Help !high voc paint and toddlers

[Supersands]

Hi everyone

I've accidentally used high voc solvent based paint on half my asthmatic toddler son bedroom walls🙈🙈🙈I'm so worried I'll never be able to let him sleep in there again ,can someone tell me how long to wait or if there's anything I can do to help make it safer

[roxannacar]

Might wanna check with the manufacturer they might have a help line

[Supersands in reply to roxannacar]

Thanks !I have now just waiting for a reply x

[emmab178]

dont panic it should be safe once dry. Open the windows and vent the smell out. Once it's dry which can take up to a week it will stop smelling and will be fine.

We've just had gloss done in the hallway and it has stunk. Just got to air it and wait. Its not like you've laced the walls with lead, mercury or arsenic. Which even if you did as long as he hasn't ingested it would also be ok.

[Supersands in reply to emmab178]

Thank you !feeling a bit better about it now there is just so much about it now adays I'm guessing my house was full of it as a kid !and I survived ,but I won't be doing it again in hurry x

[emmab178 in reply to Supersands]

No problem. Im an engineer and currently being pregnant with my first any smell of chemicals and i go crazy and either run away or scream at someone. Partly because they stopped me from visiting chemical sites (100% of my job) Incase there was any risk to the baby so I'm on heightened alert.

With voc as soon as they are dry they are fine. If they were a huge risk then they wouldn't be able to sell them. I even stuck around after the glossing was done rather than book into a hotel like when they were fibreglassing my roof (but that was sytrene and dangerous to foetal development).

You can't go wrong with water based paint which doesn't even slightly smell. My husband allowed me to paint the babies room last week using water based paints for the walls and skirting. Really low risk with that stuff but it's not wipeable for scuff marks.

[Supersands in reply to emmab178]

I know about water based ones now but too late I used wood solvent paint on wall what a nit do u know how bad 25-50 voc paint is I'm still stressing but sure it will be fine gonna prime and coat with low voc once it's cured

[emmab178 in reply to Supersands]

I somehow decided decorators caulk is used as a filler. And it's not! It sends the emulsion a very noticeable darker colour wherever you use it! Oops. Had to sand it off and start again but it looks rubbish still.

Once the smell of the high voc has gone its fine even at that % just keep ventilating it and once dry all's good. You breathe in worse stuff filling up the car with petrol.

Painting seems so easy and then you find out its not!

[CleanAir]

Hi. Its been a while since you used the high VOC paint in your child's room. Please could you let us know how you rectified the mistake and whether it worked.

Did you just paint over with a low VOC emulsion once it was cured. How long should one wait for this curing process?

I am in a similar situation and need a solution which will not pose a risk to the family.

[Supersands in reply to CleanAir]

Only just seen this sanded down and repainted ,hasn't caused any problems quite the opposite my son has grown out of his asthma