Instruction to enlarge plastic house

[BrianC]

I have an older S and K plastic house. Can someone tell me how to enlarge or make 1 large rooms out of 2 rooms? 12 room house. Thanks

[rrmartins]

I have never modified one, but people modify the 12 room houses into 6 rooms. You don't want to make it one big cavitie. Way more experienced people will pipe in on this one. Good luck.

[Hanover Bill]

Brian;

I have done that in the past, and if I remember there were instructions with the house. If you don't have those I think you could get the instructions from S&K, they have always been very helpful with any questions I have asked.

If I remember there are cutouts to follow on the interior walls of the house. It is simply a mater of punching out the cutouts, and closing off half of the entrances.

Good luck with the project;

Hanover Bill.

[apundt-TX]

It is going to be something like this:
http://www.purplemartin.org/update/9%283%29trio.html

[John Miller]

If you go to the home page, on the bottom half there are some icons for various informational downloads. Look at the one for modifying Trio houses. Although aluminum, the concept is the same. One update...the older download suggests a two-inch hole through the divider wall. This carries a risk of wing entrapment in the interior wall, and so the hole should be three inches, or sometimes people disassemble a house and cut a square hole down from the top of the interior wall, leaving a bottom barrier of about 1.5 inches to create a backroom nest pocket.

Note also that you may need to convert entry round holes to some kind of SREH. this is because an enlarged house is more attractive to starlings. Perhaps your house already has crescents.

I see this may be a first post for you. Welcome. If you have more questions, just ask. Many people here are willing to help.

[Anthony Neira]

See, I knew the people here would have the answers, SURE beats mine of an open flame & a hot butter knife ! ...I know your house & Martins will be Just Fine! Good Luck!

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Brain,
Welcome to the PMCA Forum!
As everyone has pointed out so far, this house is an easy conversion to double compartment. I have converted 2 of these houses for different people who I mentor. The material which divides the compartments is coroplast (think of plastic signs for outside advertisements) and is easy to cut with a sharp knife.
Although the house has perforations to punch out for double compartments, John Miller is absolutely correct. The pre-perforated openings between compartments are too small. Rather than just punching out the pre-perforated openings, it is better to just enlarge the openings between the compartments to 3" square. The pre-perforated openings are for front to back. I would recommend that you follow the instructions in the link that apundt-TX gave you for the "A Guide to Modifying Trio Purple Martin Houses"-
http://www.purplemartin.org/update/9%283%29trio.html
I really like the way that the article makes side to side compartments which make it harder for predators to look into the nesting compartments. You will have to cut out your own openings to make the side to side compartments. That is why I would recommend that you look at the article first before you cut out the pre-perforated openings. You will end up not using some of them. Instead you will be making some of your own 3" square openings.
The S&K houses used crescent SREH entrances. Some of these entrances will need to be blocked off. This link discusses at length about the crescent SREH entrances on S&K houses. In that article, I posted some pictures which show how to easily block off the nesting compartment entrances. At first you might not need to add the porches to the crescent SREH entrances which will remain of the entry way compartments. Those porches are added to make it harder for starlings to enter.
http://purplemartin.org/forum/viewtopic ... highlight=
Check the height of these crescent openings. They need to be 1 3/16" height.
Mark

[BrianC]

Thanks all, I appreciate the info and warm welcome.

Brian

[jr 2]

if you have the older s&k you don't have no cutouts in the divider walls as you probably already figured out ;;you have too make your own like I did;;;the newer s&k that I put togeather last year has cutouts side too side or front to back so you can do as the above posted ;;;I would recommend putting the s&k cresent or clinger tunnels on the side of the house;just a thought;jr2

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Does the middle compartments' front to back walls have the pole going through them?
I am just thinking about the possibilities of how many double compartments could be made if S&K tunnels were added to the sides.
Mark.

[Siberman]

Does the middle compartments' front to back walls have the pole going through them?
I am just thinking about the possibilities of how many double compartments could be made if S&K tunnels were added to the sides.
Mark.

Yes . The pole runs right up the middle . The older houses don't have the perforations but it wouldn't be hard to cut through the walls . The oldest have round entrances but doors with crescents are available .

[threelilkids]

Everyone here gives the best info, they have been there done that, but if all else fails you can go on the S&K web site and they have down loads to change the 12 rooms to 6.
Mary

[jr 2]

4th gen martin fan;;;the pole shows threw the middle of the bottom floor but doesn't mater;;you can still make 6 large compartments by adding tunnels using john millers config.,,,you offset[not under each other] the tunnels on the side on each floor by using 2 tunnels on each side and leaving 1 original compartment in the middle on each floor [1 on front and 1 on back] and add an elevated porch with 3m tread tape too them;;I have done 4 of them this way;;use reverse config for each floor;;jr2

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

jr 2,
I would really appreciate a few pictures of your S&K house modifications.
I am considering another S&K house to modify for a mentee.
I don't want to reinvent the wheel if you have figured it out already.
Mark.

[jr 2]

4th gen martin fan;;;don't have no pics and I am not computer savy;;;;use diagram shown above[apundt-tx post;;leave the middle entry and add porch;;block off other 2 entry[ I pop riviot aluminum on too them] and you can see where too cut holes on side too add tunnels by looking at the cutouts in dividers;cut divider holes as shown;[ don't add tunnels straight across from each other[offset] from side too side;;I used a hole saw and cut eggshaped holes too side of houses by putting a tunnel up on side and tracing where too cut hole;;this shows the tunnel added on s&k website if you click on the tunnels and scroll down;hope this gives you some idea;;I will be happy too answer any questions;;;jr2