# Loft interior & floor - Paint or No Paint



## calzephyr

So I'm about to start construction on small loft (expanded RedRose design). I can't do a grated floor, it will have to be plywood.

What's the opinion here - paint the floor or leave it natural? 

I had thought of using porch paint, a heavy duty gray. But I don't know if having the moisture barrier of paint is better, or having fewer chemicals in contact with the birds.

In the old days I seem to remember people wood "whitewash" the interior of the loft. 

Cost isn't an issue, I just want to do what is easiest to clean and best for the birds health.

Any thoughts?

-Cal


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## c.hert

I would not paint the floor for after some time the floor will get "seasoned" so to speak and it will become a lot easier to clean and eventually take on a nice overall color that is the same and you will be scaping it everyday and eventually it will just slide over it real easy and pick the stuff...I would not paint the floor and the interior you can buy special paint at bird supply places like Foys pigeon supply (east coast) but I am sure in your area you have places as well in calif--this paint is oil free and organic for the birds..for interior only...c.hert


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## soymi69

If you're going to spend money on painting the floor then just buy a treated 3/4 plywood, you don't need to paint the floor because the acid from the droppings will only eat the paint specially the paint now adays are all water base. I always like expanded metal depending on your weather ofcourse, it keeps the birds healthy and less pron to respiratory. Check out my public profile and look at my album you will see different types of floor I use.


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## shadowgames

I have never cleaned a loft before so I might not be the one to comment on the cleaning of a loft. I have painted for several years professionally from MLB baseball stadiums to water treatment plants to everyday houses. When I build my loft I will paint the interior with a two part expoxy paint that will not be affected by the droppings of the birds nor the constant scraping. Not the cheapest paint but it will last a life time. The secondary choice of paint would be a oil based exterior enamel and again the paint will not be affected by the droppings but not as durable with scraping but definitely will hold up decently (probably would have to recoat every couple of months or years depending on cleaning method). Like I said I don't know pigeons but I do know paint and the invest of protecting your wood will last a life time for your loft. Just my two cents on this. Expoxy coatings are the same type of paint used to line garage floors, tanks for drinking water, turd grinders, and it can withstand heavy traffic and multiple types of abuse, most expoxys can be set on fire and still not damage the paint.


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## spirit wings

why paint? unless you want an other color besides wood color.... the birds are going to poop all over everthing anyway.


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## shadowgames

Cleaning a painted surface versus an unpainted surface (especially wood) is a whole lot easier to do for one thing. The paint also acts as a surface barrier for problems from moisture to control health issues that may arise from sick bird. Wood will absorb a lot things compared to painted wood; if a problem does come up. A dry loft is a good loft #1 reason IMO just as a preventive measure.


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## c.hert

Read post #2 on this thread and thats how I feel about this subject...You should really know more about keeping your birds healthy than on making it easier for yourself and apoxy and paint chip and paint smell will make your birds sick as well as if they eat it --will kill them c.hert


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## shadowgames

This will be a great debate topic. The smell of the paint is just the immediate application and of course the paint will not applied while the birds are in the loft but after it has cured there is no smell at all. The water that you get from your faucet comes from a metal tank lined at water treatment plants throughout the country in the same expoxy I speak of. Yes there is a risk of the pigeons eating chips but the likely hood of expoxy chipping where a bird would have access to it is very remote because of adhesive properties that expoxy contains, there is no paint that bonds better than epoxy in the world, speak to a rep at your local paint store and they will tell you the same. The main reason I feel paint would be beneficial isn't so much the easy part of cleaning for me the human but the long term care for both me and the birds health wise. From my understanding moisture poses a huge problem for the birds health wise, with a wooden floor, it will absorb all kinds of health risk for the birds from coccidia, worms, trichomonas (canker), bacterial pathogens, molds that advance specifically from pigeon droppings and etc can all be housed in a unpainted wooden surface which quite a few lofts seem to have wooden floors and these things can stay in the wood for decades without problems. I guess it is a matter of preference on this. If the paint is applied properly chipping will not be an issue. BTW, treated wood is for moisture only and the treatment doesn't last all the long especially with the constant abuse it takes from droppings. I also understand the sensitivity of the birds with smell.

