What has been your experience with low-VOC paint?

August 13, 2010 1:19 PM

What has been your experience with low-VOC paint?

We will be moving into a new house and plan to paint. I want to use a low-VOC paint but have read some reviews about it smelling like dead fish, peeling off the walls, and a few other problems. My husband has bad reactions to regular paint fumes, so I was hoping to avoid that whole problem. I want to use a low-VOC paint that works, and I'd love if it came in a quart or pint in addition to a gallon.

I'd love to know if you've used low-VOC paint, what kind, and how your project turned out.

posted by AllieTessKipp to Home & Garden (30 answers total)

The VOC count of paint, from a regulatory standpoint is more of a paper-work thing than something in the real world. Just because a paint can legally be labelled "low VOC," it does not mean that it will not smell. Most latex or acrylic paints today are low-odor.

Having said that, this paint would probably work for you.
posted by Danf at 1:29 PM on August 13, 2010

My parents used the high-end, oft-recommended Benjamin Moore low-VOC paint and said that it smelled awful – a strong chemical smell that they considered worse than the smell of "normal" pain – for about a week. They said they wouldn't use that brand again, but they have done other projects with a different brand (I want to say Dunn-Dwards, but don't quote me on that) of low-VOC paint without having any problems.
posted by infinitywaltz at 1:31 PM on August 13, 2010

We've used Sherman Williams' low-VOC paint (Duration) and Lowes' (Olympic Premium). Both went on the walls fairly easily -- one of the critiques floating out there is that the stuff doesn't cover well, but I didn't notice any difference between this stuff and regular paint (note: I've only painted with low-end paint my whole life). The paints we used certainly did not smell like dead fish. The smell of paint was detectable, but not nearly as overwhelming as regular latex paint. The stuff has only been up for a month or less, so I can't speak to its long-term viability. For the price, you probably can't beat the Lowes paint.
posted by puritycontrol at 1:36 PM on August 13, 2010

We used the Benjamin Moore low-VOC paint and didn't notice any odd smells. It went on quite well and have excellent coverage. I think it was their Eco Spec brand. But personally I don't find regular latex paint to be a very big deal in terms of smell.
posted by GuyZero at 1:37 PM on August 13, 2010

I've used paint from Mythic and had none of the problems you described with it.
posted by shesbookish at 1:38 PM on August 13, 2010

I used Sherwin Williams Low-VOC paint in my sizable living room two winters ago. The smell was negligible and I just needed two coats. I haven't had any peeling issues. I would definitely use it again.
posted by sugarfish at 1:38 PM on August 13, 2010

Our house was painted with Dunn-Edwards regular latex paint a month before we bought it. We had to open windows and doors to air it out for a couple of days after closing before the paint smell went away. We repainted some rooms with Pratt & Lambert latex, and the smell was gone within hours without opening any windows. We didn't use Pratt & Lambert low-VOC, just the standard Accolade available in gallons and quarts. So there's a data point for you.
posted by infinitewindow at 1:40 PM on August 13, 2010

I just did my whole house with Duration Home from Sherwin-Williams. Didn't have a smell at all and it covered like nobody's business.
posted by missjenny at 1:40 PM on August 13, 2010

I used the low-VOC Ben Moore paint when I moved in to my current place. I loved it and would highly recommend it. The smell was very mild, not like dead fish at all. It did take a little bit longer to dry than other paints I've used. I used both flat and semi-gloss, and I have had no peeling, nor any need for touch-ups. The colors are very vibrant and highly-pigmented.

I did prep the walls before painting by washing them down with a degreaser, TPS. If you don't degrease the walls, they're more likely to flake/peel after painting, and perhaps the low-VOC paint is even more susceptible to this. If you take the time to prep the walls, you should be fine.
posted by Maude_the_destroyer at 1:45 PM on August 13, 2010

I've used lots of Best Paint, manufactured in Seattle.

It has almost no smell at all right out of the can, and has better covering characteristics than any other latex I've ever used. They've been around for more than 20 years.
posted by jamjam at 1:47 PM on August 13, 2010

I did my entire shop and my suite with Rona Recycled paint. It covers well had has very, very, little odour. A drawback is it comes in limited colours and they won't tint it.
posted by Mitheral at 1:47 PM on August 13, 2010

We went with Sherwin-Williams Harmony (both paint and primer), which is their no VOC paint base (while the Duration is low VOC). It went on great, very low smell compared to normal VOC paints I've used recently, and still looks good a year later. One of the colors we got had a green color added to it, which seemed to have noticeably more VOCs than the others and also didn't go on as smoothly. Overall, we were very happy with it and would use it again.

And as far as I know, Sherwin-Williams will happily make you a quart (not sure about pint).

One thing to remember is that other than a few specific brands, the paint-base might have no VOC, but almost all pigments they add do have VOCs. And the darker the color, the more VOCs it might have. It'll still be lower VOCs than normal paint, but even no-VOCs paint tend to have VOCs unless you are just using the white base.
posted by skynxnex at 1:53 PM on August 13, 2010

We tend to use Benjamin Moore Aura paint. Both the base color and the pigments are "low voc". The paint has held up well in the garage, closet, bedrooms, damp bathrooms, etc. Often the bigger question is what are you priming with, and how good is the primer. Benjamin Moore does make a no VOC paint, but I am unsure about the pigments or the performance of it.
posted by iamabot at 1:58 PM on August 13, 2010

We've painted the interior of all 3 houses we've owned, and used Sherwin-Williams every time. It works great and covers well. The one and only time we used Behr paint from Lowe's it seemed to take 4 coats where SW paint took 2.

