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Re: GBlist: low voc paints
In a message dated 8/1/97 5:31:42 PM, you wrote:
>Has anyone had experience with any of the brands of low VOC paint? Glidden,
>
>Benjamin-Moore and Sherwin Williams in particular? Or maybe a brand that is
>
>better than any of these? I'm looking for quality paint that will hold up
>
>well to scrubbing.
>
>Judi Becker
>
I have used "Glidden Spred 2000" (now owned by ICI and sold under several
local brand names through various stores) and I have used "Gold Label Premium
Spectra-Tone," both claiming to be Zero VOC and Zero petroleum solvent. I
have referred many clients to these paints as well as others such as Frazee
"Envirokote," Benjamin Moore "Pristine," "Best Paint" by Best Paint Co.,
Miller solvent-free paints with low biocides and no fungicides, and "Kurfees
Fresh Air Formula Paint." My consulting often involves working with a
variety of chemically sensitive clients. Some of these paints work well for
certain clients, while other clients may have serious problems with some of
the same products. Quality and handling characteristics, as well as
durability and ease of maintenance vary considerably and constantly change as
formulations improve and develop. Other companies, like AFM, whose paints
are designed specifically for chemically sensitive customers and which
function as "environmental sealers" for noxious odors from previous coatings,
are now beginning to use Zero VOC, Zero Petroleum solvent formulations, in
addition to removing other harmful ingredients not currently classified as
VOCs.
Some individual comments:
Glidden Spred 2000 handled easily, covered extremely well, had an odor
problem for the first 24 hours, but most odor was gone after 48 hours. We
waited one month before occupying a bedroom painted with Spred 2000 just to
be sure, and there was absolutely no residual odor or health reaction from
sensitive residents. The paint was specifically designed to have high solids
and high "hiding" capacity. This was done knowingly at the sacrifice of
"scrubbability." However, my experience is that cleaning with a sponge or
cloth and soapy water causes no abrasion. I would not use an abrasive
cleaner on it. Another downside is the "blocking effect" whereby two painted
surfaces in contact with one another (such as a cabinet door and the stop
piece or cabinet face) can slightly stick to one another, actually causing
some paint loss in extreme cases upon opening the door. I found that
applying a little liquid soap or wax, or rubbing a soft bar of soap on the
area of actual contact easily solved this problem. I was told by the Glidden
(ICI) rep that the manufacturer is working on this problem. Spectra-Tone
also has some blocking characteristics.
I had a chemically sensitive client who tolerated Glidden Spred 2000 fine and
assumed Benjamin Moore's Pristine would be virtually interchangeable. She
was wrong! After painting one room in the house she had recently purchased,
the smell of the paint made her so sick she could not move in. After over 6
months she still could not enter the building without having strong physical
reactions. She sold the house!
Yet another client can't stand the pungent odor of the newly opened cans of
Spred 2000 and only tolerates Pristine. Many clients have praised the
handling, odor characteristics and tolerability of Pristine.
Frazee does not claim its "Envirokote" paint to be Zero VOC, Zero Petroleum
Solvent--because there is less than one percent of these volatile components
in the formula. They call it very, very, very low VOC! The companies who do
make these claims have about the same amount, but if it is less than 1% (I
don't remember the exact figure), they can claim it to be Zero. Frazee has
had good success providing paint products for sensitive areas like hospitals
and nursing homes, where the rooms cannot entirely be isolated or evacuated
during the painting process. The Frazee rep told me "blocking" was not a
problem with their paint, but I have not personally tried it.
If you don't mind spending a little more, the newest formulation of AFM
Safecoat now handles much better, provides a high quality fast curing, low
odor coating, is quite scrubbable, and not only limits VOCs and Petroleum
Solvents, but removes other noxious components such as ethylene glycol.
I have not used Kurfees Fresh Air Formula Paint myself, but my colleague Mary
Cordaro in southern California, highly recommends it. The company claims it
is low VOC, low solvent, low cost, low odor, hight hiding, highly scrubbable
interior acrylic latex wall paint and interior / exterior waterborne acrylic
enamel. This product is sold mostly in the midwest, but is available in
other parts of the country.
Good luck. I suggest trying samples of a variety of choices and using the
one which works best for you. There are no simple answers and many of the
results related to odor, durability, handling, and performance are keenly
tied to the nature of the substrate being coated, the preparation details,
and the conditions of temperature and humidity during application. I'd be
interested in hearing about your experience.
David Kibbey, Environmental Building Consultant
1618 Parker Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
phone / fax: 510-841-1039
email: IAQKibbey@aol.com
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