adequate housing for
them.
Purple martins migrate from the Amazon basin in Brazil northward to North America. They fly Apri115 up to 7,000 miles each trek and can be found in approximately 3 7 states and 6 Canadian provinces.
Please ref er to the map to see when purple martins will be migrating to your area.
BENEFITS OF HOUSING MARTINS: Offering these birds nesting sites has been
an enduring pastime, and one known benefit is that they are primarily
insectivores.
They typically eat a variety of flies, bees, moths, dragonflies, and wasps,
diminishing insect pests in your area. Historically, large groups would
sometimes band together to threaten and overwhelm other birds such as crows or
vultures, keeping crops safe and making them a welcome guest for farmers. As
they have a strong sense of site fidelity, martins often return annually to
the same colony, allowing you to identify different birds and strongly
understand individual behaviors. Amaze at the flight patterns of these
acrobatic birds, particularly the male courtship displays, and enjoy their
dawn song as a natural soundtrack.
LOCATING HOUSING: Over the centuries, martins have shown preferences for specific housing locations and siting. For optimum occupancy rates, you will want to place the shelter in the most open area possible, and as close to 15′ to 20′ high as you can. Homes should be placed 40′ to 60′ away from any trees taller than the nesting box, and approximately 30′ away from human housing. Due to hunting by hawks, owls, snakes, and raccoons, martins will not nest in homes placed under or near trees. They will need the open area around the house for enough room and time for them to flee any aerial predators.
KEEPING YOUR COLONY: The key to establishing and retaining a successful
martin colony is proper management. Our unique housing set ups have been
designed to encourage martins to roost and help you effectively manage it. The
sturdy poles enable you to lower the gourds or home for inspection and
checking nests, and to monitor the progress of each nesting pair.
The homes and gourds have larger compartments, as compared to traditional
shelters, which promotes better breeding success, as these birds tend to raise
more young when provided with larger nesting cavities. The gourds and homes
also have crescent shaped starling resistant entry holes, which are smaller
than traditional, circular openings. These smaller entries allow martins
passage, while stopping virtually all starlings from entering the cavities.
English house sparrows are a similar size to martins and are infamous for
trying to nest in these shelters. A responsible martin colony manager is
vigilant about keeping house sparrows out of the cavities. No birds other than
purple martins should be allowed in the system you place for them. Martins, in
all likelihood, will not nest in housing in which another species has already
established its territory; the martins will be chased off by the other birds.
If you notice any birds other than martins trying to lay claim to the housing,
force them to go elsewhere by plugging holes if martins are not yet
established. If you see native birds like bluebirds and tree swallows, put up
separate housing for them. You should never allow the non native European
starlings and English house sparrows to begin nest building in martin-specific
housing, as these sites are much needed by the migratory purple martin, whose
population has dwindled in recent years.
A FINAL THOUGHT: There is much more to being a successful martin landlord than purchasing a home or gourd system, placing it in your yard, and letting nature take its course. Your interest in this item already demonstrates your desire to attract purple martins. In depth knowledge of the preferences and behaviors of these birds will certainly help you manage your colony. Join a local martin club or Audubon society, read books about these birds, and check online biogas and Web sites for like minded individuals wishing to care for these birds. Sharing your hobby with others will tremendously help these birds in their fight for survival and help you best care for your colony. Our best wishes in your endeavors.