Real Estate Agent Resources
for mould and air quality

Home Staging, renovations and air quality

A coat of paint can refresh a room and permeate it with style and personality. Hidden within the wet pigment, however, are chemicals that may bother the environment in the home and beyond the newly painted walls.

Particular concern is mothers-to-be, children and chemical-sensitive adults. We have customers who can not take the chemicals and the odours. Others are worried about the paint's environmental impact, especially during application and clean-up. A lot of people are looking for something that is very durable but as safe as you can get.

In response, paint companies have started to manufacture low VOCs (volatile organic compounds) paints. One line is Benjamin Moore’s Aura line. This is the first truly new technology in paint since latex in the 1950s.

Aura is a 100 per cent acrylic paint matched with a waterborne colourant system that is eco-friendly and performance enhancing. The Aura line was certified in 2007 by Greenguard for meeting its Indoor Air Quality standards. It measures favourably against conventional paint colourants, which contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that evaporate into the atmosphere and contribute to air pollution. Aura's waterborne colourant system helps it meet Canada's most stringent VOC regulations of 50 grams per litre. Although the paint's chemical formula is milder than other paints, its performance is strong.

Painting is just one area where VOCs are a concern. Carpeting, particle board furniture, foam cushions etc…, all give off VOCs.

When staging a house or renovating before the house is put on the market consider the environmental and health effects down the road. This could save legal battles later.