After seeing David Wurtz's Chalet, and Brian Naughton's version of it, Tony Berg sent me an email wondering if one could be made with a flat roof. So, I got to thinking about it, and came up with this. Better pictures of the final product will be posted sometime in the future, once I get my camera fixed. ;-(

This version weighs in at 3 pounds, 15 ounces without a nest tray insert, which I recommend using. The nest tray insert I built weighs 14.7 ounces. Combined with the housing unit, the total weight is 4 pounds, 13.7 ounces. A lighter nest tray can be built. I built this housing unit and nest tray from 1/4 inch thick interior/exterior plywood. The housing unit has a front opening door for access. The entrance hole can be a crescent, a WDC Modified Excluder, an Excluder, or a round hole. I have attached my entrance with 4 small screws, so it can be easily changed should I feel the need. The inside floor space is 11 3/4" long and 7" wide. The front is 7" tall and the rear is 5" tall. Below is a description of the parts, the dimensions to cut them, and assembly instructions. If you are interested, a pre-cut kit is available. You can cut your parts if you have a circular saw, a router with a 1/4" straight bit, and a router table.

Pictured above are the wooden parts and entrance. Not shown are the hinges, door hasp, and hanging hardware. These parts, minus the hardware, are available for $15.00 plus S&H. They are precut and just need to be put together and the hardware added.

Back Second piece from the left in the middle row is 7 1/4" wide by 5" tall. There is a 1/4" wide groove cut 1/8" deep, 1/4" from the bottom edge, running the width of the back. The floor will fit into this groove.

Sides The two pieces on the bottom row are 7" tall in the front, 5" tall in the back, and 13" long. There is a 1/4" groove, 1/8" deep, and 1/4" from the edges. A groove is cut along the bottom, the back, and a 2" long groove is cut from the top towards the floor. The floor will fit into the bottom groove, the back will fit into the back groove, and the upper front piece will fit into the groove cut into the upper front.

Entrance Right side at the top of the picture. This one is a crescent SREH with a double wide porch. It is made from 2mm thick PVC Sintra. A WDC Modified Excluder, an Excluder, or a round hole can also be used.

Front Door Right side of picture, second piece from the top. The door is 6 15/16" wide and 4 11/16" tall. A square hole is cut into it to provide an opening through the plywood. This is the door which the entrance and hinges will fit onto. The hinges should be mounted so the door opens downward to get it out of the way for doing nest checks.

Upper Front Piece Right side of picture, the third piece down from the top. The upper front piece is 7 1/4" wide by 2" tall. This piece will be glued into the 2" slots cut into the top of the side pieces. The upper front piece provides a place for the hasp to be screwed to.

Roof Supports Right side of picture, the two pieces below the Upper Front Piece. The roof supports are 1" X 2" pressure treated wood. I used this because I had some scraps on hand. They are cut 7" long. They are mounted along the upper edge of the sides. One is mounted about 1/3 back from the front, and the other is mounted about 2/3 back from the front. These pieces help support the roof, and the mounting eyes are attached to them.

I glued the sides, floor, upper front piece, and back together using PL Polyurethane Premium Construction Adhesive. I, then, clamped the pieces together and gave them at least 24 hours to dry.

Next, was to prime with 2 coats for Kilz 2 Latex primer, and then, paint with two coats of Valspar American Traditions Exterior 100% Acrylic Latex Gloss House and Trim, White. After the paint has dried and cured, attach the entrance, hinges, and hasp. For hangers, I used a 3" long 1/4" diameter eyebolt for the front, and a 4" long 1/4" diameter eyebolt for the rear hanger. More pictures will be added at a later time.