Adding or changing color is a great way to alter the mood and purpose of a room, and paint is one of the simplest ways to achieve that transformation.



One major drawback to paints, solvents, stains and finishes is that hidden but smelly danger to your health and the environment: Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs. You can't see the volatile (unstable, easily turns into gas form) substances but your nose can detect them. And if you have allergies and other sensitivities, your body will react in other ways. Paint fumes can cause headaches, nausea and other symptoms.

The more environmentally-friendly paints contain less VOCs.  You can find a list of super-compliant manufacturers coatings and industrial maintenance coatings and other helpful information on the website of the South Coast Air Quality Management District of California (AQMD). To get on that list, a product must have a VOC rating of 10 grams or less per liter.  The super-compliant paints are the best way to avoid adding to air pollution in your home and the environment.

Keep in mind that no matter what the labels and the advertising say, most paint has a certain amount of VOCs either from the use of solvents (synthetic or naturally-occurring), petrochemicals, or mold and mildew-inhibitors.  There are manufacturers that list the VOC content of their products 0 grams per liter.  Your nose will probably tell you if that is true.

Take precautions to ventilate rooms that are being painted, and provide an exchange of fresh outdoor air.  OPEN THOSE WINDOWS WIDE !


Once applied to the interior of a house, the VOCs are slowly released into the living space over a period of months. Exposure by inhalation of the gases from the drying paint is highest during and immediately after application.  Make sure you wear a mask while painting indoors.

Aside from using paints that have certifications, the AQMD also has other suggestions to keep your painting adventures as green as possible.

1. Use a paint that has the least amount of VOCs as you can find and afford.  A paint from the super-compliant list would be the best.
2. Avoid painting when smog is at its peak.  If you live in the Southern California, that tends to be in July, August and September.  By painting outside of those months, you will avoid adding to the smog.
3. Buy limited quantities of paint.  Get the help of a professional to estimate your needs.
4. While you are still on the job, store the paint in well sealed containers in a well-ventilated area that can be closed off from the rest of your home.
5. Don't store leftover paint or even unused, sealed cans.  Dispose of the material properly at a hazardous waste center (For more information, call 1-800-CLEANUP or go to www.cleanup.org)
6. When you are cleaning up after using water-based paint, avoid throwing out the cleaning water into drains or directly onto the ground.  Set the water aside just like you would used paint cans and dispose of them at a hazardous waste disposal center.
7. Use stripping products that do not contain solvents.
8. Use low VOC cleaning solvents to clean up after painting (brushes, rollers, buckets, trays)
9. Keep rags that have been used with paint and solvent in sealed containers
10. And don't forget to recycle your paint cans.
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A GENTLER BUT LIMITED COLOR CHOICE

Milk paint and whitewashes do not use solvents, are the least toxic and use natural ingredients. Milk paint is made from milk protein, naturally-occurring pigments, quicklime and chalk or clay.


Milk paint may need to be reapplied especially in high-traffic areas or well-used surfaces.


Whitewashes are made of lime, paste, water and salt. Whitewashes are only ideal for plaster, cement or stucco and usually come in various shades of white.



LOW TO MEDIUM TOXICITY

Oil-based paint with low VOC levels comes in limited colors (white and soft pastels) and finishes (flat, eggshell and semi-gloss). If you want bright colors and high sheen finishes, you pay the price of a high VOC level. That's because petrochemicals are needed to highten the color and create the shine.

Using latex paints that are super-compliant result in no hazardous waste, and clean up can be done with water.

A good source of information is Consumer Reports.  The organization released the results of their tests on interior paints in March 2009. The paints were rated according to how well they hid imperfections, surface smoothness, staining, scrubbing, gloss change, sticking, mildew and fading. The report overview is available to the public but access to the full test results and recommendations requires a subscription.

Another source of guidance is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and various green certifiers.  The EPA developed a testing method to measure the level of VOCs in commercial paint.  A similar method is used by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.  However, keep in mind that the EPA text currently in use was not designed to measure VOC levels below 100 grams per liter.  There may be no means to verify claims of 0 grams of VOCs per liter.

GREENGUARD is an organization that provides independent third-party testing of products that make claims of "environmental friendliness". Green Seal and GreenSure are other "green" certifications. According to Consumer Reports, Green Seal relies on VOC information provided by the manufacturers as a basis for certification.

GreenSure is a Sherwin Williams program that uses recognized standards and applies them to the company's products. A VOC level of 50 grams per liter is a program requirement.