Low VOC Paints

What are Low VOC Paints?

Here at PaintAccess, we have a wide range of Low VOC paints which are the best solution for protecting your health and the environment while you paint. What are low VOC paints? Low-VOC paints are paints that contain fewer ‘Volatile Organic Compounds”. High levels of VOC impact air quality and irritate your breathing tubes. In short, VOC’s aren’t good for your health or for the environment - so Low VOC is the way to go.

 If the protection of the environment is important to you, look for the” Good Environmental Choice” stamp on your paint. The VOC solvents act to slow the initial drying by maintaining a “wet-edge” which gives a longer time to work with the product. So, when VOC solvents are removed, the coating must be formulated differently to compensate for the lower level of VOC solvents. The application methods will also need to be altered to achieve the best finish.

What do VOCs do?

If low VOCs are better for your health, why do paints contain VOCs? The answer is that VOC solvents act to slow the initial drying by maintaining a “wet-edge” which gives a longer time to work with the product. Because of this, when VOC solvents are removed, the coating must be formulated differently to compensate for the lower level of VOC solvents. The application methods will also need to be altered to achieve the best finish.

Why are Low-VOC paints better for your health?

Low VOC paints have been specially designed to protect your health against harmful effects of VOCs. What can VOCs do to your health? VOCs can irritate your breathing and cause headaches and allergic reactions whilst also emitting harmful ozone into the atmosphere. High VOC paints are very pungent and can take at least a week for the smell to start to dissipate. Low VOC paints are better for both the environment and your health.

What type of roller sleeve is best suited for low VOC paints?

To ensure that you get the best results while using our low VOC paints, it’s important to choose the correct roller sleeve for the job. Synthetic roller sleeves will usually produce a more uniform film thickness and a more consistent finish, when low VOC paints are being applied. They deliver a smoother, more uniform appearance with little or no evidence of lapping or blending problems.

On the other hand, lambswool roller sleeves generally deposit a lower and less uniform film thickness with more surface texture that scatters the light in more irregular ways. A lower film thickness involves less product being applied which shortens the drying time and lessens the “wet-edge” of the painted surface. Microfibre roller sleeves also help to deliver lower film thickness to shorten the drying time and lessen the “wet-edge” of the painted surface. 

Low VOC paints can be applied by a paint sprayer. However, they need to be backrolled in order to create a uniform texture. No matter what kind of roller sleeve you use, the backrolling process should be carried out while the painted surface is still wet. Any delays in this process can effect the uniformity of the surface.