So you have gotten the perfect painting idea for your room and have gotten those buckets of paint ready to paint, but then you remember that you have nowhere else to stay after you have finished painting. You are now curious to know if you can sleep in a freshly painted room. Well, you are on the right page.
Well, there’s is no short answer to the question but depending on the type of paint, you might have to wait up to three days after painting before you can sleep in the freshly painted room.
So let’s dive right into the article and understand the dangers.
Health hazards of sleeping in a freshly painted room.
Depending on the type of paint and painting style, it can be extremely hazardous to your health to sleep in a freshly painted room or even stay there. Because of this reason, it is usually advised by experts to leave the room while keeping it ventilated for it to properly dry.
The main reason why you are advised to avoid staying in a freshly painted room is because of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Don’t be confused by the word organic in it, that doesn’t mean it’s safe, the chemistry is nothing you should trouble your head about but it means that it has a carbon molecule in it and these compounds can turn into gases at room temperature. This means that these compounds start to evaporate when the paint begins to dry in the freshly painted room.
These VOCs are also the same compounds present in cigarettes, cleaning fluids, air fresheners, and pesticides, from the list; it’s safe to say that the fumes generated from these compounds are very dangerous to the health and lungs.
These compounds can cause a lot of issues in the body; some of them include:
- Eye Irritation and lung irritation
- Persistent headaches
- Dizziness
- Memory issues
- Eye issues
- Cancer
- Neurological issues
These problems can and would be aggravated with long term exposure hence the reason why painters wear gas masks when painting.
So bear these all in mind before you get the not so brilliant idea to sleep in a freshly painted room.
Types of Paint and Time to Take Before Sleeping In Them
Zero-VOC paint
This is the safest paint of all to paint your room in, this is because just as the name suggests, it has no VOC at all and because of this reason you can sleep in a room painted with this type of paint immediately.
They are usually the best type for your kid’s bedroom and they are odourless too. They are a bit more expensive than the regular ones but ultimately, it’s all worth it.
Low-VOC paint
This type of paint is also very safe, as it contains a very minute amount of VOC and just like its cousin above, you can sleep in that room the day it was painted, but if you are particularly sensitive to smell, if you are, you might want to pay for 24 hours before sleeping in the freshly painted room.
Oil-based paint
This type of paint is different from the low VOC type and they require a wait time before you sleep in the room it was painted in. Understand that it requires a lot of time to cure as they may feel dry after a day of painting but release VOCs for two weeks. For it to dry well, make sure that the room is properly ventilated and don’t sleep in the room for up to two weeks.
Water-based Paint
This is by far the most popular type of indoor paint and probably the one you are going to use the takes less time than oil-based paints but the water-based paints take 24 hours to get rid of the harmful compounds, make sure that the room is properly ventilated for it to dry properly.
In addition, you can sleep in the freshly painted room after 48 hours.
What to do to get rid of VOCs?
You have familiarized yourself with the basic know-how on these paints and their harmful properties, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t paint your room with them. However, certain steps must be taken into consideration to red rid of the VOCs
Since the main problem with some of the paints is the compounds, and they are volatile, ventilation is the first step.
Another trick to get rid of fume in a freshly painted room is by putting buckets of water in the room. The water will absorb some of the vapours; however, remember to remove the buckets when you are ready to use the room.
The next trick to employ is to light candles in the freshly painted room, this works because the flames burn off the gases in the air. Remember to be extremely careful with this technique to prevent a house fire later.
Never leave the candle without supervision.
Should you wear a mask when painting walls?
Yes absolutely, whenever you are painting, it’s recommended that you wear a respirator, well that’s if you value your life actually. The mask prevents microscopic particles of dust and paints from entering our air passages, it does this for chemicals and moulds too.
Conclusion
As I said above, the time you have to take before you, sleep in a freshly painted room if it is not zero-VOC is 72 hours, once this time elapses, you can use the room.
Most of the time the best thing to do is to hire an expert to make sure the painting is done effectively and without glitches.
If possible, do extra research to know the best type of paint to apply on your walls, choosing the right type that suits your walls, should you have kids, you should use zero VOC types, as kids won’t understand the reasons while they can’t stay in their room for other types.
You can check online for some of the best paint dealers in your lo0alitu to get the right one today.