Birds and house renovations

[Buy A Paper Doll]

I'm planning to rip out the flooring and put down tile throughout most of the house this summer.

The plan is to move the birds to my sister's house for the day while the existing flooring comes up because God only knows what's going to be under there. (We had some flooding in the house last summer during hurricanes.) The question I have, though, is whether they need to be out of the house for the whole week while the new tile is being installed. Of course the contractors are all telling me it's perfectly safe but I suspect they really don't know how their products will impact small birds. The precaution I can think of is that the grout needs to be mixed outside to prevent the dust particles from coming in the house.

Any thoughts?

[Janie]

Jennifer, I am anxious to hear replies from people who know the right answer. Unfortunately, I don't. I have a tiny area, 1 foot by 1 foot, on the ceiling in Oliver's nighttime room that got wet when an air conditioner leaked last year. They only way to prime the stain is with an OIL based primer since it's a water stain. I've put off doing it because of Oliver but did call his vet's office and they told me to keep him out of that room for 2 days! Even with windows open and ceiling fan on, 2 days! The area is really less than one square foot and would take me less than 5 minutes to paint. Oliver is never in that room during the day and not before 8:00 in the evening but still, they suggest 2 days so we'll move him to a downstairs guest room for a night. I agree with you that asking the contractors is not the best way to get the correct information since they really don't understand the respiratory system of birds but I do believe that your avian vet would err on the side of caution so I'd ask the vet.

BTW, I just had 4 rooms painted (main level) in my house. Latex paint was used but even with that, Oliver was on the screened in back porch during the day and the doors going out to the porch were closed. I've been told that latex is safe but I wasn't taking any chances.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

I've been able to do some painting with the birds in the house. I had fans running to keep the birds upwind of the paint smell.

I thought grout would be safe - but then saw some grout in the craft store (for mosaic projects) and the instructions said "use only in a well-ventilated area, do not inhale fumes," etc. Fumes?! Grout has fumes?? Who knew?

If it's not safe for the birds to be in the house while the tile is being installed, then I'll take them to my sister's house. I know it's hard on them to be away from their home and their normal routine, so I want to minimize disruption for the birdies while still keeping them safe.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Well, this doesn't answer the original question about tile, but a solution has been found ... hardwood instead of tile. No adhesive, no grout, and no fumes. Birds will still have to be out of the house when the old floor comes up but once the dust settles, I don't have to worry about them being exposed to any toxic chemicals while the wood goes in. Yay!

[shylevon]

Am I to assume you are going with the wood floor??

If not, some grouts can have fumes, as can the goop they use to stick the tiles to the floor before the grouting even begins. I would take birdies to sis's house till the floors are done.

If the wood you are considering is laminate, the smell will be OK, but those nail guns and board alignment stomper things are terribly noisy. I think a visit to auntie's house will still be in order.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Yep, I think we're going to go with the wood. The folks next door just put one in; they finished a large family room in about a day. :omg:

They said it wasn't terribly loud (the boards snap in place) but there was some sawdust even though they made all the cuts on the boards outside. So birdies will go see their auntie for the day. :)

[Mummieeva]

Jennifer there will be some fumes as harwood floors normaly need a coat of something(i forget the name) to fill in cracks and keep shinny. Atleast type my inlaws put in did. We used stick down tiles for the room birds will be in.


Steph

[BarbieH]

When we put tile in our bathroom, the grout gave me a terrible headache. The sealant can also release nasty fumes. If you can, give the birds a little vacation for the week.

Oh, and good luck with your project. "Grout" became a cussword around our house, but we did it ourselves. :lol