chelsey braham

VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds.  When talking about Volatile Organic Compounds in paint,  this means that certain chemicals in the paint will become vapors when exposed to air.   This becomes that paint smell that is noticed by everyone and bothers some individual.

Not just paint can emit volatile organic compounds.   Carpets,  laminated wood furnishings and almost all plastics emit some vapours.  This is why off-gassing new carpets is so important before installing in your house.

The harmful compounds become even more of a problem in inadequately ventilated interiors.  This can lead to what is being called sick building syndrome.   The conventional style of building today is very much concerned with sealing the building envelope.   This is done with vapour barriers to ensure that no moisture can get in and also so heating systems become more efficient because less warm air is lost through drafts.

The downside to this is that you are essentially sealing yourself in with a range of irritating chemicals,  such as formaldehyde in carpets and laminated furniture.   Without allowing a building to breath,  there is nowhere for these vapours to go.   Offices are notorious for this.   The office smell that has become so familiar to office workers is a mixture of volatile organic compounds trapped in poorly ventilated spaces.

This is where the term green building differs slightly from natural building.  Where green building is primarily (and fairly) concerned with efficient use of heating resources.  Natural building methods utilize the safest materials to improve building air quality.

In terms of paint,  latex paint certainly emits VOCs.   Paints labelled “zero VOC” is missing certain chemicals, usually related to drying times,  as a consequence zero VOC paint will often dry at a different rate than standard paint.   Also a paint can only be zero VOC if white.   Pigments will add compounds to the paint.   Low VOC usually refers to a pigmented paint.

The difference when using paints that are considered zero or low VOC is that there is a distict lack of irritating odor when painting and during the drying time,  although once dry, there is no noticeable difference in appearance between standard and low VOC paints.  They are generally more expensive than a standard paint but certainly worthwhile for use in interior painting for individuals who are ill,  pregnant,  chemical sensitive,  or just generally concerned with their interior air quality.

To learn more about this subject, I would recommend this article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_Organic_Chemicals