Unofficial flipping goal: we want to beautify our baby – not turn it into a silent killer. When our offer was accepted, I started at square one. Didn’t know what ‘eggshell’ meant. Had never heard of VOCs in paint.
No matter your earthy inclinations, no one should want normal paint. Normal, regular paint – even the good stuff – emits VOCs for 3-5 years! All those smells? Not good for you!
I wouldn’t want a volatile person in my house – and I don’t want volatile paint, either.
Why isn’t all paint VOC-free?
If the technology’s available and the cost is, essentially, comparable…why? Because VOCs are required in dark pigments. You want dark colours, you need VOCs. That’s disgusting. Change your colour palette. We know that regular paint is bad. For our health, the environment – bad.
The solution? It’s sitting right next to the problem, right now, on the shelf in any hardware store.
- What kind of thinking is keeping the toxic stuff there?
- Who’s buying it? Not this tender innocent.
3 things about No-VOC paint
- I can expect comparable quality and coverage. Great. I’ll take it! I love comparable!
- It doesn’t come in dark shades, but the lighter half of any paint chip can be made without VOCs. Perfect.
- It’s really not that expensive. I kinda don’t believe you – but we’ll see.
2 types available in Vancouver (low- to mid-range $ bracket)
- Sherwin-Williams’ Harmony is $44/gallon. No VOCs.
- CIL*, offers a Naturaliving range of No-VOC paint and primer: $25-$31/gallon.
I stopped in, as well, at Farrow & Ball where I learned that they only make VOC-free paint. As for the cost? Know the adage, “if you have to ask – you can’t afford it?” I later discovered: $125/gallon. So that’s what you pay to avoid the unwashed masses at Home Depot.
I’m sure there are others – but I needed a swift decision. CIL’s Naturaliving will do just fine. I’m ecstatic this is possible – at a price equivalent to brands we’d be using anyway.
Get to know VOC-free
- The NYT on non-toxic paint
- VOC-free painting from a painter’s point of view
- Long list of non-toxic paint options
- Low-VOC paint round-up – US availability (Re-Nest)
If anyone’s looking for a willing CIL Naturaliving guinea pig – I’m signing up. Really excited to try out this new paint and keep our ugly baby VOC-free.
*** Update: Guinea-pigged out. We’ve used it on every surface in the apartment and I love it. Read my full paint dissection: CIL Naturaliving reviewed
* CIL stands for Canadian Industries Limited and is a home-grown brand. CIL is also a town of 2,279 in southern Azerbaijan.Photo found here.
Hey, you want a s'more? Some more of what?
benjamin moore all the way.
they have a low VOC paint that i think is great.
goes on like butter!
How many ducats/gallon? But what’s the point of low VOC when you can just as easily have no VOC?
Can’t remember if I’ve left any comments on your blog yet, but I have been reading it and really enjoy it. I’m linking over here from my weekly roundup today so my readers can follow along with your adventures in redecorating. Thanks!
Ahh, brilliant! Thanks, Julia! (Though I suspect things will quickly spiral towards misadventures – hope you’ll stick around!) All the best for a great weekend.
Wow – $125/gal for Farrow & Ball? It’s only $75/gal here in Ottawa (at least for the regular (“Estate Emulsion”) type)!! We are budget DIY’ers too and went with F&B because of the no-VOC’s and also (mainly?) because someone gave us a gallon as a house-warming gift, and we found that it covered WAY more area than a regular can of paint. There really is something special about this paint! It goes on sooooo nicely. Once you work with it, you’re sort of a paint-snob forever I suppose…we’ve been using it all over the house since that fateful gifted gallon. But, I would have done the same if I were you….$125…..holy smokes!!
Really? $125 is quoted on their Canadian site. Maybe it comes with a professional crew, included in the price? I’d love to become a paint snob – it would match all other snobberies so well. Great to hear such a rave review of the stuff – I knew it had to be magical to deserve its own store, managed by a lovely lady in pearls and cashmere. (So lovely that when all the other paint cards hit the trash – the F&B one stayed tucked in the “future” folder!) You’ve reaffirmed that plan. Thanks Shannon, happy Thanksgiving!