Paint Smells - The How And The Why

Paint odors are one of the smells which most of us find unpleasant

, even nauseating. Ever wondered why paint smells - and why ordinary, oil-based paints smell ever so strongly? The answer is quite simple, and it has to do with the chemical composition of paint, as well as with its drying process.

Not many of us are aware of the fact that paint is made up of pigments, a liquid part called the binder (or vehicle) and various additives and enhancers, depending on the particular type of paint. The essential part of the paint is the binder, which not only makes paint liquid, but also ensures the better part of its volume. Oil-based binders and water-based binders are two of the most common such types of vehicles (but by no means the only ones).

Paint also contains the so-called VOCs (volatile organic compounds), chemical components that are responsible both for the paint smells and for the unpleasant side-effects of inhaling paint fumes.

Once the paint is applied and begins to dry, the binder begins to evaporate, leaving behind a uniform film of evenly distributed paint. As the binder evaporates, VOCs become aerosolized and disperse in the air as evaporation continues. This is the main cause that gives rise to paint smells (or paint odors, as they are generally called).

Of course, not even odorless paint is one hundred percent odor-free, for the very simple reason that it is not one hundred percent VOC-free, either. However, odorless paint is low in VOCs and therefore its smell will be less pungent and easier to remove via good ventilation.

There is another option - one that has to be considered in advance, before any actual paint hits the walls. Odorless paint is a variety of paint low in VOCs - a water-based mixture that smells completely differently as compared to traditional paints, giving off a sweeter, less pungent smell that does not linger. Of course, such paints are not 100% odor-free, but they do have a definite edge over their more classic, oil-based counterparts.

by: Jack Wogan.

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