"Low VOC"

Low VOC / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Healthy indoor air quality

DIY recipe for natural healthy paint

...Low VOC’ paints that can be found at your local hardware store, you might notice that they still smell toxic and can still give you headaches. And for what reason? I’ve learned that that can mean they are reduced by as little as 25% in VOCs. Low VOC paints may have reduced amounts of volatile organic compounds, meaning...

Cleaning and maintenance

Tips for keeping air clean during renovations

...VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) which are harmful to breath, so look for those that are VOC free. Buying 'low VOC' paint is a bit like buying 'light' cigarettes, whereas zero VOC is more like quitting. It's not that much more money for zero VOC, and watch for the colourants as well - some brands advertize that they h...

Wood and organic materials

Hemp building supplies

...lowly replenishing timber resources, and their high demand causes a significant need to harvest vital trees in dwindling forest habitats around the world. Low-density fiberboard is typically made from waste materials such as sawdust and scraps of wood and is currently used in a wide variety of applications and is often...

Healthy indoor air quality

A comprehensive guide to air cleaning and filtration in homes

...low quality particulate board or furniture. We often suggest seeking out low formaldehyde kitchen cabinets, and buying older, second-hand furnishings that have lower levels of Formaldehyde off-gassing. Where does air pollution come from? Outdoor sources: Wildfire smoke is a significant issue across the northern U.S. ...

Doors and trim

Interior home finishing - How to create healthy and sustainable homes

...low wood doors Hollow doors have an interior frame of smaller pieces of wood with a laminated front and back. Hollow interior door © makeitmissoula.com Pros: They use significantly less materials in manufacturing as well as making use of post-industrial waste by using shorter pieces of wood that might otherwise have ...

Flooring and stairs

Eco-Friendly flooring material options for green homes

...VOCs) in the lower layers; less durable than a floor made of solid wood only. Worthy of note: Engineered wood floors lend themselves well to in-floor radiant heat. Solid hardwood floors: Wood flooring can come either raw or pre-finished. Traditional raw wood flooring usually requires as much work in finishing as it did...

Paints, finishes and natural coatings

Choosing safe paints

...low will not only encourage the drying of paint, but will also speed up the release of VOCs. Depending on these factors, it is estimated that standard latex paint will continue to off-gas for 3 to 5 years after application. Low or zero VOC paints: You may find paints advertised as ‘low VOC’ and think you are getting a ...