No VOC paint test
Great article in NYT's on testing no VOC paints against one another. A must read!
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Do any of you have any personal experience using a no VOC paint? Any recommendations for a brand that goes on well, doesn't stink, covers thoroughly, and then cleans up easily later on?
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14 comments:
Ben Moore....can't remember the name, but it was used on our clubhouse, and didn't smell even when wet...smiles.
I hear great things about Mythic and I noticed they have LARGE paint chips on display at the ACE hardward in Walnut Creek (not too far from you and I!) My clients have been curious but too wary of using these low/no VOC paints due to coverage and wear issues they keep hearing about. Sounds like the quality is improving rapidly so that's great news.
ICI's LifeMaster in eggshell. I hear the matte is nice too, but never used it. LifeM in egg is my very favorite flavor of paint. The price-point is very affordable. There is no odor, coverage and workability is awesome, and it's tough as nails.
Two boys, 1 dog, and a DH who is allergic to paint - it's either Aura or LifeM at my house. Ironic DH is allergic to paint, isn't it? lol! Well, guess it's not really funny 'cuz he has rather dramatic reactions to some brands - like breaks out in a rash and breathing issues. One brand in particular, I absolutely can't paint even a sample board in the house. Have to do it in the garage.
One time his eyes swelled shut. It was when he was little and his parents painted his room and he slept in it that night. That's when they figured out he had a problem with paint.
Low VOC and all that 'green paint' stuff is important to a lot of people for different reasons. It's been a blessing for him/us,
You know I'm a big fan of Ben. Moore's Aura. Really, the low-odor thing is amazing. They also have a line called Natura, but I don't have any experience w/ that one. I believe it's less expensive, though - always a bonus! Thanks for alerting us to a great article!
I'm surprised to see some brand omissions in the NYT piece and I'm sure they will receive many letters -- glad I won't be on the receiving end of those.
VOC is one factor I would consider. The other is surface quality -- because after the VOCs air off and the water evaporates that's what remains! Also, color ranges are a consideration because some brands are stronger in one area than others.
And there's so much really good paint out there I don't think it is easy to generalize. So it's a matter of "good for what?"
I swear by Farrow & Ball. Why? Virtually no smell within 1 hour. Great surface quality -- a velvety texture described often as "unique" but Sydney Harbor has an excellent surface that's quite similar. Colors are very different.
The value of F&B is the "hiding" quality. I find it improves the look of walls. But then there are the color complexities and the challenges of working with those.
Aura was very good on the smell issue. It dried fast but I did not care for the surface quality of that at all.
It's so easy to paint and you almost always have some left over so I'd rather touch up or repaint 1 wall than scrub.
ICI Dulux paint is an excellent product, good surface quality but had much more odor than the two others (but it isn't the Lifemaster Lori references; cannot speak about that).
Depending on what you're going for in your color scheme, you could look at F&B, Aura, Citron (vivid color), Sydney Harbor, and Fine Paints of Europe.
Leaving out FPE Eurolux is a HUGE omission IMO. Not only is that a super quality coating, they will do custom colors keyed to Pantone.
All this is tempered, of course, by cost consideration -- my bias is to spend more on the paint and repaint less frequently.
NOVOC can be purchased online now and it is a great value. It's above builder's grade but not quite a designer paint. Can be purchased through www.newliving.net.
Benjamin Moore Aura Matte sheen is my favorite. Low odor and voc, plus it is so thick it fills in the hairline cracks in old plaster walls. On top of all that, it is scrubbable. I also like the Ben Moore Affinity color palette.
great info here, everyone! thanks for sharing your opinions. i've been happy with aura. i had a client use BM Natura. Smell was pretty much non-existent. Kinda reminiscent of Play-Do. But, come to think of it, I don't think the colors were as rich as I would have liked them to be...
and lori, the fact that your husband is allergic to paint is the ultimate irony!
wow, this is a fantastic round-up of data! i should compile it into a summary post so that others searching for this info can locate it. Thank you so much everyone for sharing your experiences and expertise. It's priceless information when you can learn from someone's first-hand experience. Move over NYT and Consumer Reports!
I love the concept of this photo. It definitely defines what it emphasizes.
The picture is so funny, I like it.
Hi Rachael and fellow IACC graduate! I have spent the last 5years developing and perfecting (what I think) is the perfect no VOC paint and color system. No odor, splatter free, very high hide. It is quite popular here in the Northwest and we are getting ready to roll out nationally. I could send you out some samples to try and maybe give away some to you readers as well! Let me know!
I used Yolo Colorhouse for our bedroom, bathroom, dining room, kitchen and my office. I didn't notice any sour smell as the NYT article indicates -- there was hardly any smell at all. Yolo Colorhouse comes in a more limited range of colors, but they've selected their palette carefully.
I used Mythic for one wall in our kitchen with good results. Almost no odor, good coverage, etc.
I used Benjamin Moore zero VOC for the trim. It has the most odor of the three, but still nothing like low- or regular-VOC paints. It had the hardest cleanup of the three, but that may also be because I was using white for the trim.
Oh, and for East Bay folks, Yolo Colorhouse and Mythic are both available at EcoHome Improvement in Berkeley on San Pablo. They also have a variety of other green building and design products.
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