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I've been searching all the toxicity pages I can find, and I don't see a listing for latex paint, as for painting a bedroom, most just say paint and paint thinner. I called my bird vet, but she will not be there until Thursday. Is it safe to paint a bedroom while I have my birds in the house? Not the same room, and it has a door I can close while leaving all the windows open in the other rooms.

I'm sure birdowners have to paint the house sometime.....???

Birds don't leave us much time for painting! But a friend had 2 rooms done just last week. she used Sherwin Williams' NO VOC paint called Harmony. There was a small amount of odor for a few hours, but none of that headache-making stuff that permeates everything. And all odor was gone by the next morning. With your birds closed away from the space being painted, and good ventilation, you should have good results with a no-VOC paint.

Paca

Some paint companies have no odor paint, if you check the hardware store they should have at least one brand.

Thanks for the info everyone, I have learned something today, never even heard of VOC's before.....unfortunately, I have already bought tinted paint, so, I will contact the company just to see how much VOC is in this one, since it is not listed on the can.
At worst, I will have to relocate the birds until I finish this bedroom !! Thanks again

coollady99 wrote:...unfortunately, I have already bought tinted paint...
At worst, I will have to relocate the birds until I finish this bedroom !! ...

Please do take the danger to your birds very seriously. Latex paint is most certainly safer than enamel, but this thread is alarming to any parront who paints with birds in the house:

viewtopic.php?t=35853&highlight=paint

Paca

Government bureaucrats have brought us to the point where we use idiotic acronyms for everything. What is amazing is that often the meaning of the letters is completely lost!!!!!! People in some areas of science are also very prone to this disgusting practice.

Anyway, a VOC, I guess you are supposed to pronounce it so that it rhymes with sock, is a volatile organic compound. Older paints tended to be materials dissolved in organic solvents. All paints still have some volatile components, that is why one can smell them.

I think one should be a bit cautious about painting around birds anyway, even with materials that are alleged to be safe. Remember birds remove compounds from the air about seven or so times as effectively as we do.

I suspect that polyurethane materials should be treated with especial care.

I have decided to play it extra safe and I'm going to board the birds for a few days at my dad's house. He will probably enjoy the company, as long as I do all the cleaning !!!

Weather is going to cooperate too, going to be nice and dry with a bit of a breeze, so paint will dry quite well. Thanks again, you guys always reply so quickly when I post questions.

GOOD idea!

Paca

When I bought my house, I had the luxury of getting to paint all the rooms before moving myself and the birds. I was told to add 1 or 2 tablespoons of vanilla to the paint. It is supposed to help with the paint smells. I do think it is best that you are taking your birds to your dad's house. Better safe than sorry. Even though your birds will be gone, adding the vanilla may make it more tolerable for you. I thought it helped anyway...

just a little update....first coat is on the walls and the smell is actually very minimal, I can only smell it while in or very close to the door of tha room. I will be doing the second coat tonite and the walls are done (looks quite beautiful, by the way). I called the manufacturer and was told the VOC level in this paint is 92g/L, which is not too bad. It is Walmart's ColourPlace eggshell paint, which I love and have always used in the past, it covers very well, nice to work with.

It just goes to show you, bird parents must be vigilant about everything!