Understanding the Ingredients in Paint
While customers love freshening up their space with new colors, they are rightfully concerned about the ingredients in paint and potential hazards certain compounds can create. It wasn’t all that long ago that lead paint was still used in homes. In fact, many customers still deal with lead paint mitigation when painting homes built before the 1970s. Caution just makes good sense! Paint is a necessity for protecting your home inside and out, which means you can’t simply skip using it out of an abundance of caution.
Fortunately for today’s homeowners, interior and exterior paint formulas are much safer than they used to be. Regulations have become more stringent to protect consumers as science reveals new information about the chemicals we use in our daily lives. Both manufacturers and regulators have worked to improve the ingredients in paint and make it a safer product for everyone.
Before you get started on your next paint project, we think it is helpful to understand what’s actually in your paint and why specific compounds are necessary to ensure it does its job. Let’s look at the four basic compounds that make up house paint.
The Four Basic Ingredients in Paint
Pigments
Pigments are the real favorite compound when it comes to paint — they’re the reason it has the color you’ve been dreaming about applying to your kitchen. Pigment is made up of finely ground organic or inorganic particles blended into the paint to create color and opacity. High-quality pigments like titanium dioxide increase the “hiding power” (opacity) of paint. Hiding power is the paint’s ability to hide the surface beneath the paint. It is very important to select paint with high-quality pigment so you do not experience fading. Lower quality pigment can break down under UV exposure or other poor conditions.
Binders
The name makes the purpose of this component fairly obvious. Binders are what helps your paint stick and stay stuck for years. Binders also keep all the particles in your paint together in a cohesive mixture. They consist of natural oils or a synthetic resin and their quality and composition influences a variety of factors, including:
- How well and how long paint lasts.
- Moisture resistance
- UV resistance
- Vulnerability to cracking and peeling
- Resistance to scratching or other damage
Sherwin-Williams recommends a “pigment-volume concentrate value of 45 percent,” which means that the paint should have enough binder to protect the pigment during the painting, drying and curing process.
Solvents
Solvents make your paint spreadable. They are the liquid that carries the pigment and binders to the surface of your project and allow your paint to spread on quickly and easily. These carrier liquids come in two different types — oil-based paints (also referred to as alkyds) and water-based paints (latex). Solvents are where those stressful VOCs come out to cause trouble, particularly in oil-based paints.
Oil-based paints have excellent sticking and staying power, but they have more VOCs than water-based paints. Oil-based paints use organic solvents, more of which evaporate at room temperature. They can also oxidize, crack or become discolored over time in comparison to latex. These paints are typically restricted to outdoor use for this reason.
Latex paints use water as the solvent, releasing fewer VOCs. They also have more elasticity and durability than their oil-based counterparts in addition to being easier to clean up and faster to dry. However, don’t assume that latex paint is automatically safer. There are still solvents in latex paint, which means that homeowners should still do research about which paint type is right for their project.
Additives
Additives will vary from one paint formula to the next. They are the extras that create specialty formulas for specific tasks. These ingredients impact things like how long it takes your paint to dry or whether or not it will be resistant to mildew. Other additives may impact how hard your paint cures or UV stabilization. Additives also impact the overall safety of your paint, particularly when it comes to challenges like VOCs.
What Are VOCs? Are They in My Paint?
VOC stands for “volatile organic compounds.” The term describes the gasses that are released (volatized) into the air from liquids and solids like paint, gasoline or cleaners. “Volatile” is a scientific term that describes a liquid or solid that easily vaporizes or evaporates without high temperatures being a factor in the process. Gasoline, for example, releases VOCs in its liquid form. Once ignited, it releases CO2, oxygen and heat. Paint solvents and additives can also release gas into the air as the paint dries and hardens.
How Do I Know If My Paint Has VOCs?
The great news about VOCs is that most modern paints have little to none or contain levels well below the acceptable threshold. At AMC Painting, we utilize Sherwin-Williams paints to help our customers address their concerns about VOCs. Sherwin-Williams has several collections with zero VOCs, as well as low-VOC latex. They’re the best brand for tackling stringent air quality regulations, which is great when you’re painting hospitals and schools.
If you’re concerned about VOCs, talk with a painting expert. They’ll be able to provide you with resources about VOC levels, the pros and cons of zero-VOC paint and much more. We typically cover these types of questions during our complimentary estimate. Do your own research, too. There are many factors that will influence the impact of any sort of compound in your home. Here are some great sources to help you learn more about volatile organic compounds:
- EPA — Air Quality
- American Lung Association — Volatile Organic Compounds
- Sherwin-Williams — Green Programs and VOC Regulations
Knowledge is Peace of Mind
Knowledge is Peace of MindWe respect the value our customers place on their safety and their air quality. That’s why we love sharing resources and tips about paint safety. If you have an upcoming paint project, and you want to learn more about the safety of your selected paint, we would be happy to help. Schedule a complimentary estimate to discuss your options during a no-hassle, zero-pressure appointment with an expert estimator.
