# Forum Home Renovation Painting  Painting with a baby in the house?

## dan76n

We are wanting to do a few feature walls in the house but need to know if its ok to do so when we have a 3 month old baby? Would be using Dulux wash n wear.

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## China

Just make sure you throw a drop sheet over the baby

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## shauck

> Just make sure you throw a drop sheet over the baby

   :Rotfl:

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## johnc

If you are using water based paints there shouldn't be any issues at all, even with oil based other than the smell there is no real risk to baby. Obviously you wouldn't want a child froliking in wet paint but at three months they will be tucked away in another part of the house and probably barely able to detect any fumes. If the child has respitory issues it would pay to keep an eye on them to make sure they aren't reacting to anything, even then the risk is very minimal. They would probably be more at risk if Mum of Dad had a meal heavily seasoned with Garlic and Chilli then breathed on them.

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## Strom

Any of the leading paint manufacturers make a low voc in there premium range..
If you are concerned about baby this is the paint you ought to be using... 
I don't know why you would be contemplating enamel on a feature Wall.. ???... :Confused:  :Confused:  
I would not be having baby sleep in a room that had recently had any work done in enamel... :No:

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## dan76n

> I don't know why you would be contemplating enamel on a feature Wall.. ???...

  I'm not, I'm planning on using Dulux wash n wear.

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## Sir Stinkalot

Having recently painted the house with Dulux Wash & Wear I would recommend giving the room a few days to air out before putting the baby back in. I know that we painted our bedroom and moved back in that night and it was a bit on the nose for a day or two. As it was noticeable for us I wouldn't expose a young one to it and would just put the cot in a different room until the smell has cleared.  
I recently did the door frame (door was already done previously) of our now 1 year old sons room. I painted it with Aquaenamel at about 6pm and he was asleep by 7pm. There was a slight smell but nothing too much and he didn't seem bothered. That being said, I wouldn't expose my son to paint fumes if there was an alternative. 
If it was me, I would schedule my painting so I could limit the exposure of the baby. Paint one room at a time and let them sleep/ or be in another room for a few days. If you can paint the room and close the door. As others have mentioned there is low VOC paints available, and I did consider it when painting our house, but in the end just went for wash and wear.

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## Cecile

My ridiculous sense of humour wants to know why you want to paint with a baby.  Wouldn't you rather use a brush or roller? 
*hee hee*

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## Strom

> I'm not, I'm planning on using Dulux wash n wear.

  My response was in regards to the reply above.. 
Dulux 101 is not Low Voc...

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## Bloss

Simply not an issue to worry about. Adults and children alike are not likely to like the smell of fresh paint so keep doors to other rooms shut and ventilate well for few days. That's all really - health impacts so low as to be trivial - and way lower than many other risks (such as visitors who are unvaccinated against whooping cough for example, or simply have a cold and do not wash hands before coming near your baby).

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## barrysumpter

Don't risk it. 
At that age you don't know if the baby already has resp probs or if the paint will cause resp probs in the future. 
Why risk it. 
Send the lady n baby off to moms or in-laws for the week.

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## starraffy

Just wondrin' how did you go about this? I hope your baby wasn't affected with the strong smell the painting caused. Even if after a week you let the baby sleep in the room I'm sure there was still traces of strong smell of the paint. When we had the painting of our previous house, we opened all windows and doors everyday for a week and an air purifier helped as well as it has deodorisation filter and we didn't entered the room for a week until the smell subsides.

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## barrysumpter

> Just wondrin' how did you go about this? I hope your baby wasn't affected with the strong smell the painting caused. Even if after a week you let the baby sleep in the room I'm sure there was still traces of strong smell of the paint. When we had the painting of our previous house, we opened all windows and doors everyday for a week and an air purifier helped as well as it has deodorisation filter and we didn't entered the room for a week until the smell subsides.

  Water based seems OK after using it this last week.
30 min touch dry and 2 hours second coat. 
But the high gloss oil paint I feel I've become sensative to.
Just finishing off the the internal door trim with a single coat makes me dumb and dumber than I already am.
2 hours touch dry and 16 freakin' hours second coat. 
Dreading that second coat.

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## barrysumpter

> My ridiculous sense of humour wants to know why you want to paint with a baby.  Wouldn't you rather use a brush or roller? 
> *hee hee*

  LOL.
Thanks Cecile.
Made me day.

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## Mitch1500

I wouldn't even consider it. Young baby, growing lungs. brain etc Warnings about SIDS. Enough without putting a baby in paint fumed room. Not forgetting by breathing things in can go into the blood stream. 
From the MSDS dulux Aqua enamel 
Inhalation:                                         Where this material is used in a poorly ventilated area, at elevated temperatures or in 
confined spaces, vapour may cause irritation to mucous membranes of the respiratory 
tract, headache and nausea. 
For further MSDS sheets Material Safety Data Sheets

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## starraffy

> Water based seems OK after using it this last week.
> 30 min touch dry and 2 hours second coat. 
> But the high gloss oil paint I feel I've become sensative to.
> Just finishing off the the internal door trim with a single coat makes me dumb and dumber than I already am.
> 2 hours touch dry and 16 freakin' hours second coat. 
> Dreading that second coat.

   Oil paint dry is dependent on humidity,maintaining a mid range humidity helps in drying off as well as air circulation, a good air filter and temperature. That was a long 16hrs but high gloss oil paint is durable and can resist moisture so its better than water based.

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## Random Username

This is the sort of result you'll get if you insist on painting with a baby (or toddler, even).

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## shauck

Not a great finish.  :Biggrin:

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