The Best Low VOC Paints to Use

Imagine that you have just walked into a newly built house. Other than the fact that you already know that the house is freshly built and ready to be lived in, you can probably sense another tale-tell sign that will indicate that this property has just been completed: the smell of paint. Paint, specifically paint used in homes, has a very distinct smell. That smell can even be a little overpowering at times, especially if you’ve been painting all day or if you’ve spent an extended amount of time in a space with fresh paint.

Have you ever stopped to think that the overpowering smell of paint might be an indication that there are chemicals that are being released into the air and absorbed into your skin that could harm you? Unfortunately, there is some truth to this. Many paints have VOC, which could be emitting harmful substances into the air around you, which could reduce your good health. Of course, when you’re working on making your home more beautiful, you don’t want to inadvertently cause yourself or your family members to have health problems. For this reason, you should be well aware of VOC levels and which paints you should use to prevent these issues. Here is what you need to know about VOC so you can better choose which paints to use in your next project.

What Does VOC Stand For?

VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds, meaning that paints with VOC contain volatile organic compound chemicals that can be evaporated and absorbed into the surrounding air and environment. VOCs help paint materials to have a smooth movement as they are shifting from container to wall. They help paint to go on any material much more cleanly, flowing in a satisfying way. Unfortunately, lots of VOCs have negative side effects.

Lots of types of VOCs have substances, such as carcinogens, that have been known to cause chronic illnesses or even cancer. As a result, these VOCs can negatively impact the indoor quality of air. It can also be absorbed by contact or inhaled, which can be potentially harmful to your health. Unfortunately, VOC chemicals are often found in paints, cleaning supplies, and other substances. For this reason, it is important to be vigilant about the paints that you’re using in your home and even the paints that have been used in your home in the past. For example, many homeowners have become more familiar with the dangers of lead paint. The health risks and issues presented by lead paints have become much more well-known over the past years. Similarly, you should be aware of the dangers of using paints with high VOC levels.

Why Is It Important to Use Low VOC Paint?

Have you ever gotten a big headache after you’ve been working on a painting project? If so, that is exactly the type of issue you could be dealing with when you use paints with high VOC levels. These paints can cause headaches, asthma, and other, more serious health complications. If you’re shopping for paint and trying to find good paint with low VOC levels, make sure that you read the labels and do your research before purchasing. A good, low VOC level would normally be around .5 mg/m3, with .3 being an even safer and lower level of VOC. When you paint a surface in your home, VOC is released into the air as the paint is drying, hence that strong, distinct paint smell that you can detect. However, there is a smaller, additional amount of VOC that can be emitted from the paint even after it has completely dried. Sometimes, paint will release harmful chemicals for years after the paint job has been completed. Prior to reading this article, you may not have been aware of the health risks associated with VOC levels, resulting in a lack of caution with regard to paint that has recently dried. Using low VOC paint in your home can help to prevent any possible health risks or complications that could occur from the chemicals in VOC.

What Are the Best Low VOC Paints to Use?

If you often shop for paint but aren’t used to looking at VOC levels first, it can seem a little bit stressful. You might even procrastinate your next painting project so as to avoid buying paints with VOC that could be potentially harmful to you or your family. True, if you don’t know how to tell what paints have low VOC, you might avoid buying paint entirely. Luckily, there are certain paint brands that consistently use low VOC levels, making their products safer to use in any type of environment or residence. Some brands even omit VOCs entirely, making their paint products much less stressful to use. One of these trustworthy brands is Vista Paint. Vista Paint has a huge variety of trendy and attractive paint colors. Their paint shades are vibrant, durable, and long-lasting. Best of all, they have low VOC levels, which makes them great and safe to use for any project in need of a little pop of color. Their manufacturing team has taken great measures to carefully create their paint products in a way that won’t put you at risk when you use them.

So, next time you’re gearing up to work on a home improvement project or give new life to an old piece of furniture, remember these tips about VOC levels and paint. If you don’t want harmful chemicals to be released into the air that you breathe, then don’t use types of paint that have high VOC levels. This will help to keep you, your family, and your home environment safer and healthier. To further simplify things for your DIY project planning, try to consistently stick with paint brands that consistently create paints with safe, low VOC levels. Using paint brands such as Vista Paint will leave you with a gorgeous, vibrant paint job without any accompanying unwanted health risks.