New Paint Smell? - Quick Get Outside

Man has been decorating their homes for over 40,000 years. Early cave dwellers, probably those who were about to give birth and had a strong urge to nest, ground natural dyes into water and painted the walls with their fingers. Not a lot has changed on the nesting side, but the paint side is a whole different story.

Although we all know about the dangers of lead in paint, it is only recently that people have begun discussing VOCs and toxins and we all throw up our arms in terror of what might be hiding in the walls and air of our homes. But don’t panic. The cure for fear is knowledge and that’s exactly what we’re providing here. So sit back and relax and get ready for ‘everything you wanted to know about paint but didn’t know what to ask!”

So let’s start with VOCs – volatile organic compounds are a broad range of natural and synthetic products that evaporate at normal conditions and enter the air. We know for a fact that VOCs are greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming and so are restricted by the Government. However, what is less known is that VOCs are also instrumental in affecting the air quality of your home and have been linked to a variety of health problems. When you paint a room and smell that new paint smell, you are actually smelling the VOCs that are being off-gassed into your air. Although the smell goes away after a while, the off-gassing can occur for up to six years after application. In fact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found concentrations of VOCs in indoor air commonly to be two to five times greater than in outdoor air, and during certain activities, such as painting, levels of VOCs may reach 1,000 times that of the outside air.

VOCs are measured as grams per liter on the side or bottom of paint containers. The average gallon of paint contains at least 150 grams of VOCs. Many of the large paint manufacturers now offer a choice of low VOC products, and several new companies have sprung up to meet the challenge of providing safe paints. But with these options comes a choice, and many people are learning that low VOC paints may not be low enough.

A low VOC paint is qualified as containing 50 grams of VOC per liter or less. But if you consider that a gallon of paint contains 3.8 liters then a low VOC paint still contains 150 grams of VOCs. That is equal to 30 nickels of VOCs in one low VOC gallon of paint. Tinting also adds VOCs to the paint, so it is smart to remember that the coloring process for most paints increases the VOC content along with the content of its toxins.

Thankfully though, we now have a wide variety of paint options that not only contain zero VOCs but also zero toxins, even when coloring. Milk paints have been on the market for years and provide coverage without the fumes – but are often not as durable as latex paints and can have application issues. Recent breakthroughs in polymer technology have created new products that offer greater durability and coverage than toxic paints, with zero VOCs, zero toxins and huge range of colors. Although more expensive than the toxic paints, they do offer the premium quality that we expect and need for our homes, but without all the fumes, toxins and VOCs that go with it.

The best advice for choosing a low VOC paint is to read the label and ask questions. If the paint can has a warning label on the side then it probably isn’t totally zero toxin or zero VOC. And when you choose your colors, ask your paint store if the tints contain VOCs. Many of the big box stores such as Lowes and Home Depot will offer lower VOC tints, but it always best to ask how many VOCs will be added when you mix your colors. More and more independent paint and hardware stores are offering high quality paints with zero VOC tints as a way to compete with the big box stores. And although their product is a little more expensive, many of them are educated about VOCs and toxins in paint and the best choices for your needs.

Ultimately, paint is a very low cost way to completely transform a room. It is worth putting in the research and perhaps a few extra dollars, to make sure that all you get is great color – and not all the VOCs and toxins.