Could that be from the off gassing? Our dresser is black. If anyone here has had the same problem with this paint please can you email me at szukidavis@aol.com/. I do not think that painting over it would help. Windows open. In the absence of being able to measure VOCs, I would keep it in a well-ventilated room for a week and then determine if I could still smell anything. After you paint a room, the only thing that should linger is how much you love the color scheme you chose. When do you think it would be ok to bring the fireplace grates inside again? The study revealed that prenatal exposure led … Damages seem like they would be mainly long term and difficult to quantify. The only way to know for sure is VOC testing, but probably not needed in this situation. Two years ago, I had the carpet removed and the oak floors beneath refinished. Are there good resources/reading for me to gain a more in depth understanding of this process? During the off-gassing process, these VOCs are the chemicals that get released back into the air and create the pungent odor that we associate with paint fumes in the air. My conclusion is that the painter had something in his sprayer from a prior job or from cleaning it that made its way into the paint. 2. Perhaps the 2-3 months is the answer? Try to do your painting during dry seasons, such as fall and winter, and consider using a dehumidifier to speed up the curing process. I’ll write a blog post on the advantages and disadvantages of PIDs in the near future. I spent a great deal of money putting this building together which is supposed to be my art studio. No noticeable smell an hour later – does this mean that once the adhesive dries, the VOCs are gone and it’s considered safe? Other VOC sensors that are not using a PID are not reliable, generally speaking. However, lead-based paint removal shouldn’t be done casually by homeowners, due to the risk of lead exposure from the dust and fumes. Two months after the first paint job we tried Safecoat primer, which only made it worse. I could not find any information on your blog about if there is a concern AFTER the item has been removed from your home and for how long? In reality, the fumes from the paint can still stink up your space long after the last coat dried. I’ve see off gassing cars leave a film on the windshield and noticed that when I had a bucket of water in the newly painted room it developed an oily sheen on top. Interpreting Mold Spore Counts from EAA, Inc. According to the EPA, the level of VOCs in a “Low VOC” paint must be less than 200 grams per liter. I returned a few days later to find absolutely no change in the intensity of the VOCs. An ideal spray tip is 6" 0.31 for thicker type roof coatings. Last Friday I tried opening the plastic dividing the living room from the rest of the house and the smell didn’t seem to be invading the rest of the house anymore. Paint manufacturers are required to print the amount of VOCs on the paint can itself, so a little sleuthing at your local paint store will go a long way. Then we turned the air blower on the furnace off. Sure, you can do chamber studies under controlled conditions to determine emission or concentration decays, but how the material will behave in the real world can be quite different. Emission rates exceeded 2 mg/unit hr for six common solvents (e.g., 35.5 mg/unit hour for ethanol) and for six common fragrance compounds (e.g., 9.1 mg/unit hour for limonene). Plus rectifying the irresponsible behavior seems difficult with your advise basically being “open windows” and buy gas phase purifiers. Read disclaimer. That’s when I saw that the paint may contain high levels of VOC’s. Really appreciate any insight you may have! Thank you so much for posting. On Friday I was hired to perform a follow-up assessment for a home under construction that is experiencing elevated VOCs from varnishes and paints applied almost 7 months ago. They claim to be Carb II compliant. The fact that ALL surfaces smell if you put your nose to them (walls, doors, trim, etc.) It’s strictly for metal substrates, but my painters used it anyway despite the fact that I gave them the sample for them to buy: Benjamin Moore’s Advanced High Gloss to use in the master. It’s about 1100 square feet that covers the whole downstairs. While PIDs are not as accurate or detailed as other methods of measuring VOCs, they can be used as a good screening tool with immediate feedback. My question is… is it possible the VOCs condensed on the metal of the wood stove and were just sitting there emitting a low level smell until I burned them off with a fire? Traditional paints can continue to release VOCs for years, and if you’re trying to improve the air quality inside your home, it may not be as simple as just applying a fresh coat of low-VOC paint. Just ripped out 1500 sq ft of tounge and groove wood flooring, it was so Noxious during the year out I had to wear a respirator…. His extensive hands-on experience and understanding of the industry make him the go-to source for all things having to do with the home – from advice on simple repairs, to complete remodels, to helping homeowners prepare their homes for extreme weather and seasons. *And check out Instagram and Pinterest pages! You have entered an incorrect email address! Determine VOC Content — For each coating that you use, indicate its VOC content in pounds per gallon (lbs/gallon). Sorry to hear about your ordeal. Thank you, Ian. Two walls are cinder block and two are drywall. By the way, the paint was put on fresh sheetrock, two coats primer and two coats satin white. Bad idea! I do plan on taking PID readings in all rooms and multiple in the offending room so I have evidence of the issue for reference. Is there a concern after 48 hours of windows open with the sprayed item no longer in the house that the fumes will remain in the house? They used the SuperSpec without my consent. The owner selected hardwood floor varnish and oil-based paints high in VOC content and emission. Took all items not solid wood out of home. There are too many variables to give an exact timeframe, but the time it takes for solvent-based products to sufficiently off-gas is probably measured in months. It is probably fine if you had the windows open and you don’t smell anything. Some are harmful by themselves, including some that cause cancer. it ended up With very high levels of formaldehyde. Increasing the air circulation with fans helps remove any build-up. There is another product of theirs that they are being sued for by the Attorney General for having voc when their lable says non. A siphon hose on the material inlet typically is used to draw material directly from 5-gallon pails. I don’t know of companies that rent equipment to the general public. So I went home, cranked up the heat, and within a day you couldn’t even tell there were VOCs. Contrary to what many may believe, it is quite difficult to predict how long it takes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to off-gas from new materials in a specific building. Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are gases that are emitted into the air from products or processes. Since none of the safety sheets reveal much with all the “low / no VOC” paints we used, we don’t have enough detail to program it for detection. Now, the room has only the faintest of odors and is much improved. Which can contribute to sick building syndrome, which can cause all kinds of different health problems.. You can get a VOC testing kit to get a scientific analysis of how many VOCs are in your indoor air. The actual gases depend on the formula of the paint. It is now the end of September and we still aren’t in our living room. In a 2017 study, researchers looked at rats that were exposed to too much toluene-based paint inhalation. One month ago I was in the home and found some very high levels based on measurements with a photoionization detector (PID). That’s an interesting thought on the curing. Paranoid and concerned Mom here. We’ve had a box fan exhausting 24×7 for a few months now and, as soon as the windows are closed… that nasty smell is back. I did this five times over the weekend and each time the smell wasn’t as bad. All surfaces were painted — walls, ceiling, doors, trim and molding. Clothes, books, papers, art work, bedding, rugs, furniture, equip. There are lots of great low and zero VOC interior paint options easily available. That is a possible explanation. I had thought about the Safe Seal. You’ll need to determine if the improved performance of the solvent-based product is worth the indoor air quality risks. But I spoke with a chemical engineer at work and he said what I needed to do to break up the gases was to warm them up. GREENGUARD Environmental Institute Product Guide. The mock drywall you painted… did you do that in the home or out in the garage? I’ve spoken with Benjamin Moore’s representatives and while they skirt around the topic, they say it “should” but refuse to say it “will”. If that’s true, I couldn’t possibly keep them. Problem is, two months later the place still smells of paint fumes and VOCs (volatile organic compounds), no matter how often I open the windows! We were able to move it outdoors to the deck, which hopefully helps with dissipation as we’ve had some 80-degree days. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. We suspect the painter didn’t give the paint enough time to dry before recoating (3 coats in 6 hours). How to Reduce the Outgassing of VOCs in Your Home, Reducing Volatile Organic Compounds in Your Home, 3 Hidden Electrical Fire Hazards in Your Home, 5 Garden Design Tips for a Green, Beautiful Backyard, https://www.facebook.com/todayshomeownermedia/, https://www.instagram.com/todayshomeowner/, https://www.pinterest.com/todayshomeowner/pins/, How to Paint a Wood Beadboard Kitchen Backsplash, 7 Ways to Blend Vintage Decor and Your Modern Lifestyle, Designing the Interior Décor for the Kuppersmith Project House. If you apply water to a surface, it will eventually evaporate, but the humidity that’s now in the air could condense on a surface (cold window), then heat up and evaporate again. So, it seems that I have two options based on reading your post: (1) Wait … possibly a long time since it’s already been 4 months or (2) Rip sheetrock out and replace. New floor and varnish voc is so high we left took up floor can’t go in house. Thank you for your help! One way to think of VOCs in paint is that it’s like water. The U.S. Green Building Council ranks varnish and lacquer as the worst offenders in terms of VOC off-gassing. We took the sprayed fireplace grates outside where they stayed and then opened up every window in the house for about 2 days. Even cosmetics, mothballs, air fresheners and household cleaning supplies contain VOCs. I don’t have much experience with wood stoves so I can’t provide much insight on that. The floors are only in a week, but I am getting a massive headache whenever I am in the house since the day they went in. The primer, purchased at Home Depot, said it contained no VOC’s, but that the added colorants could significantly increase the VOC content. Since spray coating operations are normally performed in enclosedspray the Indoor Air Nerd. And even then, it would be highly variable depending on the wind. Without well-established metrics for health impact and best standards, how can consumers understand liability (if any) for developers that use old, irresponsible, and environmentally unfriendly materials such as old paint, toxic adhesives, etc? Just so there’s some context, here’s the situation: A single room was repainted with a Dunn Edwards water-based gripper product primer by a painter. I fear sanding the paint off will only compound the amount of toxicity in the home and the amount of time it will take to do all of that versus replacing the doors and woodwork. Many customers are surprised to learn that most of these Zero VOC paints still have an odor. Federal law requires varnishes to contain less than 450 grams of VOCs … I’m extremely worried about having this paint in my home, especially my bedroom where I sleep. VOCs can be found in the air indoors and outdoors. I had an air test done and it showed higher than normal VOC levels (1400 ng/L), but not severe. I agree, it seems like the paint couldn’t be zero VOC, but the label claims it is. Also, live next to funeral home that does 1st floor embalming w / outside venting. Six months ago I used a paint called Pure Performance by PPG (Pittsburgh Paint) with no voc and low odor. I'm a speaker and consultant on indoor air quality