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Painting Tips and Tricks

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Paint That Does Not Smell

Have you ever painted a bedroom, office or bathroom and noticed that the smell just never seems to go away? If you used your standard house paint and the room you painted had little ventilation, then yes, the smell of paint can sometimes linger on for months. So, what can you do about this problem?

Almost all paint products are becoming more “green friendly.” Yes even paints are on the green list just like soaps, cleaning products, AC units and a thousand other products. The way a paint is considered “green” is a low amount of what is called "volatile organic compounds (VOC). The higher the VOC, the more harmful chemicals are released into the air. The lower the VOC in the paint product, the more green the paint and less fumes. In some states, such as California, the EPA regulates the VOC for a 1 gallon can of paint to be less than 50g/L VOCs. That means, a gallon of paint bought in California will not have a lot of smell to it. Here in the North Shore areas, paint manufacturers are required to sell only low-VOC paints. A low VOC paint would typically be anything under 100g/L VOCs per gallon.

Now, in recent years, several manufacturers have released good quality paints that look good, are easy to apply, last long and have no smell whatsoever. These paints have Zero VOCs in them. Benjamin Moore has a product called Natura and Sherwin Williams has one called Harmony. You might be surprised at the price tag of these paints as they can sometimes be double the price ($50-60 a gallon). However, if you are concerned about your health and do not want to be breathing and smelling paint fumes for months and months, you will be 100% satisfied using either of these products. You will not smell the paint when it is being applied nor will it smell at all when it cures.

So, the next time you need an interior surface painted, ask Pete The Painter about using Zero VOC paints. We will be glad to advise you on what products are the best. Oh, and by the way, if you have a garage floor or wood varnishing work, you can even find zero smell products that work great too. Just ask us.