How to Seal a Concrete Birdbath

Even in the middle of the city, as long as you’ve got a yard, or even only a balcony, you’re certain to attract birds with a birdbath. Not only birds will come, either. Squirrels, raccoons, deer and also any variety of animals will probably be drawn to your little nature habitat when water is included. Concrete birdbaths function well in many areas, but they have a drawback: Concrete is porous, meaning that it absorbs water gradually. Freezing temperatures and the boiling sun also alter the concrete, resulting in pitting and cracks. Sealing the surface with a nontoxic sealant helps your birdbath to keep on holding water and maintain your feathered friends coming back.

Dump the birdbath to eliminate the standing water. Rinse with a garden hose, preferably with a attached sprayer to make some water pressure. Direct the spray across the bowl to loosen accumulated dirt and debris. Follow with a vigorous brushing, using a scrub brush. Pour the water out again and rub while the bathtub is tilted on its side.

Fill out the birdbath with fresh water. Mix in white vinegar at a proportion of 1 part for each 4 parts water. Estimates are fine. Permit the water to soak 15 to 20 minutes before scrubbing with a freshly-rinsed brush. Dump the vinegar water and rinse, scrub and rinse, rinsing for at least three or four minutes the last time. Spray the grass where you dumped the water to dilute the acidity as well; your bud will not suffer any ill consequences. Alternatively, use a nontoxic cleaner intended for birdbaths, after the product instructions specifically.

Preserve the birdbath to the house, garage or shed if you possibly can keep it clean, tidy and undisturbed as you work. Wait at least three or four times to guarantee the birdbath is completely dry; even when the surface looks dry, the interior can continue to be moist.

Brush out the interior of the birdbath bowl, once it is dry, if you become aware of any flaking or crumbling. Wipe out the bowl with a cloth to remove any deposits and receive an entirely clean surface.

Fill a caulk gun with a tube of silicone sealant and cut the nozzle at a 45-degree angle. Alternately, pierce the tip if the silicone sealant comes in a tube like toothpaste. Select a silicone sealant designed to bonding concrete and specified as secure for food or animals surfaces and submerged applications. Some pool and aquarium sealants will get the job done.

Squeeze a bead of silicone sealant along the duration of any cracks. Hold the nozzle or tip against the birdbath surface to push the silicone into the crack. Leave a wax 1/8 to 1/2 inch wide.

Dip a small, flat applicator rod or a small cloth in mineral spirits. Alternatively, put on plastic or rubber gloves and soften a fingertip. Smooth the silicone bead when flattening and spreading it to the sides slightly. Permit the silicone to cure as instructed by the manufacturer — generally at least twice or three hours.

Fill a wide-mouth jar with a nontoxic concrete-sealing product designed for use in continuously wet environments and especially secure for animals. Read the instructions and label carefully and follow product instructions if they deviate from general program tips.

Paint the interior of the birdbath bowl together with the sealer. Use a small paintbrush and implement generously in curving strokes that follow the bowl’s shapes. Allow the first coat to dry as instructed by the producer, then apply a second coat and dry again. Wait at least three or four times prior to setting up your birdbath again and filling it with water.

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