THE PROBLEM WITH PAINT

It goes without saying that if you are painting woodwork with a gloss or satinwood paint, it is best to do this in the Summer when all the windows can be opened for ventilation.  Paint fumes can be a pain, especially if you are using oil based paints in the Winter and don’t want all your heating going out the windows. 

 

There are various tips online for eliminating the nasty smell, and one that I have tried and it seems to work is to slice onions in half, place them in a dish of water and position near the painted area.  The onions do seem to absorb the smell, although they also emit a slight oniony smell, but overall the smell of fresh paint disappears quicker.  It also gives your rooms a temporary Voodoo / Juju design aesthetic that can intrigue visitors. 

All our cut MDF for the Alcove Project arrived on Saturday and I’ve already started priming the wood for painting ready for assembling it.  Luckily the primer seems to be odourless and is touch dry within an hour.  I have two tins of Dulux Satinwood from last Summer when I started painting the doors but I’m loathed to use them because of the unpleasant smell. 

I read that Crown have done extensive research on this smelly problem and have cracked it by bringing out a special  Breatheasy® formulation that has the lowest level ratings of VOC (volatile organic compounds) and are odourless.  They actually have a non-drop satin paint for wood & metal and that should hopefully solve my problem.  I really can’t wait to get the cabinets and bookshelves put up!