Ever had a concrete bird bath that you want to seal up but you just don’t know which non-toxic ones are out there?
Or maybe your bird bath has started to leak water and you need a quick fix for it?
No worries, I can help you out!
Just a few days ago, I was just wondering the same thing: “What can I use to seal my bird bath?” I found no answers online so I went to do my own research found an answer! Here’s what I found:
Bird baths can be sealed using non-toxic safe sealers such as polyurethane sealers. Other sealers that are safe for bird baths include those sold by Gorilla, Flex Seal, Krylon, and Rust-Oleum. However, these sealers for bird baths are only safe once they are fully cured.
It’s definitely important to ensure that the sealers we use are safe for birds! In this article, I will cover this topic in greater detail.
Read on for more!
1. Why Bird Bath Sealers Need To be Non-Toxic
Bird baths are places birds go to enjoy the clean water source for both their bathing and drinking purposes. It’s only responsible for us to make sure that our beloved birds are safe when they use our bird baths!
In case you need some guidance, I wrote another article on how to keep your bird bath clean, I’ll link it here!
The main purpose of bird bath sealers is this:
Bird bath sealers protect the paint and concrete underneath from water and UV damage.
If the bird bath is not properly sealed, it can lead to the bird bath falling apart and unsuitable for use anymore! Now that’s a disaster we want to avoid altogether.
Why do bird bath sealers need to be non-toxic then?
Bird bath sealers need to be non-toxic because they are in direct contact with water and with the birds. Sealers that are not appropriate for bird bath usage will either start to leak into the water, or start peeling off into the water over time.
Moreover, if you have painted your bird bath prior to this, you may need to further waterproof your bird bath!
Any random concrete sealers that you use to spruce up your garage won’t work, because they may be unsafe for birds.
Also, check out an article I wrote here on safe paints you may want to use on your bird bath before you seal it!
When birds drink and bathe in the water in a bird bath, they could suffer from great harm and even die.
Thus, it’s important to pick a safe birdbath sealer that we can use for our concrete bird baths!
Check out another article I wrote on the best colors to paint bird baths here:
2. Best Non-Toxic Sealers For Bird Baths
You’ll need to apply some sealant if you want to ensure that it’s really waterproof and for it to last longer!
Here are 3 reasons why you need to apply sealant, especially after a paint job:
- It provides UV protection to the paint, allowing it to last longer.
- It acts as a waterproof layer on top of the paint.
- It prevents the buildup of dirt on the paint
Think of it as an invisible layer to seal it all up!
When dirt falls onto the birdbath, the sealant protects the paint from it and is easily cleaned off. I would also suggest using a clear and non-yellowing sealer to avoid an unwanted yellow/white tint on your paint job.
RECOMMENDED Sealers for Bird Baths With Paint:
| Oil-based/Latex | Acrylic |
| Gorilla Waterproof Clear Patch & Seal Spray (12 oz.) | Krylon UV-Resistant Clear Gloss Spray Can (11 oz.) |
You’ll see that I recommend the two sealers above. There’s actually a reason why I do so!
When you apply a sealer to your bird bath, you’ll need to first consider the type of paint that you applied to the bird bath before spraying over.
The best part about these two sealers above is that they are CLEAR! This means that your bird bath will look exactly the same as you did before, albeit a little more glossy due the waterproof layer.
Clear sealers for bird baths such as these are the best if you have painted some colors underneath too!
If you used oil-based or latex paint, use the Gorilla Waterproof Spray, if you painted acrylic paint, use the Krylon Spray instead!
However, if you did not paint your bird bath with any paint, and you are directly applying your sealer onto the concrete brid bath, then you should consider something stronger that can really seep deeper into the concrete and make it waterproof!
RECOMMENDED for direct application to concrete bird baths: Gorilla Waterproof Patch & Seal Liquid
This concrete sealer by Eco Advance is absolutely amazing due to its low price point for such a huge amount! (16oz).
The best part about this sealer is that it is absolutely safe for contact with birds, and does its water-repelling job well so that water from the bird bath basin doesn’t damage it!
In fact, while doing research on this, I found that many that don’t seem to work well enough plus they simply don’t mention that they are non-toxic for pets, etc. So I won’t even bother trying them out!
The only catch about this sealer is that it has to be sprayed on using a gallon sprayer.
But with a gallon sprayer, it’s SUPER EASY to apply this sealer!
