Green Remodel Forum

After quite a long battle of inspections and air sampling (for mold), I finally learned that the air in my home contains an elevated level of VOC's in the "Paints, Varnishes, and Coatings" category. All other categories came back normal.

I've been in my home for 1 year and I've done no painting since I moved in (though I need to). Is there a way to eliminate or significantly reduce the VOC's from the existing layer of latex paint on the walls? I hoped that painting a new coat of zero-VOC paint would do the trick but I read that water-based paints are very breathable and likely would not solve the problem alone.

Does anyone have experience with this situation? I appreciate your recommendations.

Dear Gator,
If no wet-applied building materials have been installed for more than a year I would suspect that the predominant source of VOCs is not from "paints, varnishes and coatings," but instead from personal care products or other chemicals that your lab happens to cluster together under this broad category. While not all VOCs have an odor you your nose is an amazingly sensitive instrument. Does it smell like new paint or new carpet? Or might it smell like incense or Glade plug-ins? It sounds like the only analysis you got gave you Total VOCs (TVOC), and your post doesn't mention the actual number. For residential environments there actually isn't a lot of data and almost no regulations... so I'd be curious what the actual TVOCs concentration was, and what makes you think this is relatively "high." Unless you can identify a "stinky material," I would not go about trying to encapsulate with another wet applied material. If you do take that approach - there are specially formulated coatings, such as some sold by AFM SafeCoat, that ensure minimal vapor transmission. Better still, increase outside air ventilation. Another last ditch effort is to use absorptive materials such as activated carbon, ziolite, and potassium permangenate.
Best of luck,
Alex Stadtner