Varnish and paint fumes!!!

[kevinandmia]

My landlord if coming round tomorrow to varnish the stairs outside my front door and paint my kitchen. The kitchen ain't so bad cuz he can open the window and put the fan on. That's what I do when I smoke. I'm more concerned about the varnish on the stairs. Will this harm my birds? Ther isn't anything I can really do about it is ther?

[nat]

Yes it will harm them.Fumes may even kill, depending on what hes using. Can you put their cage in a bedroom or somewhere for a couple of days?

[Marianne Marlow]

second what nat said ^

[kevinandmia]

I could but its colder in the bedroom and the room is no more than a metre away from my front door.. I dontvthinknit would make much difference

[kevinandmia]

There are no seals around my front door and the stairs he is varnishing go downstairs to the main door so there is quite alot. There are no seals round my bedroom door ether so the smell could quite easily get through. Are my birds going to die?? sugar

[moonkira *Julie *]

Could a ffamily member or friend take them for a few days till the fumes have cleared ?

[kevinandmia]

Feb 18, 2013 19:48:31 GMT moonkira *Julie * said:

Could a ffamily member or friend take them for a few days till the fumes have cleared ?

No

[kevinandmia]

He's using diamond varnish for floors he said. Dries in 30 mins

[kevinandmia]

I've managed to put him off on the varnish for 2 weeks! As far as he knows I'm looking after the birds for a friend lol cuz I'm not supposed to have pets. I'm not so worried about the paint because I couldn't smell it the other day when he was painting and he will open the window and put the extractor fan on. It's only one coat on a couple walls in the kitchen.

[moonkira *Julie *]

Where do you live ? maybe a member on here could help you out for a few days

[kevinandmia]

Feb 18, 2013 20:30:51 GMT moonkira *Julie * said:

Where do you live ? maybe a member on here could help you out for a few days

I live in Nottingham. That would be quite handy in a couple of weeks if somebody could. I don't have any family here as they are all in Coventry. And the few friends I do have I wouldn't trust them with my birds lol

[nat]

You could buy some foam draught excluders from ebay for about 3 quid. They fit round the edge of your door easily. And make a sausage draught excluder to go under the door from an old pair of tights filled with any cloth. I have a rolled up bath mat in mine. Or just put them in an other room and duct tape the door until everythings dried? I've recently had to get draught excluders coz my other half brings chainsaws which stink of fuel to mend. Maybe the bathroom?

[kevinandmia]

Feb 18, 2013 20:48:31 GMT nat said:

You could buy some foam draught excluders from ebay for about 3 quid. They fit round the edge of your door easily. And make a sausage draught excluder to go under the door from an old pair of tights filled with any cloth. I have a rolled up bath mat in mine. Or just put them in an other room and duct tape the door until everythings dried? I've recently had to get draught excluders coz my other half brings chainsaws which stink of fuel to mend. Maybe the bathroom?

Yeh I think I will get some draught excluders for when he does the stairs. They should be ok with little bit of paint tho surely? Or should I put him in the colder bedroom just incase. I never know wether to leave the radiators on or not because it gets cold if ther not on but it gets too hot if thry are on...

[Moogie]

i think the Budgies will be ok in the bedroom-its really drafts that you have to keep them away from,maybe if its really cold cover 3 sides of their cage? i think it would be better for them to be in the bedroom rather than nearer the fumes of the paint....can you ask your landlord to use a water based paint ? any paint isnt good for birds as Nat has already said but water based paint would be a bit better if no one can look after the budgies for you....also once the paint is done (some one once told me on here before) to fill a bowl with water and leave it in the freshly painted room over night as this will trap some of the fumes,also just over night remove the birds drinking water and give them fresh back in the morning...

[kevinandmia]

Feb 18, 2013 22:22:35 GMT Moogie said:

i think the Budgies will be ok in the bedroom-its really drafts that you have to keep them away from,maybe if its really cold cover 3 sides of their cage? i think it would be better for them to be in the bedroom rather than nearer the fumes of the paint....can you ask your landlord to use a water based paint ? any paint isnt good for birds as Nat has already said but water based paint would be a bit better if no one can look after the budgies for you....also once the paint is done (some one once told me on here before) to fill a bowl with water and leave it in the freshly painted room over night as this will trap some of the fumes,also just over night remove the birds drinking water and give them fresh back in the morning...

Yeh I think I will put them in the bedroom then just to be safe. It probly is water based pair anyways. But ether way hes already got the paint I think. The paint dries in a matter of minutes cuz he painted the rest of the flat last week. Didn't smell any fumes myself.