issues. If the MSDS gives a range (e.g., … Eventually, by mid September the smell was very faint, though still very present when you first walk into the room. However, I seem to have made a mistake in the last week, as we are furnishing our toddler’s bedroom. Store the dresser in a garage for 6 months? VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Low And Zero VOC Paint. We had to evacuate. No good, now what? Thanks so much for your kind reply, Ian. I have several containers of it. When paint is applied inside a confined indoor space the concentration of VOCs can be up to 10 times higher than outdoors. Lastly, I was told this paint isn’t formulated to expand and contract as such happens with wood it would eventually end up cracking and splitting. The paint isn’t curing and the smell is horrendous. I was beside myself, I didn’t know what to do. But we do have some data to draw from. Any info. Also is there anything else we should be doing? Regarding item #3 in article (Use a Sealing Primer) — I contacted the manufacturer and they recommended a different product — NOT SafeSeal, which is more for porous surfaces. I’m trying to decide between water based and solvant based concrete sealer for a slab that will be used as the floor inside a residence with a tight envelope and ERV. When the VOC molecules go out the window, they are finally gone. Particulate emissions are also emitted from spray coating operations. Strange, but true. I cannot use it due to the sickening odor. © 2021 Today’s Homeowner Media. Hi. All doors, door casings, 3 separate window casings/trims, both vanities, crown moldings, baseboards, shelving in the closets, etc., throughout my master bedroom have been painted not once, but twice with Benjamin Moore’s SuperSpec Alkyd Enamel in black. It was a tongue and groove floating installation. The air vent was on for about 30 min until we realized the fumes were causing our entire house to smell. I’m hopeful we can move back in and I won’t get sick again. Help. We just installed new engineered hardwood by Johnson Hardwood on our concrete slab. My question is in regards to spray adhesives and VOCs. It smells okay when the windows are open but overnight the stench becomes oppressive. Keep the dresser in the ventilated guest room and find something else for our daughter’s room? Windows were opened and it was a light coating/spray every few minutes. We’ve had some very hot weeks with temps nearing 100 degrees. Typically, spray paint thickness is lower than rolling or brushing paint, therefore it will dry faster than other paint applications. Great blog!! I laughed to myself because this can’t be true. It smelled again, but not as bad this time. My questions to you if you don’t mind are: The drier the air, the faster VOCs will be drawn out of the paint, which you can then remove from your home by running fans and opening windows. If you don’t smell it after closing the windows, you’re probably fine. 2) Any ideas at all on what could be in the paint that would have been used in an airless sprayer that might possibly be the culprit? Fast forward over four months later and the room still STINKS. While materials like paint tend to emit VOCs in the early part of the product’s use within the home, flooring can have the opposite concern. So, I opened up all of the windows, bought four box fans, and had them running 24/7 for days. They said it cures best in an outdoor environment where airflow is continuously flowing. Certainly sounds like I’m not alone! Hi What is in Spray Paint? That was three months ago and the room is still unlivable. I am growing concerned. So before painting over it, try applying a lot of heat and then ventilating. Unfortunately, this was still 4 times the outdoor levels. When used as solvents in coating formulations, these exempt VOCs are commonly referred to as exempt solvents. When trying to upgrade an existing home to low or zero VOC paint, you have three choices: Some people prefer to completely remove old coatings of lead-based paint, so that you never have to worry about the paint chipping and uncovering the old layer in the future. Hoping. Individuals can check the Household Products Database to learn more about what’s in common household items. Follow Directions – Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions before using any hazardous products such as paint remover, paint, bug spray, or floor finishes. To learn more about me, click "about" at the top of this page. We’ve had windows and doors open and fans running all day every day since. The pollutants of concern for auto body repair and surface coating operations are volatile organic compounds (VOC) and hazardous air pollutants (HAP) from the use of solvents and coatings. All rights reserved. Many standard professional-grade spray paints contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Could it travel or effect my home ? The main issue with interior latex paint is not with the paint itself, but with the fumes released by the paint as it is drying and over time. Great site and thanks for keeping the thread going! It will give a general reading unless it’s specifically calibrated to detect a particular VOC. The base VOC is 394g/L without colorant added. VOCs are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids and include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. on How long does it take for VOCs to dissipate? A surface dry of spray paint will usually be accomplished within 10 to 30 minutes after application, whereas a hard dry can take … The same thing with VOCs in paint. Traditional paints and many related products, such as paint thinner or stripper, give off volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Low VOC and “green paints” seem to be the catchphrases these days when looking for healthier paint. When we moved into our rental apartment, everything was freshly scrubbed and painted and bright and lovely. Paint was put on fresh sheetrock, two coats satin white but label. Have higher VOCs painted in a 2017 study, researchers looked at rats that were exposed to much... Never experienced odor like this dissipate overtime, after the first paint job we tried primer... 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Pounds per gallon ( lbs/gallon ) 30 % to apply a wall paper decal recommended...