With the water-based, low VOC paints from Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library, the smell of fresh paint is mild and usually fades within a day or two in a well-ventilated room. Yet many people are surprised that a paint sold as low or even zero VOC smells at all. It does, and there are good reasons why.
VOC figures measure one group of ingredients, not everything in the tin, and how a room smells also depends on temperature, ventilation and how the paint is applied. This guide explains what VOCs are, what each brand says about its paint, why a fresh coat can still smell, and how to clear the air quickly.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colour Used: Haye White (346)
What VOCs are, and how low these paints go
VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are solvents that evaporate into the air as paint dries. They gave traditional solvent-based paints their heavy, lingering smell. Water-based paints use water as the main carrier instead, so they release far fewer.
- Farrow & Ball. Farrow & Ball say they were the first in the industry to go fully water-based, in 2010. Their data sheet gives a maximum of 1 g/l VOC for Estate Emulsion, against an EU limit of 30 g/l for this kind of paint, and they describe their finishes, Modern Emulsion included, as low odour and low VOC.
- Little Greene. Little Greene's data sheets put Intelligent Matt Emulsion at no more than 2 g/l, and they describe Absolute Matt Emulsion as having zero added VOCs and virtually no odour.
- Paint & Paper Library. Their finishes, including Architects' Matt and Architects' Satin, are entirely water-based, with what Paint & Paper Library describe as minimal odour and VOC content.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Breakfast Room Green (81)
Why low and zero VOC paint can still smell
Low VOC is not the same as no smell. These are the most common reasons a freshly painted room still has an odour:
- Other ingredients in the tin. Paint is more than its VOCs: it also contains water, binders, pigments and additives, and some of these have a smell of their own. Ammonia, for example, has long been used to adjust the pH of water-based paints, and coatings suppliers note that it has a sharp, immediately noticeable odour.
- Preservatives. Water-based paint needs biocides to stop microbes growing in the tin. A 2018 study of acrylic paints in Frontiers in Public Health found an isothiazolinone preservative even in the solvent-free, low VOC paint it tested.
- The binder itself. The same study traced much of the odour to traces of acrylic monomers, such as butyl acrylate, left over from making the binder. It was found in every paint tested, the low VOC one included, alongside coalescing agents in most of them.
- The paint is still curing. Paint is touch dry long before it is fully hard. Little Greene state that Intelligent Matt Emulsion can take 3 to 7 days to cure completely, and Farrow & Ball that full hardness can take up to 14 days for some darker shades. A faint smell often lasts as long as the film is still settling.
- Cold or damp conditions. Farrow & Ball note that cooler or more humid conditions extend drying times, and advise against painting below 10°C. Little Greene set a minimum of 8°C. Slower drying means a longer-lasting smell.
- Thick coats. Little Greene state that curing time depends on the film thickness applied. Two thin coats dry and clear faster than one heavy one.
- Deep colours and tinting. Farrow & Ball say darker colours may take longer to dry. More generally, VOC ratings are usually quoted for the base paint before it is tinted, and a US county green business fact sheet notes that most tints add some VOCs.
- Poor ventilation. Both Farrow & Ball and Little Greene advise good ventilation during application and drying. In a closed room, even a small amount of odour has nowhere to go.
- An oil-based finish elsewhere in the job. If woodwork has been done in an oil finish such as Little Greene's Interior Oil Eggshell, it will smell more noticeably, and for longer, than the water-based walls.
- The room itself. The American Lung Association lists carpets, pressed-wood furniture, adhesives, sealants and cleaning products among indoor sources of VOCs. After a redecoration, new flooring or furniture can add to what you notice.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colours Used: Hicks' Blue (208), Loft White (222)
How long the smell lasts
Every room is different, but as a guide for water-based paint:
- While painting and for a few hours after: a light, fresh smell, strongest while the paint is wet.
- The next day: with windows open, most of the smell has usually gone.
- A few days on: any faint trace should clear as the paint continues to harden, though cold, damp weather, dark colours and closed windows can stretch this out.
How to get rid of paint smell faster
- Ventilate. Open windows and doors while you paint and while the paint dries.
- Create a through draught. The American Lung Association suggests adding a fan to pull indoor air outside. Set it by an open window, pointing outwards.
- Keep lids on. Close tins whenever you are not loading a brush or roller, and take used trays and rollers out of the room.
- Keep the room comfortably warm. Paint dries faster in steady warmth, but avoid aiming heaters directly at wet walls.
- Apply thin, even coats. They dry and cure more quickly than heavy ones.
- Clean up promptly. Wash brushes and rollers in water as soon as you finish, in a bucket rather than under a running tap, and never pour paint down the drain.
We go into more detail on how our paint is made and mixed in what's actually in your paint tin.
Photo Credit: Paint & Paper Library; Colours Used: Paper I (431), Paper III (433), Paper V (435), Morning Room (447), Muga (445)
Questions we are often asked
Is it safe to sleep in a freshly painted room?
With low VOC water-based paint and good ventilation, many people sleep in the room the same night. If you are sensitive to smells, are pregnant or are decorating a nursery, it is sensible to leave the room aired for a day or two first.
Why does my paint still smell after a week?
Usually because the room has had little ventilation, or because it is cold and damp so the paint is drying slowly. Open the windows, warm the room gently and the smell should clear.
Is low VOC paint less durable?
No. Water-based finishes such as Farrow & Ball's Modern Emulsion and Little Greene's Intelligent range are among the toughest each brand makes.
Shop low VOC interior paint
Intelligent Matt Emulsion · Modern Emulsion · Architects' Matt
