One gallon of Pinecone Hill please, hold the VOCs

It’s time. The kitchen needs a change, the baby’s on the way, or maybe you just can’t take the pink dining room any longer. It’s time to paint. We’ve all been there, and either do it ourselves, call on friends or family for help, or hire it out. I like to do the painting myself. I prefer interior, but don’t entirely mind exterior, especially if the weather is beautiful. Painting is the easiest, cheapest way I know to change the dynamics of a room.

Your commitment journey begins at the paint store down the street or a warehouse like Home Depot. The array of color choices makes the idea of painting even glamorous, imagining the transformation your home is about to undergo. You were thinking a nice caramel khaki at home, but in person the gold family begins to look like the winner. Now, do you go with the gold, goldcoast, golden autumn, summer of gold, or beachside raffia? At first they looked so similar, it didn’t seem to matter which you chose. Further studying, some start appearing blue, tan and green. If you’re like me at this point, you take your pile of color swatches home to examine for a week or so, holding them against the floor and other rooms to compare. Once you’ve made this heavily weighed decision, you need to order. Almost.

Besides the perfect color, there’s an additional decision to be made before ordering. The stuff that offers your favorite hue of gold, from the brand you grew up with or recognize well, is merely a purchase away from covering your walls. Around the corner, there’s a whole other section of paint that’s labeled as “eco-friendly” paint. The array of color options for this paint is significantly reduced and the price is a bit higher than the beachside raffia paint. The eco-friendly label reads either “low VOCs” or “no VOCs”.

They’re pushing green paint on me now too? What’s VOCs got to do with it anyway? And if they’re dangerous, do you save a buck and use the VOCs anyway, or splurge a bit on VOCs-free? This is going to shock you entirely, And now for the nuts and bolts portion.

but I choose not when it comes to VOCs.

Kitchen shelf face-lift with Freshaire Choice paint

Name.
VOC’s (volatile organic compounds)

What they are and what they do
According to the EPA, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Paint is one of thousands of products which can contain VOCs. VOCs toxins can be emitted for years after you’ve finished painting. Some organic pollutants can also be two to five times higher inside homes than outside.

I’m going to leave the what do they do portion to the EPA. This is directly from their site:

Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans. Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, emesis, epistaxis, fatigue, dizziness.

The ability of organic chemicals to cause health effects varies greatly from those that are highly toxic, to those with no known health effect. As with other pollutants, the extent and nature of the health effect will depend on many factors including level of exposure and length of time exposed. Eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and memory impairment are among the immediate symptoms that some people have experienced soon after exposure to some organics. At present, not much is known about what health effects occur from the levels of organics usually found in homes. Many organic compounds are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans.

Back to my choosing VOCs-free paint. There are a ton of serious KNOWN health risks associated with VOCs, and I imagine it won’t be long before bans start happening, and devotees start smuggling. There are a lot of brands trying to join the bandwagon by marketing “low VOC paint”. These brands are missing the true green wagon, however. Some are very misleading, advertising a VOC-free *base paint*, but adding VOCs into their colorant. I suggest reading ingredient labels very carefully and asking all the questions you can. Afterall, you’re buying this stuff, to put on the walls in YOUR home, to expose YOUR family to, for years to come. You have every right to grill suppliers. If you want VOC-free paint, be sure both the paint and colorant are VOC-free.

I’ve devoted some time to my paint research, and am excited to share a sweet, ZERO-VOC paint brand with you. I’ve recently spent countless evenings and weekends with this paint, applying plenty of coats of it, 3 gallons worth, to be exact, and appreciating it more with every hour spent. This paint brand is a pioneer, being the first paint to offer tinted paint that contains absolutely NO VOCs. It’s new to the painting scene, and was introduced about a year ago in April, 2008. Care to know who this pioneer is? Oh, and did I mention that this paint is the first indoor paint to be GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality certified? I assure you that I’m not affiliated with this paint brand, sponsorships or compensation in any way, other than being an appreciative consumer. I’m singing the praises of Freshaire Choice, sold exclusively at Home Depot.

Freshaire choice is not only people- and eco-friendly, but it’s also a high quality paint. I have to admit, I thought I’d forego quality a bit on this one, and just be glad to breath easy when painting, but the paint covers beautifully. The best part is that there truly is no paint odor, and I had to try it to believe it. We literally painted during the minutes leading up to our baby’s first birthday party. For about $10 more than a gallon of BEHR paint, this is perhaps the deal of the century. My baby, my husband, my dog, myself and all of our guests will breath easy, and that makes it worth every penny.

Ordering Freshaire Choice paint is just like any other. If the family of golds has you charged, choose the FC color that most resembles your favorite hue from the dark side, bring your color swatch up to the counter and place your order. While waiting for your paint to be mixed, start grabbing the necessary prep tools – blue painter’s tape, new rollers, a brush for trim – and question again whether you really want to undertake this home improvement project. Now, your paint is already being mixed, and you’re pretty much a rock lock by this point. Plus, the idea of painting with VOC-free paint is exciting. Bring your paint home, line your trim with blue tape, and don’t look back. You’ll be moved and your walls will be revolutionary.

The before

The after

The selection of Freshaire Choice paints is reduced compared to other brands, but I haven’t minded. The selection is still broad, available in 65 colors, and the earth-influenced colors run the spectrum. I’m pretty pumped about my ginger palm kitchen, and haven’t missed the gray one bit. This is one true green wagon to jump aboard. The paint can, can label, paint chips and brochures are all made from recycled material and can be recycled.