Ways to do some paint touch up in bird's room safley

[Haydenb]

Hi, I did some rearranging in my bedroom where my bird's cage is in & I have to patch up some nail holes & paint over them soon. I'm absolutely going to move her cage & not have her in while I'm doing this but I'm unsure how long I should wait to bring her back in when I get to patching & filling. I'm only going to do a super quick spackle & one layer of paint on 4-6 small nail holes & I'm going to ventilate the room well but I haven't really gotten a clear answer & I don't want to risk her getting sick or worse.

 

[Shezbug]

You wont get a clear answer as it will depend on many environmental factors which means it could be a day or it could be a fortnight.

Ideally, you keep your bird in areas of fresh clean air at all times and out of any area that smells of paint (or any other things you use like fillers or cleaners etc) until the stuff has cured and the fumes have totally disappeared.

 

[TikiMyn]

You can use water based paints. I use water based paints that are also easy to clean. I ventilate and keep the birds away just in case, but have never actually smelled anything.
Same with filler, I am not sure what kind you are using over there(I am in a different country) but here it is a powder you mix with a bit water. I can’t imagine it is harmful if you keep your bird away and ventilate well

 

[Haydenb]

You can use water based paints. I use water based paints that are also easy to clean. I ventilate and keep the birds away just in case, but have never actually smelled anything.
Same with filler, I am not sure what kind you are using over there(I am in a different country) but here it is a powder you mix with a bit water. I can’t imagine it is harmful if you keep your bird away and ventilate well

Ahh, I'm using Elmer's wood filler so I'm going to probably move the bird out of the room until it's dried, wet sanded & cleaned just to be safe. I think the leftover paint I have from when I painted my room a few years before I got my bird has too much harsh chemicals in it so I'm probably going to get water based paint to correct the holes. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Shezbug]

Ahh, I'm using Elmer's wood filler so I'm going to probably move the bird out of the room until it's dried, wet sanded & cleaned just to be safe. I think the leftover paint I have from when I painted my room a few years before I got my bird has too much harsh chemicals in it so I'm probably going to get water based paint to correct the holes. Thanks for the advice!

Water based paint fumes will not make the danger any less- your bird will still need to be away from the fumes and in clean fresh air.
I only ever use water based paint and I recently painted a whole house (in undercoat- top coat still to be done )- the fumes were still there, just a bit less overwhelming.

 

[Haydenb]

Water based paint fumes will not make the danger any less- your bird will still need to be away from the fumes and in clean fresh air.
I only ever use water based paint and I recently painted a whole house (in undercoat- top coat still to be done )- the fumes were still there, just a bit less overwhelming.

Ahh, so a best rule of thumb is probably to let my bird out of the room away from the fumes until it's completely dry & the fumes are unable to be smelled

 

[macby]

I also have some wall patching and painting to do that I've put off because of my birds. I could be overreacting, but based on what I've read, I think I'll probably remove my birds from the house altogether for a few days when it's time to start my project. I'm still in the midst of my research, but apparently VOCs can potentially remain for a long time even after the fumes/paint smell has dissipated. I'm looking into zero-VOC paints (may still contain trace amounts of VOCs but the manufacturer doesn't add VOCs to the product). Better Homes & Gardens has a good list of zero-VOC paints - 9 Zero-VOC Paint Brands to Add Color to Your Home Without Harmful Chemicals. Not surprisingly, the downside of "safer" paint is the price. Good luck with your project!