How to Keep VOCs Low During a Home Remodel
March 7, 2012
Are you picky about the materials you select for your home during your remodel? What criteria do you consider? In addition to cost, style and durability, another important factor to weigh is amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted. VOCs have a huge impact on the indoor air quality of your home, so be sure you choose low- or zero-VOC products to keep your lungs breathing high quality air!
What exactly are VOCs? As the EPA tells us, they are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids and include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. They are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, building materials and furnishings and more.
How do you keep them low, especially during a home remodel? Make sure you only use low- or zero-VOC products in your home. Look for brands with “low-VOC” labels (such as Benjamin Moore’s paint). You might also want to invest in a home filtration system to reduce VOCs you can’t prevent.
Do you want help picking products with low- or zero-VOCs? Give us a call; we’re happy to help!
Photo Credit: byrdiegyrl
Filed under: Remodeling Materials
