Is It Okay to Paint in Your House with an 8 Month Old?

We painted out house with the low/no VOC paint when I was 8 months pregnant. Well, I should say my husband painted while I sat downstairs with my feet up. :) We purchased it at EcoHaus (one in Seattle, one in Bellevue). EcoHaus carries a number of different low/no VOC paints and can mix the color on site for you...so you could have it same day.

I agree with Peg...there is always a risk. But that said, I was very pleased with the paint we used. There was a minor odor while my husband was painting and by the end of the day the odor was gone. We did keep the windows open and a fan going...but it was nothing close to the fumes we have had when painting in the past.

But you know your child best. If he's showing a lot of environmental sensitivities, then you may not want to risk it. But if he's pretty hearty, then I would think painting with the low/no VOC paint would be ok. OF COURSE - do not let him get near the paint to touch/lick/taste. Fumes are one thing...consumption is a different beast. And, I would say a call to your doctor with this question is a good idea too just to feel safe.

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

This topic really hits my health button, S..

Newer "low-VOC" latex-type paints are safer that the more usual, and cheaper, standard paints. They are not entirely safe, but considerably better. There are also clay-based or milk-based paints that you can google and special-order that are non-toxic (though might be a problem for folks with dairy allergies, I suppose). But you wouldn't have them by this weekend.

Enamel paints (usually used on trim) give off serious $#!* over many hours (often days until they are competely cured), so I hope you either won't need to use them, or can keep your baby completely away from areas where they are used.

Whatever you do, please open windows and ventilate to the max.

This is such an important question. Modern life is filled with chemicals (in air, water, and food) that previous generations of children never had to deal with. Our bodies are not designed to thrive in this chemical soup. And some of us (I am one) develop chemical sensitivities when our tolerance threshhold has been overwhelmed.

You can't know when you or your child is approaching this invisible threshhold. But let me tell you, once you're sick, it changes everything. Usually for life. I never feel well, and often feel truly dreadful. Exposures to ANY chemicals – perfumed products, household cleaners, auto exhaust, the smell of plastics/rubber/fabrics, glues, office supplies, EVERYTHING – give me headaches, affect my ability to breathe or to concentrate, create horrible mood swings. I can't sleep when I've had strong exposures, so I avoid going nearly everywhere.

Living this way frequently feels like a lonely and uncomfortable hell. Asking people around me to refrain from using perfumed toiletries or not to "freshen" the air in their homes before I visit has brought me some ridicule and/or outraged, disbelieving responses (even from my own mother), so I seldom ask anymore. I mostly just stay away from anywhere people go. No parties, weddings, concerts, or other gatherings. I have had to leave movies and restaurants when someone comes in wearing perfume, even though I only attempt such madness during low-traffic hours.

I've also watched kids being evaluated for sensitivities. A couple of drops of the wrong chemical under the tongue can result in a calm child bouncing off walls, raging or weeping in just a few minutes. Sad and alarming.

You don't want to risk this for your child, believe me. The lifelong inconvenience and misery isn't worth it. A few days worth of paint fumes might not cause overload. But it could push your baby or others in your household closer to it.

Thanks for thinking about your precious child's health. I hope you will at least choose a low VOC paint. They cost a bit more, but poor health costs a lot more.

1 mom found this helpful

We just did our nursery and they can be harmful, not just when you paint, but for as long as paint is on the walls. Make sure you do it soon, while you can still have the windows open and choose LOW-VOC paint. The toxins are so bad, there are now even laws about it. These paints can be found at Ace, Sherwin Williams, Lowe's, maybe Home Depot, but the first 3 I'm sure about. It costs more, but how much is your baby's health worth?

http://homerepair.about.com/od/interiorhomerepair/ss/low_...#

when we painted out interior my son was 10 months old. we left on vacation while it as being done and made sure they painted his room first so all fumes would be gone before he slept in there. I personally would not have your 8 month old around when the painting is being done. i would talk to your pediatrician to get some advice.

YES. That's why they are now making paints without harmful fumes. Look for those at your paint store or take your baby elsewhere (grandmas?) for a few days while you paint and it airs out. Better to be safe, than sorry. I totally agree with Peg M.

