Garden Furniture and Accessories

Bird Weathervane

Raise Your Roof With a Cupola

Elevate the design of your house, a time honored way---with a cupola??

 

Cupolas are making a comeback---not only for barns, but for homes, garages, commercial buildings, and gazebos. Although they are ornamental, cupolas are also very functional by circulating air and providing an inexpensive light source.  Cupolas bring back a bit of country to your estate by providing warmth and charm, with traditional early American architecture. Installed on rooftops, they create an asymmetrical appeal that allows the outside buildings to look there absolute best.

 

A cupola is defined as a dome-shaped ornamental structure that sits on top of a larger building. Cupolas are called belvedere when it can be reached by an inside stairway. Lanterns, when they have windows that illuminate the areas below. Like a skylight.

 

Cupolas meet aesthetic and functional needs. Most owners today use them as decorative, an easy add on. One just bolts them in on the rooftop. Some cupolas are weathervane ready to give your cupola a personalized and finished look.

 

The shapes of cupolas can be round, square or octagonal, and come in a variety of styles from windows, louvered or Custom Made.  Cupola bases are designed to accommodate different roof pitches of the structures they sit upon. Common materials include wood, vinyl, stone and metal.

 

Wood is the preferred material, as it looks natural and is weather resistant; furthermore, it can be painted to match your décor. Wood does not retain heat, but it requires upkeep of being painted every 6 to 7years, smog and humidity affect how long the paint will last.

 

Vinyl cupolas are weather resistant. It is heavier than wood—so there may be extra cost to reconstruct the rooftop the cupola will sit on. Vinyl does not offer as many color options, and the color fades with consistent exposure to the elements. Vinyl can distort and warp because the heat on the roof is from 30-35 degrees warmer than the ground temperature; also it is not environmentally friendly.

 

Proportion is important, in terms of look and function. Larger buildings require larger cupolas. Size is the big issue----what they look like on the ground versus what they look like on the roof. The ratio of 1 inch cupola per one foot unbroken roofline and height a ratio of 1 ½ inch (tall) per foot of roofline.

 

When choosing a cupola one needs to stay true to the style of the building it will be placed on, cupolas should compliment architectural style. Bell style rooflines are most appropriate for buildings with gambrel roof and Colonial style homes, while pagoda style for raised center barns and French Country homes.

 

The biggest mistake is getting a cupola that is too small, which then has the appearance of a Bird House. It’s all about a tower pointing to the sky. When properly proportioned, cupolas articulate the skyline, getting your outside buildings to look their absolute best.

 

Cupolas are an architectural accent. They are a great way to add class, sophistication, or a little country charm to add beauty to the roofline of buildings. From residential barns to grand cathedrals, the cupola is a timeless masterpiece, a nostalgic remembrance of early American architecture.

Http://prairierosecountry.com

 

 

 

About the Author

Prairie Rose Country provides custom-made cupolas, built by quality craftsman out of marine plywood. Cupolas are architectural accents, built Weather Vane ready. Cupolas are creating curb appeal with pizzazz.

How do i stop birds and possums eating my cat's food?

I have a 4 year old Maine coon cat, who is very, very lazy. all she does is eat and sleep, and worse than that she's either afraidi or passive to the birds and possums that come up to it's food bowl to eat her food. my cat is an outside cat and her food bowl is located under a table on our veranda.

i don't want this happening as
-the food is expensive
-the cat goes hungry
-the wild animals get fat
-the animals make a mess on my deck

What do i do to either get these animals to stop, make my cat badass and at least scare the birds (unlikely) or where do i put the bowel to stop the animals from eating from it, but easy to access to fill it up?

ive tried putting a weathervane with a decorative turbine on it to scare the birds, it didn't work.

If you don't want the cat inside, at least feed it inside. How do you know that possom isn't going to give your cat rabies? A cat belongs inside at night due to predators getting it. There are rabid skunks and coons out there too, besides dogs and coyotes. Why have a pet if you never let it indoors? If it must stay outside, make it a dog house with a fence around it so the predators can't get it. Get some foam insulation sheets and line the "cat house" with that, to keep it cool or warm, depending upon the weather. You need to protect your cat from the other night creatures, especially if your cat is lazy. It might be asleep when something creeps up upon it. I know you care, otherwise you wouldn't ask for advice. As for the birds, can you put some old aluminum pie plates on a string or something to make noises that will scare them away? If not, give the birds their own food supply.

Day Break Gardens - Garden Weathervanes Suet Bird Feeders

30 Inch Accent Weathervane - Black $50.98 This smaller weathervane, featuring a horse, is perfect as an accent piece for any small garage, shed, or gazebo. Manufactured from 100% rust-free, recycled aluminum in the USA, and painted in a specially formulated finish to withstand harsh weather conditions. Instructions and all Mounting Hardware included - Some assembly required. 10.5"L x 7"H....

Good Directions - Mounting & Display - Roof Mount $29.00 Adjustable aluminum with Stainless Steel screws, adjusts to the pitch of most roof tops....

Good Directions - Mounting & Display - Four-Sided Roof Mount $29.95 ...

Good Directions 912P Full Size Mother Bird with Chicks Weathervane, Polished $274.85 You'll really improve your nest with this charming weathervane, featuring a Mother Bird feeding her chicks! This weathervane is constructed from Polished Copper, and is ready to adorn your home or garage. This weathervane figure is made of pure copper along with copper spacer balls, Solid Brass directionals, and a stainless steel and brass assembly rod - making it maintenance and rust free.  ...

The wading birds of North America (north of Mexico) / text by Allan W. Eckert ; paintings and drawings by Karl E. Karalus ...

Natural birdscaping: How to attract birds to your yard naturally ...

The owls of North America (north of Mexico): All the species and subspecies illustrated in color and fully described ...

---