Painting walls (stupid question)

[ZephyrFly]

I've spent the last 3 days painting some of the walls in our flat (around the front door, bathroom and the entire livingroom/Pazu's room). I got pazu out before I started, she'd been staying with the boyfriends parents upstairs.

Now the great part is that I'm done, finished probably 4pm yesturday (saturday). My paint was low VOC and all dry now. At what point should I be able to know to bring pazu back in (I was hoping to do it tomorrow as everything should have had well over 24 hours to dry)?

 

[SailBoat]

Congratulations on your hard work!

Interestingly, it is not you who can make that determination. The sensitivity of your ability to determine the amount of paint odder is near zero. That has to be left to someone else that has not been in the flat during or just after the painting.

Your weather will play heavily as to how early as the ability to have windows open and air exchange occurring is very important to knock down the volume in air as with the amount of paint used. The greater the volume the longer it will take. In addition, the more you have used fans to help exchange the air of the home will help in reducing the amount of paint fumes.

Depending on the paint used, the volume and the air exchange rate, you could have your Parrots back in the house as early as 36 hours, which assumes that windows will be open and air being exchanged over the next 36 hours. With the house closed tight the long side could be over a week.

The point of all of this is: Will you, are you able to cause a continuous exchange of air for up to four or more days. If so, someplace around 48 hours.

So, have that trusted friend stop by with the known great nose and provide you a quick check. FYI: The longer they are in your Flat the more there nose will be effective.

Sorry for the rambling, but there are so many variables that you really need that third party.

Venting, Venting, Venting!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Good for you, for playing it safe.

I agree with Mr. Boat, because I like to be right!

 

[ZephyrFly]

We have no fans... and annoyingly the livingroom's "window" is the backdoor to the garden (which up til now I've kept closed at night). I will be keeping the backdoor cracked tonight with a window elsewhere open to allow it to vent but damn.
It's not an issue of the parents keeping pazu longer but she hasn't had much time out of her cage upstairs beside the hour i've been able to give each night before I put her to sleep (they're very very wary about having her out). So after tomorrow when the working week starts up again they wont have her out, and by the time I get back from work (well I might be able to give her an hour if I go staight to her and not go home and eat) the parnets will be going to bed. Plus I wont be able to get pazu til next weekend.
There any tips that doesn't involve a fan? I heard bowls of water being left in the room over night can absorb the smell, is it true?

 

[ZephyrFly]

as for third party, my boyfriend's been away while I've been painting and came back tonight, and in the couple hours i was out getting him from the train station I kept the doors closed. We got back and where I couldnt smell it before I could suddenly smell it very slightly (and the boyfriend confirmed it).
I want my buddy back but i don't know what to do at this point.

 

[SailBoat]

Bowles of water? Never heard that one, plus there is just no physics that apply. A cool, misting shower would physically help by encapsulating VOC in the air and pull it down and out thought the drain.

The lack of window screens in the UK and Europe has always surprised me. Yes, I am aware of the heavy use of DDT and its killing of near all bugs. But as the bug population works back, and you have Parrots, it well worth looking at!

Also, screens do a get job of keep Parrots in!

 

[ZephyrFly]

I don't disagree with you, but yes they aren't a thing. I have a magnetic bug net door thing but I don't think I have what I need to put it up (new in the box). I'll just have to get the boyfriend to sniff the livingroom in the morning/afternoon, and his mum if she's available (his dad helped me paint so I don't know if he's the right choice.

 

[ZephyrFly]

Update:
Kept the backdoor cracked open all night (only enough to keep out any animals so barely anything really), still a hint of smell but opened all the doors for several hours and sprayed f10 into the air everywhere (i know its for bacteria, fungi and virus but part of me just hoped it would help). Smell disappeared (like the yesturday) so I've closed all the doors for the past hour or more to see if the smell builds up again. Had the boyfriends mum come down and sniff it twice now (once around 30min of closed doors, and the other just now after over an hour and a half) and she can't smell anything. She understands my paranoia and they need to go eat dinner so we'll see/try getting Pazu down in an hour providing the smell is still gone.

I'm at the point where I think it's just paranoia, I've got a sensitively good sense of smell. I can't smell anything in the flat besides where I've cleaned things down with F10 (i know I've been in the flat and around paint all weekend and haven't gone far since so I couldn't smell it properly if i tried) but the fact that I can't is putting me on edge i guess...

If nobody else can smell anything I have to trust that I guess... This is making me feel like I have trust issues

 

[SailBoat]

No, you do not have Trust Issues, you are just suffering over-protective parront issues!

FYI: if you have a vent fan located in the bath room of kitchen turn them on, they will create a vacuum that will pull air in from the outside. They do not move huge volumes of air, but its better then zero air movement. Double check that the fan in the Kitchen is in fact vents to the outside - some do not!

They will be home soon! This to shall pass!

 

[ZephyrFly]

bathroom vent is on, kitchen vent isn't a "get the hell out of my house" kinda vent. But thankyou for the suggestions!
I spent a time outside with a smelly oil under my face (lives in the bathroom normally which can be ventilated independent to the flat), came back in and I can smell all the odd things again, like how the bedroom smells different from the rest of the flat, the livingroom and the painted areas all seem fine. I think over protective i the key here. (A note being that the oil is a destressing body oil, put it on-breath deep-wash it off thoroughly, I came back feeling less tense and able to smell again if only for a while).