Low-VOC Paint vs. No-VOC Paint: What Does That Mean?
If you're looking for the right paint for your home, then you'll need to look out for a few different aspects. More people are searching for high quality, health-focused products for their homes, whether it's furniture, paint, or other materials. Make the smart choice for your home by choosing a paint that's better for your indoor air quality-which means no VOCs.
We've talked quite a bit about making smart, health-focused choices when it comes to paint-but what are VOCs, really? Learn more about the differences between low-VOC paint vs. no-VOC paint here.
Volatile Organic Compounds
To begin, let's talk about what VOCs are. Volatile organic compounds, commonly known as VOCs, are carbon-containing substances that become vapors or gases. They're typically found in conventional paints, coatings, and cleaning products, but they're present in many other things you use in your daily life.
In conventional paints, VOCs assist with the quality of application and the drying process. However, these compounds can also cause respiratory and other health problems. This is why it's better for people to choose products that are low-VOC or VOC-free.
What is Low-VOC Paint?
So what does low-VOC mean? Low-VOC paints have a reduced amount of volatile organic compounds. Therefore, the paint won't give off as much of that harmful gas as a traditional paint. The term "low-VOC," however, is only in comparison to other paints. Typically, paints that use this term should contain fewer than 50 grams of VOCs per liter.
What is No-VOC Paint?
No-VOC paints contain no volatile organic compounds or a very small number of VOCs. Typically, this amounts to fewer than five grams per liter. Sometimes the paint tinting process can end up adding some more VOCs, so keep in mind that even when a paint is no-VOC, it may still contain other harmful chemicals. This is why you want to choose a paint with a transparent ingredient list.
Healthier Homes With ECOS Paints
When you choose ECOS Paints, you get no-VOC* interior paints that dry quickly, provide excellent coverage, come in an endless variety of colors, have transparent ingredients lists, and put your health first. Even the pigments we use to tint our paints and other tinted products are VOC-free and do not contain glycol, which is typically found in conventional paint pigments. If you're looking for a company that really puts its customers first, then peruse our site. From non-toxic** concrete sealers to zero VOC paint for any project, we have what you're looking for.
*Zero VOC: Conforms to CDPH 01350 (VOC emissions test taken at 11, 12, and 14 days for classroom and office use).
**Non-toxic: Conforms to ASTM-D4236, specifically concerning oral toxicity, skin irritation, and respiratory effects.
