Publication date: 03/12/2010

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Painting indoors can be a less toxic experience

If your budget for home improvement projects is being stretched tight, consider painting. It gives your home a big visual impact for only a small number of dollars being spent. According to Pantone, the new color for 2010 is turquoise. I knew you thought it was off-white. So we all need to update our wall colors. But one of the problems with painting indoors in the winter has always been the sickening paint odor that could last for days, even if you leave the windows open.

In fact, the EPA ranks painting as one of the easiest ways to contaminate your indoor air. But today, homeowners have lots of environmentally friendly options when painting indoors, including paints with zero VOCs that are virtually odorless.

VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are the toxins in paint that contribute not only to the strong odor we experience when painting, but are also off-gassed into the air as the paint dries and continue to be released at low levels for years after application.

While there are many paints on the market featuring low-VOC content, I recommend using zero-VOC paints to make your painting experience the healthiest it can be.

For my money, though, it just makes sense to use zero-VOC paints indoors. At a price point similar to other premium paints, why wouldn't you want to use a paint that was better for your family's health and the environment? With the addition of zero-VOC paint throughout the paint industry, homeowners now have choices. All you have to do is ask.

Brian Eisbrenner at Shelby Paint and Decorating, (586) 739-0240, www.shelbypaint.com, said the Natura line of Benjamin Moore Paints, www.benjaminmoore.com, has zero VOCs, virtually no odor and is on par with the cost of any of Benjamin Moore's line of premium paints.

"The amount of customers asking for odorless, zero-VOC paint is on the increase, and it especially appeals to people who have asthma, families that have children with allergies or pregnant women who are afraid that painting the baby's room with standard paints will affect the newborn's breathing," Eisbrenner said.

Jim Hay at Harrison Paint in Sterling Heights, (586) 268-0808, www.harrisonpaints.com, said he carries the Pittsburgh Paints, www.pittsburghpaints.com, Pure Performance line of zero-VOC paints and agrees that most customers who are looking for these green paints either have breathing problems or have problems with powerful smells in their home. He said many homeowners have concerns that these zero-VOC paints come in limited colors, but all the major manufacturers offer a wide variety of color choices.

"Colors aren't really a problem because we can match just about any color in a zero-VOC formula," Jim Hay said.

In addition to Benjamin Moore and Pittsburgh Paints, there are many other brands available with zero VOCs. Sherwin-Williams has its Duration line of zero-VOC paints, www.sherwinwilliams.com, and Kush Paints in Roseville, (586) 293-4545, www.kushpaint.com, sells the Wonder-Pure line of zero-VOC paints from Devoe Paint ( www.devoe.com). Village Ace Hardware in Rochester, (248) 652-6100, and Tri-City Ace Hardware in Clawson, (248) 655-5000, both stock the Mythic brand of zero-VOC paints ( www.mythicpaint.com) while Home Depot carries the Freshaire line, www.freshairechoice.com, and Lowes carries the environmentally friendly Olympic Premium, www.olympic.com.

However, even with prices of green paints being in line with other paint choices and the health benefits, Hay at Harrison Paint hasn't seen a huge increase in demand for zero-VOC paints. "To be honest, many customers still like the smell of paint when they are painting a room, similar to the way people love that new car smell when they buy a car."

They say there's no accounting for taste. Now there are options available for your sense of smell, at least when it comes to paint. No matter how you and your family react to odors, you have the knowledge to make the decision of when to paint and, more importantly, what to paint with.

Note: This article was accurate at the date of publication. However, information contained in it may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

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