Have you ever wondered why sometimes when you walk inside a newly renovated room the initial reaction is to say “Amoy pintura”? Painting or finishing is usually one of the last steps in any construction or renovation process. Most probably, what you’re smelling in the room is actually the odor of VOCs.
What are VOCs?
VOCs or Volatile Organic Compounds are harmful chemicals containing substances, found in almost all consumer products, that give off gasses that are harmful when inhaled in excess or in longer durations. From household supplies, like detergent and bleach, to personal care products, like your perfume and cosmetics, either contain or emit some form of VOC inside your home. In paint, we can find VOCs mostly in high amounts in solvent-based products and in small quantities in water-based paint. VOCs release once you open a can of paint until after applying it to your chosen surface.
So if VOCs are harmful, why are they inside a can of paint? Aren’t paint manufacturers supposed to protect customers from these VOCs? In general, VOCs are common ingredients in paint that makes it easier to apply to a substrate, prevents spoilage, and even inhibits the growth of fungi on your walls.
But, don’t go out of your way to check every product’s VOC content. As a rule of thumb, VOCs don’t really matter when you’re outdoors painting exterior surfaces. Inside, however, we need to be mindful as VOCs are generally harmful in excess. VOCs can stay present inside your home after painting especially if it’s a generally closed area with no sufficient airflow. Open those windows!
We can’t really avoid VOCs in paint since they’re present in almost every product. But, we CAN lessen it! Over the years, BOYSEN addressed these VOC concerns by creating “low-VOC” products. Low-VOC means that the company managed to lessen the VOC content of our products to amounts below global standards. Low-VOC products gives assurance that you’re not too exposed to harmful VOCs while painting.
Let’s go through some of BOYSEN’s low-VOC products.
BOYSEN’s Low-VOC Paints
- BOYSEN®Permacoat™ Latex comes in flat, semi-gloss, and gloss and has low-VOC compared to solvent-based paints
- BOYSEN®Healthy Home™ is odor-less, low VOC, and has an anti-microbial additive that can protect your walls from mildew and fungus, and comes in a satin finish.
- Virtuoso™ Silk Touch™ is a low odor, low VOC ultra-premium paint that gives your walls a cleanable matte finish.
Avid Let it B readers will know that the products above are only for interior concrete surfaces, but what about wood and metal? We still have your back!
- BOYSEN Woodprime is a water-based interior wood primer that lets you topcoat your wooden surfaces with paint usually for concrete like the ones above
- BOYSEN Primeguard, on the other hand, is a water-based metal primer that you can use as an alternative to solvent based metal primers.
Of course, if you’re DIY painting, proper equipment and practices can also prevent you from inhaling harmful VOCs. Here are some tips you can try out during your next project:
- Always wear a face mask prior to painting
- Make sure that the room has proper ventilation
- Properly close all cans of paint after use.
You can read more on proper home painting safety tips here.
So, what do you want to talk about?
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