I guess me automatically assuming that I know everything birds was definitely not intended and meant no disrespect but I do know paint very well and I do understand caring for animals in a confined area since I use to own a 15 dog kennel and once a problem arises the correction is harder to do than prevention. Take it as a grain salt, nothing more than my two cents.


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## spirit wings

if you build it right you do not have moister problems, to me I just do not see the benifit besides color change, and a scrapped loft that had been painted looks worse for wear after a few years, and then what...paint again?... got to take the birds out put them someplace, scrape, clean, paint, and then wait for it to cure for a few days...where will your pigeons go for that?.. JMO now, once you paint it it will scrape off, esp because you are scrapping poo from it all the time... if you did do something then perhaps that stuff the other guy mentioned may stay nice, or that garage floor paint may work too?,(chemicals?), or maybe a stain? that would not flake off, but really you do not have to do it, if your loft is off the ground and has a good roof it will stay dry.


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## Jay3

That epoxy you speak of is supposed to work great, and is very strong and durable, and I agree that the floor would be much easier to keep clean and to disinfect with the epoxy. In the long term, it should be healthier for the birds with it. I'd go with that.


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## shadowgames

My wife had a great thought also besides the paint. About plexi glass over the floor, cheap easy to install and replace and non porus surface that would be amazingly easy to clean.


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## spirit wings

shadowgames said:


> My wife had a great thought also besides the paint. About plexi glass over the floor, cheap easy to install and replace and non porus surface that would be amazingly easy to clean.


easy to clean yes....but I can see me slipping in wet poo and that would'nt be purdy...lol... any slick flooring wil be slippery with wet droppings.


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## Jay3

That's what I was think. LOL.


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## JRNY

shadowgames said:


> My wife had a great thought also besides the paint. About plexi glass over the floor, cheap easy to install and replace and non porus surface that would be amazingly easy to clean.



I read somewhere where the guy put pexiglass on his floor. Ive been thinking to do something with my floor also. But dont know what to do.

Has anybody done or heard of formica being put on the floor? I wonder whats the good and bad about it? Back in the days we use to put a sheet of tin. Easy to scrap and last for ever.


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## spirit wings

JRNY said:


> I read somewhere where the guy put pexiglass on his floor. Ive been thinking to do something with my floor also. But dont know what to do.
> 
> Has anybody done or heard of formica being put on the floor? I wonder whats the good and bad about it? Back in the days we use to put a sheet of tin. Easy to scrap and last for ever.


I think the two mainstays are wood, and grated metal, I seem to think the wood is easier in the long run as I so not see my self with a scrub brush on my knees scrubbing a grated floor, and bugs and mice coming in, but that is just me, I rather scrape everyday as it only takes 15 mins..? anything slick as said before would be...well slick and a mess IMO as you walk through the loft you could slip right into a wet poop, wood would hold clay litter and shavings if you wanted to use them also. heard of some using a material called luane? (spelling?) but that is slick also...


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## Jay3

Well even painted, or painted with the epoxy could be slippery. But I wouldn't want a grated floor for the same reasons as you. Plus the fact of the cold winters around here.


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## bcr1

I have Luan (not sure of spelling either) in my loft and it cleans real easy. It is not slippery at all and is pretty cheap if it needs replaced.


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## Jay3

bcr1 said:


> I have Luan (not sure of spelling either) in my loft and it cleans real easy. It is not slippery at all and is pretty cheap if it needs replaced.


How long have you had it? How durable is it?


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## bcr1

I have had it about 8 months. It shows no sign of wear even after a winter of scraping frozen poop off the floor every day. It is now almost evenly that nice greenish white color that we all love so much.