I really recommend going with Sherwin-Williams.
posted by Fleebnork at 2:23 PM on August 13, 2010

We used Aura recently, and it seems to be holding up fine. There was definitely a smell to it for the first few days. It's been so long since I was in a freshly-painted room I couldn't tell you if it was stronger than normal, but it was pretty strong. Didn't smell like fish, though, it just smelled like paint.
posted by lore at 3:14 PM on August 13, 2010

+1 for Sherwin Williams.

I was primarily using Harmony (which doesn't come in quarts, at least not at my local store) so I switched to Duration.

Honestly it seemed like Duration had slightly less odor. But I've been really happy with both.

Also, thanks for reminding me that I've still got two walls to paint. Le sigh.
posted by Zoyashka at 3:25 PM on August 13, 2010

One more note: I had previously used American Pride.

That paint had an incredibly terrible smell and I had to throw it out. Not sure if I got a bad batch or what, but it was horrendous.
posted by Zoyashka at 3:28 PM on August 13, 2010

We used Benjamin Moore Aura (eggshell finish) in our living room, bedroom, and kitchen. It dried very fast (the bedroom was mostly dry in maybe two hours), did not smell (we were able to sleep in the bedroom that same night), and you can get coverage in just one coat depending on what color you're painting over. It's thick like runny yogurt and you have work fast and not brush over what you've already painted lest you leave brushmarks, so that can be a little bit tricky. It's held up well (over two years), and I haven't had a problem with cleaning marks off it or anything like that. We will use it again when we paint the other bedrooms. It's expensive, but one gallon covered our whole living room, in one coat.
posted by flex at 3:40 PM on August 13, 2010

Oh, and you can buy Aura by the quart.
posted by flex at 3:42 PM on August 13, 2010

We had the opposite experience with Mythic Paint as shesbookish. It was super expensive, the coverage was poor and it took nearly a year to fully cure. I personally wouldn't use that paint again even if a) they paid me and b) provided free labor.
posted by crankylex at 4:39 PM on August 13, 2010

Response by poster: Wow! Thanks everyone. :) This is great! I expected one or two responses and just look at all these answers! :)
posted by AllieTessKipp at 4:56 PM on August 13, 2010

People are very picky about their paint. :)
posted by GuyZero at 5:12 PM on August 13, 2010

I just painted a wall with Behr Premium Plus from Home Depot. Hardly any smell at all and it covered well. Sis built a house a couple of years ago, and she said the Behr covered so well that she still has 5 gallons of one color. Of course, YMMV.

Remember that the key to any good paint job is in the prep. If you don't prep well, it doesn't matter what paint you use.
posted by azpenguin at 5:29 PM on August 13, 2010

I have used the Olympic low VOC paint in one of my bathrooms with no problems. It has been there a couple of years now, and no peeling either. I just bought some of Glidden's low VOC, and haven't had any problems with coverage or odd smells either.

Perhaps some of these problems you have heard about are from previous formulas.

If you mix your own paint, some of the ingredients can go sour. Milk paint has to be used quickly..
posted by annsunny at 6:01 PM on August 13, 2010

We used Benjamin Moore's Aura paint in our toddler/preschooler girls' room. It still smelled quite strong to me, but it's held up well.
posted by mdiskin at 6:10 PM on August 13, 2010

Don't use Mythic. My spouse worked on its development and says its crap.
posted by Mimzy at 6:34 PM on August 13, 2010

Does regular indoor latex even really have that many VOCs? It's mostly water, latex and like titanium or zinc oxides, no?

(I was in a building that was using some of the low VOC paint and I found it much more unpleasant than almost any other paint I've experienced. Not a particularly bad odor, but a sort of chemical "presence". Like it was sucking the oxygen out of the room. Never again!)

I've heard some people say that water based polyurethane is actually better than oil based.
posted by gjc at 7:32 PM on August 13, 2010

I can't testify to its VOC content but Mautz paint smells terrific, sort of mossy.
posted by werkzeuger at 5:55 AM on August 14, 2010

Response by poster: For those wondering why bother with low-VOC paint at all... Fumes from regular indoor latex paint used to paint the inside of our old house made my husband physically ill. Obviously the reaction or lack of one is different for everyone. I hear low-VOC paint has less potent fumes, so that is why we are going to try it.

Thanks, everyone, for sharing personal experiences with your painting projects. :) This is so helpful!
posted by AllieTessKipp at 12:10 PM on August 14, 2010

AllieTessKipp, I have a violent reaction to latex paint fumes, it makes me so sick that I cannot be in a space that has been recently painted. I would recommend that your husband goes and stays somewhere else while the painting is going on, because no matter how low VOC the paint, there will still be fumes.
posted by crankylex at 1:21 PM on August 16, 2010