Choosing Non Toxic Paint for your Home

Posted by Lana on Apr 15, 2010 in Featured, Home, Organic | 4 comments

The EPA (environmental protection agency) says that indoor air is three times more polluted than outdoor air, with paints and finishes being in the top 5 hazards to our health. That being the case, I have worked tirelessly to improve the air quality inside my home. For starters, I switched to non toxic cleaning supplies, including floor cleaners; I chose a good vacuum with a hepa filter, and I dust regularly. I don’t allow shoes to be worn inside my home, and I don’t use pesticides on my lawn that can be tracked into my house by my family, friends, or my lovable pooch. Leading the list of my efforts was choosing zero VOC paints in my home.

So what are VOC’s?

They are volatile organic compounds; chemical additives found in many every day products such as air fresheners, stains and finishes, carpet, glue, gasoline, cosmetics and even yes…paint. The off gases from VOCs have been linked to cancer, kidney and liver damage, and “sick building syndrome” to name a few.

Are you worried yet?

There is room for concern because levels of VOCs can increase dramatically (up to 1000 times) after painting, or using paint stripping products, or staining furniture. Pregnant or nursing women, and small children are especially at risk.

What can I do to reduce VOC levels in my home?

First, don’t start scraping paint off of your walls; especially if your house was built before 1978 because of possible lead paint.

Choose a good vacuum with a hepa filter
Consider an air purifier for your home
Use non toxic cleaning products (see intro paragraph for link)
Wash your pet regularly if they are in and out of your house a lot
Choose low or zero VOC paints, varnishes, stains, craft paints
Open windows during low pollen days to air out your home
Choose air fresheners with essential oils as the fragrance ingredient
Choose soy based or paraffin wax candles
Store your lawn mower in a detached shed ( gas fumes can leak into your home if stored in attached garage)
Use PVC free shower curtains and window shades
Test your home for radon gas, and install carbon monoxide detectors if you have gas appliances or a fireplace
Replace your hvac return filter regularly, and spend the extra few bucks on a good one that filters out mold spores and allergens.

When I decided to paint my childrens’ rooms, I did some research and discovered that Lowe’s has a line of zero VOC paint. It’s called Olympic Premium Paint, and it’s their premium line of indoor latex paint. The downside is that there aren’t hundreds of colors to choose from, but I was very happy with the selections they offered from this line. Although the paint is zero VOC, adding color does raise the level of VOC some. It’s still a much better choice than regular paint.

What are the restrictions and guidelines of Zero VOC and low VOC paints?

From Eartheasy.com

Zero VOC - Any paint with VOC’s in the range of 5 grams/litre or less can be called “Zero VOC”, according to the EPA Reference Test Method 24. Some manufacturers may claim “Zero-VOC’s”, but these paints may still use colorants, biocides and fungicides with some VOC’s.
Adding a color tint usually brings the VOC level up to 10 grams/liter, which is still quite low.

AFM Safecoat -Flat interior latex; semi-gloss interior enamel. www.afmsafecoat.com
ICI Lifemaster 2000 - Flat, Eggshell, semi-gloss interior; primer.(800 984-5444)
Best Paint Company - Zero-VOC Interior paints, primers and specialty products (faux glaze, varnish replacement, etc) and Low-VOC Exterior paints and primers. (www.bestpaintco.com)
ICI Decra-Shield - exterior zero-VOC paints. (800 984-5444)
Kelly-Moore Enviro-Cote – ENVIRO-COTE line of paints are zero-VOC. (916 921-0165)
Devoe Wonder Pure- odor-free interior acrylic latex paints. (www.devoepaint.com)
Ecoshield- Zero-VOC, low odor, ethylene glycol-free interior paints. Primer, flat, low-sheen, and semi-gloss. Manufactured by Dunn-Edwards. (www.dunnedwards.com)
American Pride - Zero-VOC interior latex and acrylic enamel paints. (www.americanpridepaint.com)
Sherwin Williams - new HARMONY line of zero-VOC low-odor latex interior paints. Flat, eggshell, semi-gloss and primer. (www.sherwin.com)
Frazee Paint EnviroKote - line of interior zero-VOC paints: semi-gloss, flat, and primer.
Allied PhotoChemical - supplies zero-VOC, UV-curable paints, inks and coatings to manufacturers. (www.alliedphotochemical.com)
Olympic Paint and Stain - Zero-VOC Olympic Premium interior line.
Yolo Colorhouse - Zero-VOC, low-odor, premium interior paint. (yolocolorhouse.com)
Green Planet Paints - Zero-VOC, clay-based interior paints. (greenplanetpaints.com)
Benjamin Moore Pristine EcoSpec – Zero-VOC, under 1 gram/liter. Flat, eggshell, semi-gloss finishes and a primer.
Mythic Paints - Zero-VOC, interior and exterior paints, primers. (mythicpaint.com)
PPG Architectural Finishes - Pittsburgh Paints Pure Performance line
Homestead Paints - Zero-VOC, flat and low-sheen interior paints. (homesteadhouse.ca)
Vista Paint - Zero-VOC low-odor Carefree Earth Coat line
EarthSafePaints - Zero- and Low-VOC line of craft paints and finishes, marine finishes, home decor paints. (earthsafefinishes.com)

Low VOC - Low VOC paints, stains and varnishes use water as a carrier instead of petroleum-based solvents. As such, the levels of harmful emissions are lower than solvent-borne surface coatings. These certified coatings also contain no, or very low levels, of heavy metals and formaldehyde. The amount of VOC’s varies among different “low-VOC” products, and is listed on the paint can or MSDS. Paints and stains, to meet EPA standards. must not contain VOCs in excess of 200 grams per litre. Varnishes must not contain VOCs in excess of 300 grams per liter. As a general rule, low VOC paints marketed by reputable paint manufacturers usually meet the 50 g/L VOC threshold. Paints with the Green Seal Standard (GS-11) mark are certified lower than 50 g/L (for flat sheen) or 150 g/L (for non-flat sheen).
Low VOC paints will still emit an odor until dry. If you are particularly sensitive, make sure the paint you buy contains fewer than 25 grams/liter of VOC’s.

Benjamin Moore Aura- Low VOC, covers most surfaces in a single coat, durable, scrubbable. (www.myaurapaints.com)
Benjamin Moore Saman - Water-based wood stains
Cloverdale Horizon - Flat, Eggshell, Semi-Gloss interior enamels
Cloverdale EcoLogic - Low VOC, under 10 grams/liter. Flat, Eggshell, Semi-Gloss interior.
Miller Paint - Acro solvent-free interior acrylic line
OIKOS Paints - Interior and exterior paints, low voc, solvent-free. (www.oikos-paint.com)
Timber Ox Green - vegetable oil based, low voc wood stain and preservatives. (www.timberoxinfo.com)

So, what’s the cost?

Expect to pay about $10 more per gallon than regular paint, but it is well worth the cost.

What is the application process?

It’s the same as any other paint. I found that the Olympic Premium Paint from Lowe’s was a little thicker than regular paint, and was a little stringy. I used two coats, and the result was beautiful. There was a light odor during the process (almost too low to mention), yet when the paint dried, there was ZERO smell! I was able to move my son right back in his room to sleep for the night. As for me, I slept well knowing I did my part in reducing the toxins in the air we breath day in and day out in our home.