A guide to low and zero VOC paint

Nowadays, people in Australia look for zero or low VOC paint when they want to transform a room. Paint is used for various reasons. We might paint a soothing pastel meant to welcome a newborn baby or even freshen drab hues that inspire creativity. Studies show that the color of your environment can influence your body. When you paint purple, for example, it will affect the circadian rhythm of the body and help reduce stress.

However, paint is not just about colors. Each paint manufacturer uses different formulas to manufacture paint and some include VOCs also known as volatile organic compounds. These paints may look nice on the wall but they silently emit harmful chemicals that could harm your health and your family’s health. Zero VOC paint have fewer volatile organic compounds or none. They are a much safer paint choice for both the environment and your family.

Volatile organic compounds

VOCs are chemicals that are normally added to paint and other products. They are added to paint to improve how well the paint adheres to walls, reduce dry time and keep the paint looking fresh for a lot of years to come. However, these added chemicals can cause a lot of trouble. VOCs found in paint include chloride, formaldehyde, benzene and methylene. Exposure has been linked to exocrine system problems and respiratory problems including headaches, trouble breathing, cancer, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, poor coordination, itchy rash and throat, nose and eye irritation. To avoid all these problems, buy your paint from low VOC paint makers.

Why VOCs in paint matter

Everyone works hard to keep their family healthy but your hard work can be negatively affected by high-VOC paint. VOCs are usually odorless and invisible and they can continue to emit toxic chemicals for years without anyone in the house realizing it. High VOC paint is a top source of high VOC emissions in the world coming second to vehicles. When you use paints with high VOCs, they pollute the air, seep into furniture and carpets and can even pollute the air in your neighborhood if they escape your house.

Low or no-VOC paint

There are paint options that do not have VOCs or have very few VOCs. These paints eliminate or limit toxic off-gassing. They keep everyone in the house healthier and safer. Some paint manufacturers have chosen to use earth-friendly bases like plant oils to manufacture their paints. Others have simply removed the toxic VOCs from their existing paints. it is accepted that one liter of paint should have fewer than 50 grams VOCs to qualify as low VOC and less than 5 grams to claim to be zero VOCs.

A lot of manufacturers are aiming to manufacture low or zero VOC paint. This has caused prices for zero VOC and low VOC paint to come down. This makes them a viable and safer option even for people who have tight budgets for their home improvement projects. You can request zero-VOC paint samples from different paint stores and see how they hold up in your home before buying.