Hi, You should keep your baby out of the house. I would also recommend going to EcoHaus in Seattle to get no VOC paint. I know places like home depot and lowes sell no VOC but much of the harm is in the color that is put into the paint. So the white base paint may be no VOC but the color's that are used end up making it a VOC paint. We painted our whole house this year with YOLO paints from EcoHause and we really are pleased with the colors and how well it went on. A little more expensie, but well worth not having to worry about our baby or anyone of us for that matter breathing in bad chemicals.

well it will be raining so you can not open up the house. there are paints that have less fume but more money. fume yuk no harmful.

Can you go visit a grandma or friend for two days. If not take a room at a motel for the weekend.

Then go home and tell your husband how wonderful he is.

We just painted my one-year-old's room last week with a zero VOC paint (brand "FreshAire" from Home Depot) - the room smelled faintly of Elmer's Glue for a couple of hours. It was about $38 for a gallon, and worth it!

For many years I had asthma. Painting was out. Then we discovered organic paints that do not outgas. They were safe.

Paint when the baby is occupied elsewhere and bring her/him home when the paint is dry later in the day.

Look on line to find these paints.

They have special paint that is all natural and has no fumes. I'm not really sure where to find it though.

There are a lot of "green" paints now with low to no VOC's. Places like Home Depot carry them now, so it's easy to find. To be safe, I would still keep him out of the room or area being painted to be safe. But when I painted my living room and kitchen last year with them, I could smell nothing, it was great! Plus when I had company over the next morning, no one could believe I painted the day before. The smell wasn't there for anyone!

I would steer clear. Even with a low VOC paint you still risk toxic fumes in your home. Just because you can't smell some paints doesn't mean the toxic fumes are not present. You shouldn't even vacuum with your infant in the house, with that in mind, I say no way.

GOOD question-- you'll want to ask your pediatrician ( or the nurse) and give them the name of the kind of paint - oil based is more '''fume y''' --- the KIND makes all the difference---

Blessings,
J. aka- Old Mom

S.,

I don't know if the paint smell is actually bad for babies, but I know that I wouldn't want it around my little one either. They have recently been repainting all the offices at my work, and I have been amazed at how little smell there is. Truly there is almost none. They used low VOC paint, and it's a huge difference over regular paints. It costs a little more, but I would pay the difference for piece of mind. You can get it at Home Depot or Lowes.

Happy painting.
K.

I would think it would be fine but you could open the window in the room you are painting in and then put a fan pointing toward the window to blow the smell out of the room.

Kim

Hey S.
Latex paints are relatively safe and dry quickly, but always keep the painting area well ventilated. If it is a confined area it may be best to get the baby out of the house for a few hours while the paint dries.

no...just keep your child away from the room until the paint dries or fumes are gone..i myself don't like the smell of paint or cigarettes..

They could be in large doses. Mostly it can be aggitating to your 8 month old. I would suggest you take the day to have some mommy/baby time and go to the park or something while dad paints. Make sure he opens ALL the windows and if you have access to one, get a large Fan to provide plenty of ventilation.

It's ok to paint just make sure he gets Low or NO VOC paint. It's a little more costly but SO worth it! There are virtually no fumes at all. Compared to regular paint that has all kinds of chemicals and is stinky for days, even weeks. I highly recommend Ecohaus for paint. You can google it to get the address but if i remember right it's off of 7th and clay. (inner SE) If you can't make it there, I believe all paint shops and even home depot/lowes has low VOC paint now.

good luck!

I second the opinion of moms who said you shouldn't if you can't ventilate. But perhaps you can get out of the house for the day (or two?).

I recently painted my daughter's room using a 100% Non-Toxic and No VOC paints. If you are truly looking for a non-toxic paint, don't go with the major retail brands such as Home Depot, Lowe's or even Sherwan Williams, Benjamin Moore or Miller. They all state No VOC or Low VOC, but there are many other chemicals that are harmful and not considered VOCs. After MUCH research (I was pregnant when we were painting by the way), we selected MYTHIC PAINT. It is the same price as the Sherwan Williams, Benjamin Moore quality of product, but it is NON TOXIC/NO VOC. They also have 2000+ colors to select from. Check out their website for retail locations. www.mythicpaint.com. I was very pleased - very low odor while painting, and you can move einto the space after it dries without odor (unlike many others which have that just-painted smell for days!). In Portland, they have them at A-Boy off Barbur Blvd.

Hope that helps!

Not sure if its ok, but I know that did a large room in our house with the DeVine low VOC from Miller. ITs awesome stuff. They have it at all Miller stores.