Zero VOC Germ Killing Paint | Benjamin Moore Eco Spec Paint (Video)

Posted by: samanthaklein // Intern

Are you deciding on a new wall color for your next room renovation? There's more to consider than simply the aesthetic. You may have heard that some harsh chemicals in paints may negatively affect indoor air quality.  In this interview, Green Builder Matt Hoots talks with Benjamin Moore about the company's Zero VOC germ-killing Eco Spec paint, a product which has no VOC's, or voltatile organic compounds, has anti-microbial properties, and is comparable in application to traditional paints.  

VOCs can evaporate in homes, which gives paint  and new furniture their distinct smells. Although the scent may be gone within a week or so of painting the room, the VOCs are still present, emitting into the air. long-term exposure to these compounds can case allergies and irritation or headaches, and more severely, liver and kidney damage or cancer. It is clear that our goal should be to eliminate the presence of VOCs in homes to the furthest possible extent.

Not only is Benjamin Moore Eco Spec paint zero-VOC, it also maintains an anti-microbial surface. This is especially important in commercial spaces such as hospitals where there are high volumes of people with illness. Facilities maintenance in these types of spaces is of the highest concern. Eco Spec paint contains silver, a naturally anti-microbial element that has been used since ancient times for its sanitizing properties. The same silver that has long been used to purify water and clean wounds hasd now been added to paint.

Since silver has a high surface area, it presents sites on its paint-film surface that can attach to microbes, release silver ions that break through the cell membrane of the microbe and attack the DNA, and ultimately kill the bacteria. In fact, the effect is exponential: silver can prevent bacteria from reproducing and growing. Since silver is suspended throughout the Eco Spec paint, silver ions continuously work their antimicrobial properties to combat mold, mildew, and other bacteria.

Low-VOC does not mean that durability of the paint is sacrificed. As technology continues to improve, low-VOC and zero-VOC options will continue to increase in quality. The application and performance of Eco Spec paint is now almost identical to other conventional paints: it can be rolled, brushed, and sprayed.

Eco Spec paints have a 4-base system, which allows the base to be tinted to 3500 different colors. Thus, it works for almost any assortment of color schemes. Typically with low-VOC and zero-VOC paints, darker tints have additional VOC risk: this is not the case with Eco Spec. This tinting system is unique to Benjamin Moore,meaning that no other company can match the exact colors.