Remodeling Recon Blog

“Zero VOC Paint”

Modern oil-based paints, made with synthetic resins called alkyds, have less thinner and give off fewer odors and toxic fumes than their oil-based predecessors. Still, thinner is an essential component of alkyd paint. Because the thinner content of latex paint has always been much less than that of alkyd paint, there has been a dramatic shift over the years toward latex.

In fact, some oil-based paints are now restricted or illegal in certain regions. The already low solvent content of latex paints (a maximum of 8 percent) has been reduced to zero in some cases. These paints are marked “zero VOC” (for “zero volatile organic compounds”). While this is good news for the environment, zero VOC paint can be difficult to work with because it dries very quickly.

Being a responsible consumer when it comes to paint can be hard. Unlike organic greens, there really isn’t an “organic” paint. Green Seal certification doesn’t necessarily tell you what is in your paint. Regulatory agencies don’t require paint companies to divulge all of their ingredients. So how can you as a consumer make careful choices when you don’t know what’s in the can?

In the US, zero VOC is gaining attention. (VOC refers to Volatile Organic Compounds). What this means is that per federal regulation, there is a reduction in the amount of material coming out of your paint as it dries. This is a good thing for the environment, as it is well known that these substances react with nitrous oxides in the air to form ozone.

The EPA determined that the off-gassing from architectural coatings is estimated to account for about 9% of the VOC emissions from all consumer and commercial products. It is important to understand that using the EPA’s test method for VOC’s, any paint with VOC’s less than 5 g/l or less can be called zero VOC so even paint labeled zero VOC may not actually be truly zero VOC.

The colorant that is typically added to these paints has VOC’s, meaning that the paint you take home may not be zero-VOC, even if the base is.

The lesson is that it is insufficient to consider only VOC’s when making paint purchasing decisions. The environmental footprint of a zero VOC paint can include all kinds of synthetic materials to control flow, skinning, settling, etc., that ultimately don’t support a vision of sustainability and “goodness” for the environment.

There are zero VOC paints available that use only simple ingredients such as clay, marble, titanium dioxide, soy resin, a phosphate salt, cellulose, mineral pigment, with small amounts of dispersing aids and preservatives. So do a little homework first and find true environmentally friendly paint as there are several really great companies out there.

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Eco Friendly