Low VOC Paint

The kitchen wall finally received a fresh coat of paint. As a good little environmentalist, I chose to spend $10 more per can and paint with a low VOC paint. The very first thing I noticed was there literally was no smell. Even the husband noticed the difference.

The second thing I noticed was the coverage. Upon putting the first coat on, I was a little freaked out that it appeared to be very watery and the wall literally sucked the paint right in. Granted, I am painting the wall a deep burgandy and the walls are currently white, so I knew I would need more than one coat. However, after the fourth coat, I am still pondering if I will need yet a fifth coat.

Another note on painting with low VOC paint. You HAVE to wait for the paint to completely dry between coating. If you do not and it is even the least bit tacky, the roller will suck the previous coat(s) right off of the wall.

The other thing I have noticed is that it is not washable at all. I am going to give it a couple of more days to completely absorb into the wall and then pick and test spot and go to town.

So the advantages to painting with Low VOC paints: No Smell, Cleans off of brushes and rollers extremely well. Disadvantages: Needs more coats than a regular can and you must be extremely patient. Also, prepare to spend $10 more per can.

Only time will tell how it stands up to the test of child hands and other issues from daily life.