MamAnomolie

Up until today, I have been quite frustrated on my quest for no-VOC paint for the nursery. VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds, off-gas from a number of different materials, including most paints. They are know to cause a number of adverse health effects, and avoiding them can greatly improve the indoor air quality of your home. The great thing is that now there are several no-VOC and low-VOC paint options out on the market.

My frustration came in finding these products. Since I knew they were available and I want to healthiest space possible for our little girl, I was set on finding a no-VOC paint. At both Lowes and a local Sherwin Williams store I had nearly identical conversations with store employees.

Me: "Do you carry any no VOC paint?
Employee" "Yes, this brand has no VOCs." (Olympic paint at Lowes and Harmony paint at Sherwin Williams)
Me: "Oh, so the tints don't have VOCs either?"
Employee: "No, the tints all have VOCs."

What I found particularly annoying was that I had to ask to get this information. Not many people shopping for paint for their house get the plain white that comes ready in the can. Of course I'm going to have it tinted, and if I'm looking for no-VOCs, I don't want it in my paint or the tint.

A few weeks ago I did go to Home Depot and found that they do have a line of no-VOC paints that comes in no-VOC colors. The brand is called Freshaire. The problem is that there aren't nearly the number of colors available as you find with other paints. That being said, I was very pleased to find that one of the big box home improvement stores has made an investment in no-VOC paint, and when I asked for no-VOC paint, that is the only paint they mentioned. They didn't try to sell me a paint that was VOC-free only before colorants were added.

So, my husband, Jonathan, and I continued our search. And it ended today at the Common Ground Green Building Center in Durham, NC. If you live anywhere near Durham and you're looking for eco-friendly, person-friendly building supplies, I highly recommend it!

Paul, one of the co-owners of the store, showed us not one, not two, but three different brands that were no-VOC AND that came in loads and loads of colors. He carried AFM SafeCoat, Yolo Colorhouse and Mythic. Not only are these paints zero-VOC, Paul explained to us, but they also don't have a lot of the other toxic ingredients found in most other paints.

We went with a lovely light, light green made by AFM Safecoat. Very appropriately, the official name of the color we chose is 'Clean.' We also picked up some Mythic trim paint. I'll include pictures once we actually start painting.

I'm just happy to know that there really are no-VOC, healthier paint options out there, that you don't have to sacrifice color choices in order to use them and that there are people out there who are knowledgeable about your green building options. Thank you Paul! Thank you Common Ground Green Building Center! Thank you Jonathan for painting the nursery...soon!