Ask the Expert Question-and-Answer Archive

by Ron Joseph

February, 2005

Safe Powder Coat Paint for Metal Parrot Cage

Q. I WANT TO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL POWDER COATER STRIP AND REPAINT MY EXISTING METAL BIRD CAGES. PAINT SHOULD NOT CONTAIN LEAD,ZINC, CHROMATE CHLORINE PVC FREE AND NO PHTHALATES. I WANT A WHITE HAMMERCOAT FINISH. ANY SUGGESTION ON PAINT BRANDS AND PAINT PROCESS I SHOULD LOOK FOR WHEN SELECTING ACOMPANY. IT IS NOT WORTH THE PRICE FOR THE PAINT TO BE A FOOD GRADE PAINT AS I UNDERSTAND IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE. IE 55# OVER A $1,000

A. I don't know the formulations of individual powder coating products, but since you are requesting a white powder coating, you should be pretty safe. I do not expect you to find any heavy metals in the coating.

Here's my suggestion. Select a powder coating facility in your local area and ask the owner for a recommendation on the powder that he would use. Then ask for a copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for that specific coating. Study the MSDS for all of the "hazardous" ingredients which you will usually find under Section II of the MSDS. Determine for yourself if there is anything in the formulation that might be dangerous to the birds. If necessary call the manufacturer to clarify any outstanding issues. The manufacturer's phone number should be listed on the MSDS. If there is something you don't like then either look at the MSDS of other white coatings (you can get the MSDSs of most vendors online) or ask the powder coater to apply a clear coating over the white. Clearcoats do not contain any colored pigments and should be the "cleanest" in terms of hazardous ingredients.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Ron Joseph