Seeking suggestions of VOC-free interior paint

13 years ago

Hi All,

We will be painting our entire house starting this week, and I have three young kids. I would love to use a VOC-free paint, but it is hard to know which one to choose. I have mainly looked into Natura from Benjamin Moore (since I live right up the street from a Ben Moore dealer) and Safecoat (since a nice, local store sells it.) I really like that Safecoat actually seals in toxins in addition to being VOC-free. However, I don't know anyone who has used it. I am open to other ideas too, but we need to start painting this week! :-)

Many thanks,

Sara

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Comments (8)

paintguy1
13 years ago
"I really like that Safecoat actually seals in toxins". It's marketing hype, not science, that feeds off sometimes irrational thinking about what is toxic and what is not. Treat any claims about non-toxic paint as a red flag. That aside, it is a decent bucket of paint.
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Faron79
13 years ago
There are MANY good Low/No-VOC paints nowadays.

I wouldn't get too hung-up on the "NO-Voc" idea though!
The nature of Voc's is SO fleeting....relative to immediate effects on Humans.

Also-
VOC-levels and PERCEIVED-ODOR aren't even remotely related!!!
* Some "NO"-Voc paints may actually make people ill due to a perceived odor. I've read about some people complaining about a few brands "odors".
* Obviously, ODOR is an individual thing. What YOU find objectionalble...I may not even notice!
* Voc's CAN'T directly make you ill. You'd have to work in a paint factory for years to have any effects.
* 99% of us aren't around paints for long enough to do ANY damage to us anyway.

Faron
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Bobby99
13 years ago
I use the Benjamin Moore Natura and I'm really happy with it. As far as I can tell, it performs as well as the Aura and it really doesn't smell - which is a great bonus when you're painting in January in Canada and don't wish to open all the windows :)
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ionized_gw
13 years ago
I agree with most of what is written in the responses so far. There are, however, a small number of people that are exquisitely and measurably sensitive to some organic compounds. Paints can have an acute effect on them as compared to the effects of chronic exposure as a result of a career in a paint factory or painting professionally.

I looked at Safecoat's demo of their ability to cut formaldehyde emission from plywood. It is a very poorly designed test. They should have compared their coating to a few other coatings
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jodokus
13 years ago
I have used the Benjamin Moore Natura paint and am extremely happy with it and very impressed. I'm pretty sensitive to paint fumes (I learned that the hard way.) Another no-VOC paint to try is one made by ICI Dulux. They were making a no-VOC paint years before it became fashionable to do so, and it is excellent. I used it in a kitchen and it has held up there very well.
If you are sensitive to paint fumes, be aware that low-VOC and non-VOC are different animals. Go with non-VOC if you are very sensitive.
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PRO
Christopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
13 years ago
try here

Here is a link that might be useful: mythic paint
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ionized_gw
13 years ago
"non-VOC" paint? That is probably impossible unless you define it as something that is below detectable level or below some arbitrary level. Of course. a biosensor may be the most sensitive detector and Jodpcus might be a very good one.
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lynxe
13 years ago
Another vote for Mythic as an excellent "green" paint. Someone here has asthma that can be brought on by, among other things, odors, yet he did a lot of painting of trim with Mythic. His comments after finishing the job: he had no problems whatsoever either while painting or after. In the past, we could never paint during the winter, but our use of Mythic has changed that. I've painted several rooms with Mythic paints as well. I plan to redo two rooms and will again use Mythic.
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Seeking suggestions of VOC-free interior paint

Comments (8)

paintguy1

Faron79

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