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## c.hert

Yea Spirit Wings you could slide right into a wet poop--lol---c.hert


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## Jay3

bcr1 said:


> I have had it about 8 months. It shows no sign of wear even after a winter of scraping frozen poop off the floor every day. It is now almost evenly that nice greenish white color that we all love so much.


I imagine it would clean up well.


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## spirit wings

bcr1 said:


> I have Luan (not sure of spelling either) in my loft and it cleans real easy. It is not slippery at all and is pretty cheap if it needs replaced.


oh that is good to know, it is nice to have alternatives that are worth the look see....seems it is made out of wood too.


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## Jay3

spirit wings said:


> oh that is good to know, it is nice to have alternatives that are worth the look see....seems it is made out of wood too.


Yes. It's like a 1/4 inch plywood. It is used to put down under a linolium floor so that it will be smooth. It does wear fairly well though, and is smooth.


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## Shadybug Lofts

Hi Im a newbie here. The way I did my loft floor I glued that plastic 4x8 sheets that you put on the walls in bathrooms. It has little bumps all over it But I tuned it to the backside that is smooth and glued it down. I also have a slat floor that is removable I just lighty scrape the slats lift it out and scape the floor. The slates are about 4" from the floor 90% of the poop falls through so the birds never walk on it and you dont have to clean to often.The slats are 3/4 x 1 with wooden round rods running through them every foot an 8' span will hold a man.


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## Jay3

Shadybug Lofts said:


> Hi Im a newbie here. The way I did my loft floor I glued that plastic 4x8 sheets that you put on the walls in bathrooms. It has little bumps all over it But I tuned it to the backside that is smooth and glued it down. I also have a slat floor that is removable I just lighty scrape the slats lift it out and scape the floor. The slates are about 4" from the floor 90% of the poop falls through so the birds never walk on it and you dont have to clean to often.The slats are 3/4 x 1 with wooden round rods running through them every foot an 8' span will hold a man.


That sounds interesting. Would love to see a picture.


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## Shadybug Lofts

I have post pics on other sites does it work the same put it in photobucket and bring it over I will put pics on but im at work now Will have to wait till i get home I have a loft that is 6x3 red rose design with a lot of special features.


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## Jay3

Shadybug Lofts said:


> I have post pics on other sites does it work the same put it in photobucket and bring it over I will put pics on but im at work now Will have to wait till i get home I have a loft that is 6x3 red rose design with a lot of special features.


Yes. You can use photobucket, click on the IMG link, copy and paste it here.
To bad you are having to work on Sunday. I work some weekends also.


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## Shadybug Lofts

Yes I work at a water treatment plant 2nd shift. Nothing to do but play on the computer lol. I work 10 days on and 4 off which is nice sometimes because you can add vacation days or sick days to the 4 days and have a nice long weekend But that 10 day stretch is a killer Question where do you get spell check on here Gary


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## Jay3

Sounds good. Don't know. Don't use spell check. Pick up a dictionary?


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## Shadybug Lofts

Takes to long to look in a dictionary I will figure it out.


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## Wingsonfire

I use this one and i need it believe me lol lol 

http://www.iespell.com/download.php


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## Shadybug Lofts

The other fourms i go on have a button here to spell check


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## Shadybug Lofts

Gee I found it It was hiding over there upper right corner


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## spirit wings

oh ,I see it now... cool.


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## Shadybug Lofts

You learn something new every day LOL


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## Shadybug Lofts

See im not your average little squab LOL


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## Jay3

No. You're a smart little squab!


