Signs it’s time
- Cooing and flapping at dawn
- A smell coming through the bathroom ventilator
- Droppings on pipes and ledges in the shaft
- An exhaust fan blocked by a nest
- Birds flying into the kitchen from the shaft
Shafts we see most in Ongole
New apartment buildings. Along Trunk Road, Kurnool Road and Mangamuru Road, newer buildings have plumbing shafts open at the top. Netting early, as a building, is much easier than clearing nests from every floor later.
Light wells between houses. In the older streets, houses stand side by side with a narrow gap between them. Birds crowd in, and the noise carries into rooms on both sides.
Where the net goes
At the top. One net at roof level closes the shaft for everyone.
At your opening. If the building can’t agree, we close your ventilator or the section of shaft beside your flat.
What goes in
UV-stabilised bird net with a 50 mm mesh, a tensioned border and stainless-steel hooks, with an opening panel by the pipes for the plumber.
What affects the price
- The size of the shaft opening
- Whether it’s netted at the top or at one flat
- Access to the fixing points
- How many nests need clearing
How we fit it
- Look at the shaft from inside and from the roof.
- Plan safe access.
- Clear nests at the fixing points.
- Fix hooks and tension the border.
- Lace the net and seal round the pipes.
- Fit the access panel.
Looking after it
Ask whoever uses the access panel to close it afterwards. Shaft nets sit out of direct sun, so they usually last longer than balcony nets.
Before we come
Send photos of the shaft from your window and, if possible, from the roof.
Our duct area safety nets page has the full details, and the guide on why apartment duct areas need nets is a useful read too.
How do I get other owners to agree?
Share photos of nests from different floors in the building group, explain that one net at the top protects everyone, and suggest splitting the cost. Most buildings agree once they see how many flats are affected. If not, netting your own opening still protects your home.
Will my exhaust fan work again?
Usually. Nests built around kitchen and bathroom fans often block them. Once the birds can’t return and the nests are cleared, fans normally run as before.
Does the shaft still let in light and air?
Yes. The mesh is open, so light and air pass through and the shaft keeps doing its job for bathrooms and kitchens.
What about cleaning?
We clear nests at the fixing points. A full clean of the lower ledges is usually a separate job, best done right after the net goes up.
