Painting your home is the quickest way to make your exterior look fresh and increase your overall curb appeal. Some homeowners will take a weekend to complete the project on their own. On the other hand, most will go the route of a professional painter. If you plan on hiring professionals to paint your home, there are a few things that you may have on your checklist. One of those checklist items is using eco-friendly paint, also known as non-VOC paints.
Should You Ask Your Painter to Use Non-VOC Paints?
Many types of exterior paint are formulated to be tough in order to stand up to the elements. On the other hand, conventional paints are not very eco-friendly or people-friendly. A variety of chemicals are used to make exterior paint, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) are just some of them.
What Are Volatile Compounds?
What makes this a concern is that VOC Paints are harmful to the environment, humans, and even animals. Have you ever walked into a room and smelled fresh paint? What about smelling the paint being applied to a house even a few doors down? The strong odor you smelled is actually VOC gasses being dispersed into the environment. These chemicals can trigger allergic reactions in some people. In addition, they are always harmful to the environment.
Is Your Painter At Risk?
Most painters use specialized filters and masks when painting that protects them from VOC fumes. Another thing to note is that in recent years, companies have begun to use fewer VOC chemicals in their paint formulations. Some paint companies have taken it a step further and have created a paint that contains no VOC and those that are very low VOC. This is a big win for the environment and people in general. Now that there are other options available, the question remains, should you insist upon non-VOC paint when upgrading your home?
Should You Use Paint Without Volatile Organic Compounds?
People who suffer from allergies or who have a family member who suffers from allergies should consider using a non-VOC paint formulation. Even if you are unsure about allergies but have experienced strong reactions to the smell of paint or chemicals in the past, it is a good idea to consider non-VOC paint options. For those who don’t suffer from allergies but are interested in choosing a more eco-friendly option, then non-VOC paint brands are also a good choice.
Is Non-VOC Paint Completely Safe?
Choosing to have your home painted with non-VOC paint is a great choice for the environment. It is still important to keep in mind that they do not emit the same volatile gasses. However, they do contain chemicals. In fact, the chemicals in non-VOC paints are just as harmful as the alternative. But they do not emit inhalable gas, which is better for the environment.
Also, non-VOC paint may not emit gas, but VOC’s are used during the processes of adding a tint to the paint. It is important to keep this in mind. Because the base color may be non-VOC paint, but the color you choose for your room may have volatile organic compounds that will be added to get your desired color. Low-VOC paints on the other hand simply contain lower levels of this gaseous mix. They are not any safer than regular VOC paints. They simply are claimed to have a lower concentration. There is no standard in the paint industry to which concentrations are measured. As a result, each brand may have different amounts listed as low-VOC paint.
Which Option Is Really Best For You?
When choosing paint for your home, it is important to think about the needs of your family as well as the environment. Non-VOC and low-VOC paints are both great options. They are easier on the environment than traditional paint formulations. It is still important to keep in mind that non-VOC and low-VOC paint will still contain harmful chemicals, but simply give off no gasses or fewer gasses than traditional paint.
If you or anyone in your family has a problem with allergies or strong chemical smells, choosing a non-VOC or low-VOC paint brand is a smart choice. Most color agents contain VOCs. Keep that in mind when choosing which colors to add to your home. This lighter the color, the less chance there will be of VOC being added to your non-VOC or low-VOC paint.
Superb Painting Omaha, NE
At Superb Painting, LLC we start by sanding & vacuuming the trim, crown, or cabinets using a trim brush attachment for our shop vac. Cabinets may require more work removing hardware and laying them flat to spray so that you don’t get any paint runs. We then use a tack cloth to further remove any sanding residue. Next, if the wood was previously stained, we apply an oil-based primer to help keep the stain from bleeding back through the paint. After that, we do a light sanding/scuffing of the primer to make sure the first coat of paint gets good adherence to it.
Then we spray (or could brush) the first coat of trim paint such as Sherwin Williams Pro Classic. After that, there is another light sanding/scuffing of the 1st layer of paint and then the final finish coat is sprayed (or brushed) on for a beautiful finish that lasts! Contact us today for a FREE Estimate.