Clear your head with VOC-free paint

So, with my kiddos at the grandparents for a few days and my hubby away on business, I have the house completely to myself. And what do I choose to do with this oh-so-precious gift of peace and quiet? Why, paint the kitchen of course! What IS my problem??

Anyway, I chose a paint with no VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which are what make the 'stinky' (and irritating) paint smell. The 'volatile' part means that at room temperature, theses compounds are easily evaporated into the air, and 'organic' simply means that they are carbon-based. VOCs greatly contribute to reduced indoor air quality, can inflame allergies, as well as contribute to urban smog. VOCs can also continue to be emitted into the air long after you complete actually painting, emitting nasty chemicals into your household air.

Due to their developing bodies & brains, children are especially susceptible to off-gassing from VOCs over time. Additionally, children breathe in a greater volume of air than adults relative to their body size and since kids tend to breathe through their mouths (rather than their noses which would filter some of the particulates out).

There are many different brands of no or low-VOC paints on the market now, but the one I used was Freshaire Choice, which has both the Good Housekeeping Seal and is certified by the Greenguard Environmental Institute. Freshaire boasts that it is truly a no-VOC paint since they have no VOCs in their colorant, in addition to no VOCs in the actual paint.

It was a noticeable difference while painting...no stinky odors, no chemical smells, no headaches, no needing to take a break to clear my head, including when I was painting the stairwell with no real airflow! Seriously. Essentially no smell! Even though the Freshaire literature says there is "no compromise in product quality" - it did seem that the paint did not go on as smoothly or as evenly as traditional paint. (I've done a lot of painting over the years...) I had to do more touch-ups than usual and it definitely required 2 coats. It's in the kitchen, so there is bound to be lots of wall scrubbing over the years.

Bottom line - even with perhaps slightly reduced quality and slightly more expensive than basic paint, I would definitely use no-VOC paint again (perhaps trying another brand). It made the experience so much more pleasant...well, as pleasant as painting the kitchen can be! Most paint supply stores offer at least one option for low or no VOCs, so give it a try.

Do you have experience with low or no VOC paint? Post a comment and let us know about it.