By Jeremy Vesbach Many volatile organic compounds (VOC) stink, some cause environmental damage, and some are known to cause health problems. And unless you pay attention to which paints, varnishes, and adhesives you use, it’s easy to inundate your home with harmful VOCs during a remodeling project.

A volatile organic compound is a solvent that becomes a gas at room temperature. They are commonly referred to in the construction biz as VOCs, and are increasingly avoided by those in the know.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, many VOCs are known to cause cancer in animals; and some are known or suspected to cause cancer in humans. Some VOCs are also linked to the formation of smog and the depletion of atmospheric ozone.

Furthermore, the EPA has found that the average home has indoor air with two to five times the levels of harmful VOCs found in outdoor air. A room recently painted with high-VOC paint can have concentrations of harmful organic gases hundreds of times higher than outdoor air.

The upshot? Paints and other products with zero or very low levels of harmful VOCs are readily available; in most stores they sit on the shelf next to more harmful products – expect similar cost and nearly identical performance. Since most VOCs smell to high heaven, you can also expect a more pleasing, odor-free painting experience when using products without the VOCs. (However, if you need low-odor paint, be sure it is marketed as such. A small number of the low VOC paints are not odor-free.)

Low VOC paints have been the mainstay of Miller Paint’s consumer line for the past eight years according to Steve Dearborn, president and CEO of Miller Paint. Miller Paint’s entire Acro line is low-odor and low VOC. “Unfortunately [low VOC] is not a federal standard yet,” Dearborn says, “and it’s been difficult over the years to educate consumers on what VOC is.” Miller Paint markets the Acro line as low-odor and solvent-free.

Rodda Paint dedicates its Horizon line of paints to low-VOC and low odor. The company has produced the Horizon line for six years. Last year the Portland-based company produced 7,000 gallons of Horizon paint, and it would like to make Horizon a larger percentage of its overall sales. “The success of all low-VOC products now comes down to consumer education about why it is a better choice,” remarks Todd Braiden, vice president of marketing at Rodda. “Performance-wise, low VOC paint is every bit as good and right now we are pretty much able to sell the stuff at a competitive rate with our other products.”

Environmental Building Supplies, a Portland retailer dedicated to healthy, environmentally sustainable building materials, stocks three brands of paints and finishes. Best Paint is produced in Seattle. The company only produces no- and low-VOC paints at a cost competitive with low-cost paints. ASM Safecoat is a California-based company that produces an entire line of no- and low-VOC paints and finishes. The third option offered at Environmental Building Supplies is a little different. Aglaia paints and finishes are highly aromatic and sometimes have higher VOC content than average paint. However, the products are made entirely of natural materials. “The Aglaia paint I used in my kitchen smelled like cloves and citrus,” says Michelle Ruber, marketing director at Environmental Building Supplies. Aglaia paints and finishes are made in Germany. At the present time, Environmental Building Supplies in Portland is the sole U.S. importer of Aglaia products. The natural oils in some of the Aglaia finishes – lavender oil for instance – do contain small amounts of VOCs. However, the entire Aglaia line of wall paints fit the classification of zero-V.O.C. content, according to Environmental Building Supply.

As long as paints, wood preservatives, and adhesives with high VOC content remain legal – and sit on the shelf right next to low-VOC options – it makes sense to ask which is which. In the meantime, the U.S. Environmental Protecton Agency offers this advice: “Make sure you have plenty of fresh air if using these [VOC-containing] products.”