Which is safer..??

louise22

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I am wanting to change the wallpaper that is in my birds room. The paper I was going to order says the material is vinyl...I had already ordered a sample and no smell on it so not sure if this is safe..?? Would be put up using wallpaper paste.....the birds can't rip/eat the wallpaper anywhere. Or should I use paint (would prefer paper but ok with this if safer) if so, can someone tell me what paint to use..??
 

HeatherG

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I think the wallpaper and paste would have less off gassing. It appears that wallpaper paste is rather organic/ non toxic.
 

HeatherG

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A note: my first Quaker, Gonzo, got much pleasure from stripping the wallpaper near her cage (in a rental). I covered the chewed area with contact paper but it did not look very good.

The take home lesson is that your bird WILL ENJOY pulling off strips of wallpaper if he can reach it.
 
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SailBoat

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Each wallpaper needs to be verified to assure the ink and base material is Parrot /Baby safe. The paste wants to be water-based to both assure easy of removing when (not if) the wallpaper becomes 'dated' and easy installation.

Remember that what you love, may not be the joy of the future owner /renter.

Parrots and wallpaper! Remember to place serious attention on corners and butt-joints to assure they have enough glue to hold them tight. Parrot have that magic ability to find the single loose bit .
 

HeatherG

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It looks like the base material of wallpaper paste are clay, cellulose, corn starch which are safe BUT there are likely small amounts of preservatives if you buy prepared wallpaper paste so thatā€™s something else to consider.

I think the wallpaper would have fewer gases coming off than fresh paint simply because itā€™s been rolled out, printed, and sitting in a warehouse for months or years. Paint is fresh and so contains all those solvents to keep it liquid and mixed and those have to dissipate (float away) after you put it on the wall and it dries.
 
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louise22

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It would be the solvite wallpaper paste I would be using...is this ok? or can you recommend another if this is not? They did used to rip/eat the wallpaper at the curtain pole but I have covered it with cardboard...that seems to be the only place they rip it off but will keep a close eye. The wallpaper I am going to order is unpasted.
 
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louise22

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It is this one I'm buying..?? Just worried as it says vinyl and I know that isn't good but the sample had no smell to it at all....if you know of any safer/non toxic option, around the same price (don't mind a little more) then feel free to send me a link or name....Right now, they have cheap (Ā£4 a roll) woodchip paper in their room that my parents put up just before I got my birds and it has such a strong smell at times.

 

ravvlet

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Have you considered a peel and stick paper? Theyā€™re faster to apply and some brands are EPA rated for safety. Sailboat and HeatherG have both also made excellent points about the potential longevity of said options, given a parrotā€™s predilection for shredding.

We have peel and stick wallpaper upstairs but itā€™s in a room out parrots donā€™t go in. I did half a wall and I did notice a faint odor, so if your bird is in the room normally Iā€™d move them out into a different room, close the door, and crack open a window. The smell was gone within a day.
 

HeatherG

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The adhesive is mostly potato starch with some tiny amount of fungicide to inhibit mold growth in the hung paper.
I canā€™t imagine how its odors could be harmful to your bird or yourself, especially if you let the paper and paste dry.

The vinyl wallpaper may have some slight smell at first but again less offgassing I think than paint.

If you really want wallpaper, I think it would be fine. Leave the windows open for a few days, maybe, to get rid of any odors. I think you might need a sealant as well? Oops, I just read that vinyl wallpaper doesnā€™t need to be sealed.
 
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louise22

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I wasn't sure if peel and stick would be worse because of the adhesives. They will be in another room for at least 3 days and their room window open the full time. They only bit the wallpaper at one bit but that has been covered with cardboard. Would be fine with wallpaper or paint, just whatever is safer for them but I'm just a bit wary of buying paint and it really smells for a long time. Thanks for all the advice.
 

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