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## shadowgames

"Those sections stay the same as they are, day or night, winter or summer," the brothers tell us. The most important thing is to keep the sections as clean as possible. If that's done seriously it's no problem to keep the birds healthy. Every time you enter the lofts they are as clean as can be. No matter how many people visit in a day, they always clean once again before someone else is allowed into the lofts. The floors always look as if you could eat from them. Once per week they use the vacuum cleaner so that there's no dust in the lofts, and besides that, they regularly take broom and brush to disinfect the lofts. Once every year they have the big cleaning and they brush everything with water and chloride. After that, all the walls are painted white again.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE JANSSEN LOFT DID
PRETTY NICE WEBSITE 
http://www.silvio-co.com/pigeons/janssen.htm


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## Donoibex

Building a new coup, Can I safely paint the inside


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## Jay3

Donoibex said:


> Building a new coup, Can I safely paint the inside


This is on the end of a thread from like 3 years ago. No one is going to see it. I'll PM you on how to start a new thread so others will see it.


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## Shadybug Lofts

Yes you can. I have used latex paint, latex stain, shellac, but bare wood is the best because the droppings dry better on bare wood. I can't do bare wood, it just doesn't look finished to me, but that's just me, and you can move an old thread to the front and people will read it.


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## Jay3

It also depends on what you use to build the loft. I painted the nest boxes only. I would never paint the perches or floor, as you will be scraping them all the time, and will damage paint job anyway. But I didn't paint the walls, and am now sorry that I didn't, as it would be easier to clean, especially around the perches.


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## calzephyr

yes you can paint. I used "KILZ" white primer on most of the interior walls of my loft. It has an anti-mold/mildew agent in it.

I did paint the floor with gray exterior porch paint, two coats over primer. It's kind of like the heavy duty gray paint they put on garage floors. This has held up well and scrapes well. The poops don't soak into the wood floor, and dry quickly. 

The secret is to let the paint sit and dry well and cure, for days, so that the fresh paint smell is gone and no fumes remain for the birds to inhale. 

-Cal


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## Jay3

calzephyr said:


> yes you can paint. I used "KILZ" white primer on most of the interior walls of my loft. It has an anti-mold/mildew agent in it.
> 
> I did paint the floor with gray exterior porch paint, two coats over primer. It's kind of like the heavy duty gray paint they put on garage floors. This has held up well and scrapes well. *The poops don't soak into the wood floor, and dry quickly. *
> 
> The secret is to let the paint sit and dry well and cure, for days, so that the fresh paint smell is gone and no fumes remain for the birds to inhale.
> 
> -Cal



Wouldn't you want them to dry quickly? I would rather have plain untreated wood. But have the walls and boxes painted. Didn't paint my walls and now wish I had.


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## Rod Hultquist

Put me down for a vote in the do not paint column. I agree with *spirit wings*. If you scrape every day or even every other day, it onlys takes abput 10-15 mins. Also, a much drier enviroment. I pesonally don't know one fancier that has painted the floor of their loft. However, I am sure some people try it. There is a product called "Floor White" that many fanciers use after scraping their lofts. It keeps the floor dry has a nice smell and leaves the loft floor slightly acidic. After sweeping around the floor I sweep it up. I don't want excess dust in the loft that might interfere with the birds repiratory.


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## Jay3

Actually, floor white doesn't leave the floor acidic. But it dries everything up so that it smells nice and all is dry. There is another dressing that will make the floor more acidic, but it has a sulfur smell. I sometimes use it after the floor white.


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## Jay3

Actually floor white doesn't make it more acidic. As a matter of fact, it is chalk, which makes it more alkaline. But it dries everything up and therefore makes it smell nice. Keeps things dry which I like, and there is a dressing that I sometimes use after the floor white, which does make it alkaline, but it smells like sulfur.


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## Rod Hultquist

I am only repreating the description in Siegel's catalog........
*Natural White – This loft dressing has excellent absorption properties and leaves the loft floor slightly acidic, promoting good sanitation. (Natural -- Belgium)*


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## Jay3

Well I think Jedd's fibs. Their Loft Dressing does have acid sulfur in it to make that acid.
But the floor white is ground chalk, and that is made from limestone, which is alkaline. How would one make that acidic?


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