Updated July 2024 by Stephen Cochrane
Planning a home interior painting project? How exciting! A freshly painted home can breathe new life into tired spaces. If the project includes bedroom painting, you might be wondering if it’s safe to sleep in a freshly painted room.
After any home improvement project, it’s very tempting to dive straight into life as usual so you can enjoy your gorgeous new surrounds – and the kids will be busting to move back into their newly painted bedrooms. However, there are precautions you should take after internal house painting to protect the health of you and your family.
Here’s everything you need to know about protecting your family’s health when having your home interiors painted.
How Indoor Painting Can Impact Your Health
Traditionally, the biggest challenge with indoor painting has been avoiding breathing in the fumes that fresh paint can leave in its wake. Unlike outdoor painting, these fumes can stay trapped in a room for days and even weeks.
The smell is caused by the paint releasing a chemical vapour into the air as it dries. Breathing in these paint vapours can be irritating to the eyes, nose, and throat. Depending on the paint being used, exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can exacerbate the symptoms.
Symptoms associated with breathing in paint fumes can include:
- red, watery eyes
- coughing
- headaches
- feeling light-headed or dizzy
- nausea
- shortness of breath
It is possible that exposure to paint fumes can trigger an allergic reaction or asthma symptoms.
The good news is that paint choice and proper ventilation can make all the difference in keeping you and your family safe after having your home painted.
Choosing the Right Paint
Paint type is an important consideration when planning for interior house painting and can help limit your exposure to paint fumes.
There was a time when the only option was oil-based paint which was high in VOCs and emitted intensely strong fumes. Thankfully, modern paint formulations have come a long way. Water-based and acrylic paints are the safest options and are predominantly used for indoor spaces including kitchen and bathroom painting.
There are now options for low VOC and low odour paints to protect the indoor air quality in your home. Leading paint brands like Dulux have created innovative products like UltraAir® which has almost no paint odour at all. This combined with very low VOCs makes it ideal for painting bedrooms – and after just a few hours, it’s safe to move back in.
Oil-based paints are used much more sparingly in interior house painting today but are still used for high-traffic areas that require a robust paint finish to withstand frequent knocks and scuffing – for example, windows, doors and trims.
Choosing the Right Residential Painters
AJ Cochrane & Sons are the Dulux-accredited professional painters Perth homeowners trust to paint their homes to the highest standards. We only use the highest quality Dulux paints to ensure a beautiful finish with maximum longevity. We use the safest and most eco-friendly paint to protect your health and wellbeing – and the health and wellbeing of our team.
A note of caution though. Not all painters prioritise quality and safety. So when choosing residential painters to handle your home interior painting, ask them which paint brands they use and whether the paint is low VOC and low odour.
Thinking of handling home interior painting yourself? Please take the time to do your research on paint types. Always opt for low-VOC paint, check the ingredients list on the tin, and read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to find out how long after painting you need to wait until you can sleep in the room.
How to Air Out Your Space After Painting
The fastest way to clear the smell of new paint from a room is to ensure it is well-ventilated.
- Open the windows.
- Run fans in the room to aid the airflow.
- Utilise cross-ventilation where possible by keeping windows and doors open.
Still smelling paint? The answer is to wait! Sometimes, it’s best to plan a few nights away from home to allow plenty of time for the fumes to fully dissipate. Some people are sensitive to any paint smell and find it disruptive to their sleep. In this case, it’s best to wait.
What To Do If Paint Fumes Make You Feel Unwell
If you’ve moved back into your freshly painted bedroom but are
feeling unwell or the smell of paint is overpowering, vacate the room and get some fresh air. Mild symptoms like headaches and nausea should subside once you’re no longer inhaling the paint fumes. However, if you’re still concerned, seek professional medical attention.
Choose Trusted Perth Painters For Interior Painting
Don’t compromise your health and safety. Leave interior house painting to the professionals. AJ Cochrane & Sons have been painting Perth homes for over 90 years. When you choose us as your residential painters, you can rest assured that we carry out all work to the highest standards of technical skill, workmanship, professionalism and safety.
