linoleum?

So, right now the 'bird room' has carpet and I hate it because it's a b**** to clean and I've been wanting to replace it with something I can just sweep / mop. Is linoleum safe for the fids? What about the process to install it? Would I have to remove them from the house or could I just put them in a seperate room?

Owlet said:

So, right now the 'bird room' has carpet and I hate it because it's a b**** to clean and I've been wanting to replace it with something I can just sweep / mop. Is linoleum safe for the fids? What about the process to install it? Would I have to remove them from the house or could I just put them in a seperate room?

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What is sold today is safe for Parrots. Note, the flatter the surface the less likely it is for them to lift and chew on it. Most all applications can be installed without using a glue, it's called floating. water based glues are also common. 24 hours, is fairly common off-gassing time line.

So I should remove them from the house prior?

I would put them in another room for 24 hours or until the smell goes away.

How big is the room? What's under the rug for flooring. There are a few other options other than linoleum as well. How handy are you?

AFAIK my kitchen floor is old linoleum that has never posed any issues to my fids. The thing to look at I suppose is the potential off-gassing or any other leaching of chemicals in adhesives used to stick the tiles down, but once that dissipates..it's pretty inert I'd imagine. Like all things, you have to think like a bird and figure out what on the floor would attract them to go down and chew on (any up-turned corners or edges that "stick out").

bill_e said:

I would put them in another room for 24 hours or until the smell goes away.

How big is the room? What's under the rug for flooring. There are a few other options other than linoleum as well. How handy are you?

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a large bedroom. I haven't measured it yet so can't give exacts. I honestly don't know what's underneath and I am 0% handy xD

Most Linoleum tiles or sheets now already have a sticky-backing so you don't have to use any glue, as long as you have a proper sub-floor underneath your carpeting that is level and flat. So the only "fumes" are from the Linoleum itself, like any new carpeting or flooring is going to have. So if you're able to simply rip up your carpeting and put down either Linoleum tiles or sheet Linoleum that already has an adhesive backing to it, then I'd just move the birds to a separate room for a day or two until you can no longer smell the "new" smell of the Linoleum...But if you have to level your sub-floor for any reason or put down any type of sub-floor padding down to accept the linoleum, then you have to use either some kind of glue or cement, and then you'd have to take them out for a good week until the glue smell dissipates. Also, if you plan on Grouting in-between the Linoleum tiles using spacers in-between the individual tiles, which you don't have to but some people still do, then you'd also have to remove them for a good week...But most people don't grout with linoleum tiles, they just lay the tiles down on the sub-floor and that's it...it's pretty easy, the only difficult part is cutting the tiles to fit corners, but if you have any baseboard trim around the bottom of your walls that makes it easier because your cuts don't have to be perfect/straight, you can be a bit sloppy because you have to remove the baseboards and the edge of the tiles will be underneath the baseboard when you put it back on, so you can't see the edges...It just all depends on the set-up in the room and what is underneath your carpeting...

Just a general safety note: Older Linoleum Tile can be very dangerous. It is a 'very' specific size tile and those in the industry can quickly determine it by their size. If you pull your carpet and find Older Linoleum Tile, measure it and call or go to your local Big Box or Flooring Store and ask someone with gray hair if your specific size is a problem. I am sorry, but my gray matter is not remembering the specific size at this moment. Do Not Remove It Until You Check First.

We installed sheet linoleum at the cottage and floated it. Whether you float or not, assure that there is NOTHING between the linoleum and the sub-floor and that the sub-floor is flat.

My lino just came in a sheet ( 4 metres wide) and is not glued anywhere... it it is propperly laid (by an expert) it will just stay in place, nu glue needed.

SailBoat said:

Just a general safety note: Older Linoleum Tile can be very dangerous. It is a 'very' specific size tile and those in the industry can quickly determine it by their size. If you pull your carpet and find Older Linoleum Tile, measure it and call or go to your local Big Box or Flooring Store and ask someone with gray hair if your specific size is a problem. I am sorry, but my gray matter is not remembering the specific size at this moment. Do Not Remove It Until You Check First.

We installed sheet linoleum at the cottage and floated it. Whether you float or not, assure that there is NOTHING between the linoleum and the sub-floor and that the sub-floor is flat.

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Were they made of Asbestos? I hadn't thought about that, it does depend on how old your home is...Sometimes you never know what you're going to find underneath carpeting, that's for sure...The house I grew-up in was built in 1943, and throughout the downstairs, the stairs themselves, and the full banister/landings were the most gorgeous hardwood floors/stairs, and my mom had them professionally restored, including the stairs and the hand-made banister...The upstairs of the house was all carpeted, and the guy who refinished the hardwood floors/stairs for my mom told her "I guarantee that under that carpeting upstairs is the very same beautiful hardwood". So my mom wanted to find out, and sure enough he was correct...But very unfortunately some complete and total moron at some point had GLUED DOWN linoleum tiles right onto the gorgeous, original hardwood floors throughout the entire upstairs...And it was going to be such an expensive nightmare to rip up that linoleum and refinish the hardwood that someone just decided to lay carpeting over-top of the crappy linoleum tiles...which were made of something dangerous as well, that was a deciding factor to my mom just putting new carpeting down over-top of the linoleum as well...

We've had our carpet / flooring replaced within the past decade so I wouldn't think we have asbestos under our carpets

I'm not the owner of the house so I don't really know all the details but once one of my parents aren't busy I'll ask them if they know. They're on board with replacing carpet though, we are all sick of it