Painting Your Bedroom with Low-VOC Paint
by Wendy Croix
Home Improvement Ideas Columnist
It's winter, and you're itching for an indoor project. How about painting your bedroom? Now, I know you're worried about the smell. Worse, you're sure those fumes must be a health hazard, especially with your windows closed. Even five years ago, you'd probably be right. But today's low-VOC paints mean cold weather won't bring your painting projects to a halt--even if you're painting your bedroom.
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Sleep Symptom-Free with Fresh Bedroom Paint?
Chances are you're reluctant to paint your bedroom because of the notorious headaches and dizziness caused by exposure to fresh paint. Oil-based paints, now banned in some states, are high in volatile organic chemicals (VOCs, for short). Those older paints, and paint strippers as well, released the VOCs that caused eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, and nausea in the short term, and liver, kidney, or nervous system damage with prolonged exposure, according to the E.P.A. Since oil-based paints took as long as a month to dry, exposure from a single project could be significant.
Today, however, low-VOC and flat-finish no-VOC paints made from casein, a milk protein, offer a healthy alternative. So painting your bedroom doesn't have to be toxic.
"Green" Bedroom Paint Comes in a Rainbow of Colors
Low-VOC and no-VOC paints offer you a green alternative, significantly improving your indoor air quality and providing an environmentally friendly alternative to riskier wall colorings. If you want to go the ecological route to painting your bedroom, here are some options to consider:
- Low-VOC Latex Paints (by Sherwin-Williams, Glidden, and others) work on all surfaces and give excellent coverage.
- No-VOC or Zero-VOC Milk Paints (by The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company) work on bedroom walls, wood, or furniture and come in earth tones. They can't be used in kitchens or baths where there's a risk of mold, however. Rodda Paint offers a mold and mildew resistant version in a wider range of colors.
Check the labels for VOC, and look for Green Seal certified products whenever possible. Avoid paints that are EPA, OSHA or DOT registered, as these contain toxic ingredients.
Sources:
- "Certified paint," Architectural Record 191.5 (May 2003)
- "A Primer on Safe Paint Natural Health 33.7 (Sep 2003)
- "Purchasing paint?" Alive: Canadian Journal of Health & Nutrition 277 (Nov 2005)
About the Author
Wendy Croix, Ph.D. is a freelance writer, cultural critic and university professor who has guided hundreds of students toward the careers of their dreams.
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