Painting. Birds or No birds?

[Conure & Macaw Mom]

We are going to be painting soon & I was looking for a little advice. I'm thinking we should take the birds out till we're done painting & its dry but I'm not sure. Do you have to take the birds out or just in a seperate part? We would have all the windows open so there would be plenty of venalation. Thanks, Crystal

[Tiki]

It depends how big your house is. If they are far from the room being painted and you can open the windows and close the door to the rest of the house, should be OK. Or take them out on the patio until the paint dries-in a cage of course! If it's water-based paint, it will dry quickly anyway.

[Monica]

As Tiki says, depends on the size of your house... if you can put them on a separate end, with towls closing any open spots the door leaves, and windows open with fans blowing out, or at least with fans blowing out of the room(s) your painting in and making sure that not only is the paint dry, but you can no longer smell the paint should be good. Otherwise, best not to have them in the house or anywhere near windows/rooms where the paint is being applied.

[Lisa B]

ALSO Use Benjamin Moore "Eco Spec" paint.
Its all I use, and it has low VOC's.
It dries fast, but it does not come in Dark colors.

[Conure & Macaw Mom]

We will be painting the whole house. I live in a town house so as I thought, no birds inside. Its still nice here durning the day so I should be able to put them outside while this is being done. Thanks for the tip Lisa. Thats what I'll get. I don't want dark colors anyway so thats perfect. I don't mean to sound stupid but what does VOC's mean? Crystal

[Lisa B]

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that evaporate easily at room temperature. The term “organic” indicates that the compounds contain carbon. VOC exposures are often associated with an odor while other times there is no odor. Both can be harmful. There are thousands of different VOCs produced and used in our daily lives.

Many products emit or “off –gas” VOCs. Some examples of VOC emission sources are:

Benzene
Toluene
Methylene
Chloride
Formaldehyde
Xylene
Ethylene glycol
Texanol
1,3-butadiene
Emission Sources
Paints
Varnishes
Moth balls
Solvents
Gasoline
Newspaper
Cooking
Cleaning Chemicals
Vinyl floors
Carpets
Photocopying
Upholstery Fabrics
Adhesives
Sealing Caulks
Cosmetics
Air Fresheners
Fuel Oil
Vehicle Exhaust
Pressed wood furniture
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (Secondhand smoke)



What levels of VOC are typical in the home?
As of July, 2003 neither Minnesota nor the federal government have set standards for VOC levels in non-occupational settings. However, some guidelines are available. MDH has established Health Risk Values (HRVs) for some contaminants in air for several different exposure situations. For more information on these HRVs go to MDH Health Risk Values Website.

Many studies have shown VOC levels are higher in indoor air than outdoor air. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) studies have found indoor VOC levels that were 2 to 5 times higher than outdoors.

Levels of VOC Exposure in indoor air vary widely depending on:

the volume of air in the room/building
the rate at which the VOC is off-gassed
the building ventilation rate
outdoor concentrations
time spent in the effected environment
What are the health effects of VOC exposure?
Acute

Eye irritation / watering
Nose irritation
Throat irritation
Headaches
Nausea / Vomitting
Dizziness
Asthma exacerbation
Chronic

Cancer
Liver damage
Kidney damage
Central Nervous System damage


Most studies to date have been conducted on single chemicals. Less is know about the health effects of combined chemical exposure. The best health protection measure is to limit your exposure to products and materials that contain VOCs when possible. If you think you may be having health problems caused by VOC exposure consult an occupational/environmental health physician who specializes in this area

Are some people at greater risk from VOC exposure than others?
Persons with respiratory problems such as asthma, young children, elderly, and persons with heightened sensitivity to chemicals may be more susceptible to illness from VOC exposure.

How can I tell what levels of VOC are in my home?
Some home screening kits are available to measure total volatile organic compound (TVOC) levels, and some individual VOCs. These home sampling kits should be viewed as providing “ballpark” amount of VOCs in the indoor air. Conditions such as ventilation, temperature and humidity can cause VOC concentrations to fluctuate daily.

Prior to testing conduct an inspection of your home for some common sources of VOCs such as:

New carpeting
New furniture
Idling automobile in attached garage
Recent painting
Chemicals stored in the home
Recently applied adhesives
New plastic or electronic devices

Once you determine the probable source of VOCs, steps can be taken to reduce your exposure. If you are unable to determine the source, a professional indoor air quality investigator / industrial hygienist can be consulted. MDH has a residential service provider list along with recommendations on selection. MDH also has a guidance document that can be used for investigating possible VOC contamination entitled
Indoor Air Sampling at VOC contaminated sites.


How do I reduce the levels of VOCs in my home?
Most products containing VOCs will off gas within a short period of time although some will continue to give off trace amounts of VOCs for a long period of time. The best means of reducing VOC exposure is to eliminate products containing VOCs or use low emitting VOC products.

Some steps you can take to reduce your exposure to VOC in the home are:

Source control
eliminate products from home that have high levels of VOCs
purchase new products that contain low or no VOCs (Environmentally Preferable Purchasing)
Ventilation – open doors and windows, use fans
Control climate – as temperature and humidity increase some chemicals will off gas more
Treat the source – airtight sealers can be used to coat over some products. However, caution is advised in choosing the coating product as this could introduce new VOCs into the air while controlling for others.
Air cleaners – look for HEPA filtration designed to remove chemicals from the air.
Purchasing environmentally responsible cleaning chemicals
Remove unused chemicals from the home. Check with city or county for household hazardous waste collection sites
For more information on VOCs and other indoor air pollutants, contact:
Minnesota Department of Health, Indoor Air Program
625 Robert Street N
PO Box 64975
St. Paul, MN 55164-0975
651-201-4601 or 1-800-798-9050
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[Conure & Macaw Mom]

WOW! I never knew that stuff. Thanks so much for the info. I know Varnish & Polyurithaine is bad. I stained some cabinets a few years back & was at the Emerg animal vet all night. Even though my dogs were in the other room one still got sick. He couldn't breathe, he was gasping for air. To this day if he gets excited, he starts to choke. They say it messed up his throat. Thats why I don't want to take any chances with my birds. I know they are more sensitive then most animals. Crystal

[Valo's Moirana]

To avoid it, I'd use water-based paint if you can.... I work a lot with organic chemicals, and most of the ones listed by Lisa, I wouldn't touch without gloves and a ventilated hood.
If you can't avoid paint containing organic solvents, try to paint on a warm day (enhances evaporation rate), leave all the windows open to vent thoroughly (gets rid of the vapors asap), and I'd definitely try to keep the birds away. I'd also minimize the time you expose yourself to the vapor. (I'm an overly cautious person when it comes to that stuff since I work with it on a daily basis - it's not gonna make you sick if you breath it on rare occations but minimize as much as you can since it's certainly not healthy).

[Conure & Macaw Mom]

Thanks Bee. I live in Ga so its still warm here durning the day. I'm just gonna make sure all my babies are outside. I don't wanna take any chances. I'm a very perinoid person also. My hubby says I'm to perinoid. But I tell him, its better to be safe, then sorry! Crystal

[Missysbirdies]

Another reason to keep birds out while you are painting is a purely cosmetic reason. (Besides potential harm to your bird friends) When they shake and ruffle up their feathers, dust, dander, and down is stirred up. This will inevitibly get stuck in your paint job. Looks awful, lol, trust me. ;)