Low Voc Paint

Low voc paint is just like regular paint with a major difference. It’s low in voc (volatile organic compound) which is the cause of that nasty new paint smell that many of us know well. After painting a room with traditional paint and then realize you can’t go into this room for weeks on end. The culprits are voc, volatile organic compounds, basically chemical compounds that off gas into a room at normal room temperatures. They are off gassing solvents and all sorts of nasty chemicals that we don’t want to be breathing in into our homes.
The good news is there is a range of low voc paint or even zero voc paint formulas available, and these paints work just as well as the traditional paints. This way you can paint a room and sleep in it that very night! They are that healthy.

Low voc paint usage

There are certain tools that you will need to complete your job and make it look beautiful just the way you wanted. These are a few essential things that I like to have on hand:

• Low voc paint can – Olympic is what my hardware store usually has available
• Painter key for opening the paint can
• Patch and spackle to fix those little wall holes
• Old newspaper
• Paint sticks
• Blue masking tape – low tack tape that will easily peel off the wall taking bits of paint or anything else off
• Painter’s cock – you can paint over it after applying at edges over the masking tape
• Rollers (small and large)
• Bristle brushes
• Tray (with or without liner)

We start by masking off the wall and taking the light plates off. We already did two colors on the ceiling and taped off so it’s ready for the third color. Everything is taped and primed.

Photo courtesy of Bev Sykes

Cut around with the bristle brush around the door and window frames. After that paint big areas using the small or big roller, depending on the surface and how big it is.

Once the tape is removed – after using the low voc paint – the room will be painted in three colors, a different one for the ceiling, another one for the soft lights and a dark chocolate shade on the walls, all in a straight line.

One of the tenants of green building is that you want to have good indoor air quality. The reason for that is that EPA estimates that indoor air quality in most buildings is actually worse than the outdoor air quality where all the trucks, and the highways, and all the automobiles are – believe it or not. The way you can improve indoor air quality is to use low voc paint or no voc paint. If you go to most paint stores at this point, if you ask for low voc paint, they can find it for you. It’s typically not that much more expensive, or it might even be the same price as regular paint and it’s usually a premium paint, so the quality is just as good – you don’t have to spread more on or anything like that.

Low voc paint is the way we achieved better air quality in the building which makes us happier and work faster and it’s a great feature.

Besides low odor paint, regular paint or low voc paint, choosing the best color for a room when painting is even more important than choosing the right paint. After you decide on the paint quality and price, the amounts you need and the quantity, you have to the available array of colors into account.

Low odor paint in children’s rooms

Deciding on the proper coloring for your children’s room or rooms is no easy feat. Besides the fact that children can be very picky when it comes to design, you also want to create a fun yet relaxing atmosphere. Depending on the age of your kid, you might want to go with blue paint for boys and pink low odor paint for girls. That is, if they are under 4 years of age.

As they grow up, between the age of 5 and 12, paint their room with good feeling colors that will help them both relax and study for school. Good choices of paint for this job are orange and light shades of yellow. Buy an easy to wash paint that will withstand kids naughtiness. They have a tendency of drawing on the walls, you know

Once they are past 12 years old, you can go as far as letting them choose their own paint and design. They might want to paint the room themselves! You see, the advantage with these low odor paints is that they are safe even for children. You don’t have to worry they are going to damage their eyes or inhale noxious vapors, like it usually happens with the regular paints. They don’t even have to finish painting in one day! Even if it takes them a whole week – it’s all good – because you can sleep in the same room you paint with odorless paint without fear. It’s safe.

Photo courtesy of ryPix.

Now, even if they are older, they might be in a goth or rock and roll stage, and I wouldn’t recommend allowing them to paint the room all black. The paint is low voc and safe for your health but living in a black painted room or one with too many dark colors is not the best environment for any teenager. Moderation is key here.

Low odor paint for the kitchen

When painting the kitchen or dining area you might want to use any of the well known low odor paint brands like Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore. They have plenty of shades available and their environmental friendly paints come with several patterns and mixing options. I would recommend going for something warmer and inducing well being, good for family dinners, like orange, dark yellow, light green or a combination of any two of them. Low odor paints come in a multitude of colors, just like the regular paint, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Photo courtesy of Anosmia.

Low odor paint for the living room

The living room should be painted a light blue, white or – better yet – a paint combination of both colors. Let me explain why. White is the most peaceful color. Have you ever wondered why all hospitals and mental institutions are painted white? That’s why. You want peace when you’re chilling in the living room, watching TV or reading a book. Low odor paint can give you that by being odorless (no smell that gives headaches) and coming in several shades of white. Choose the one all the family will enjoy and it will last for many years to come.

Low odor paint for the master bedroom

Here you have to talk to your wife or husband and both agree on the best paint color for your bedroom. You don’t spend a lot of waking time here but before you go to sleep and just after you wake up, you don’t want to stare at some horrible choice of paint color. Go online to a store that sells low odor paint and peruse their entire color gamma. Once you decide, order online or go to your local hardware store and buy the paint there.

If I were you, I would go with painting one wall orange and the other three paint them white. That gives the best combination of peace and warmth. Low odor paint spreads naturally as you don’t want noxious gases and after paint smell to linger in your bedroom.

These are just some ideas on how to make the best of your low odor paint and how to combine good colors with the excellent properties these paints have, like no odor and long lasting potency. On top of that don’t be afraid to experiment. It might surprise you!