You simply need to fill up the gallon sprayer with the liquid, add some water, mix it up, then spray on the surface of your bird bath. Leave it to dry, then take it out after a few days to test by spraying some water on it.
You can get a gallon sprayer for cheap here! Thereafter, you can use the gallon sprayer to spray and waterproof your patio or walkway.
Here’s how the gallon sprayer looks:
3. How To Seal A Concrete Bird Bath
Firstly, clean off ALL debris, water, and dirt from the bird bath using a brush and cloth. This is so that the sealer will adhere to the bird bath surface itself, not the dirt, which will fly away eventually and leave a spot not covered properly.
Secondly, spray the bird bath sealer on every single little spot on the bird bath, not forgetting the small gaps that may be in your bath. Repeat this 2 times over with an hour interval in between!
Thirdly, after 30 minutes of letting the first 2 layers of sealer cure and harden, apply a 3rd and final topcoat on top of it and let it cure. Don’t put any water in it and don’t expose it to the natural surrounds for a few days. The smell may still linger for a while.
Here’s a video on how you can apply a sealer to your bird bath:
Once that’s all done, then that’s it! You’ve successfully sealed your bird bath. Make sure to test out the waterproofing by pouring some water into the basin to check, the water should be repelled by the sealant.
If all that is done fine, you can begin putting water out for birds to visit your bird bath!
If you’re wondering how deep should your water be, check out this article I wrote all about it here.
Related FAQs:
How Do You Waterproof A Stone Bird Bath?
A stone bird bath can be waterproofed by using a non-toxic sealant. Non-toxic waterproof sealants need to be sprayed on with 2 layers and a final topcoat. The sealant must then be left to cure for a few days before pouring any water and allowing birds to use it.
How Do you Stop A Bird Bath From Leaking?
Bird baths can be stopped from leaking by applying waterproof non-toxic sealants. Examples of non-toxic sealants include polyurethane sealants, and sealants from Gorilla, Flex Seal, Krylon, and Rust-Oleum. The sealants must be applied in 3 layers and left to cure fully before filling with water.
Is Gorilla glue Safe For Bird Baths?
Gorilla glue waterproof sealant is safe for bird baths. Gorilla glue sealants are completely waterproof after they are completely cured. Gorilla glue sealants need to be sprayed over bird baths with 2 initial layers and another topcoat.
Is Polyurethane Safe For Bird Baths?
Polyurethane is safe for bird baths as a waterproof sealant. Polyurethane is non-toxic and eco-friendly in nature that is not harmful to birds, plants, and other animals. Polyurethane is safe to be applied as a sealant after a double-coated paint job on a bird bath.
Final Thoughts
So now you know which bird bath sealers are non-toxic to birds and are 100% safe! It is only our basic responsibility as bird bath owners to take good care of the birds that we attract to our bird baths.
Alright, I hope that you’ll attract many birds to your bird bath this season!
Thanks for reading this article and happy birding!
My Recommended Birding Resources:
Hey there, Justin here!
Here’s a list of all my favorite resources, products, and all brands I trust and love.
Although some may be affiliate links, I will only recommend those that I think are of great value. Simply purchasing using the links helps to keep this blog running!
- My Binoculars: The pair of binoculars that I personally use is the Celestron Nature DX 8×42 Binoculars. It’s a great budget pair for beginner birders. Highly valued for its price! Read my review here.
- Safe Paint for Bird Baths: Not any paint can be used to paint bird baths. Links to all safe paint for bird baths are in this article I wrote!
- Safe Sealers for Bird Baths: Not all sealers can be used to paint bird baths. Links to all sealers for bird baths are in this article I wrote!
- Safe Paint for Bird Feeders: Special care needs to be taken to paint bird feeders with the right paint. Read more in the article here!
- Safe Paint for Birdhouses: Not any paint can be used to paint birdhouses. Links to all safe paint for birdhouses are in this article I wrote!
- Birding Apps: 2 of my favorite birding apps are Merlin Bird ID, and eBird Mobile! Merlin is great for tracking and identifying birds, and eBird Mobile is great to track the birds sighted when birding. Read a post about them here.
- Birding Websites: I’ve compiled a list of links to my top 10 recommended birding websites in a blog post. Find the links here!
- Birding Podcasts: Birding podcasts are a great way to learn about birds. Links to the top 8 that I recommend can be found here!
Alternatively, you can check out my resources page here where I’ve compiled all the links to the above!