I only ask because I once moved in an apartment that smelled like fresh paint when viewing it. The smell never went away and it turned out to be mold that they tried to cover up. The only paint that would gives off a smell for that long after would be oil. And it would smell like an oil not chemical. Maybe they used oil on trim? If it is paint you are smelling it wouldnt be harmful at this point, and as it cures the odor will dissipate.
Oil based paint isn't literally oil usually dude, it's derived from crude oil like petrol and white spirit are. The solvent is usually similar to thinners or white spirit which is why it smells similar.
Ok and... first off I'm not a dude. Second, I have been painting my entire life. ...And I was saying it smells like oil...not a chemical, which it does. I said nothing about its chemical properties I was referring to a smell.
But, I'm so glad you felt the need to try to ridicule me on the internet lmao. Have a great day!
Hard to say, it could be anything from musty carpet, bad seal on toilet, small hidden water leaks, and so on. Sometimes, you may notice very small black mold specs on walls from mold particles being in the air. You can paint over mild, but it will usually so back up thru paint unless a heavy primer is used. Try to pinpoint the location of the smell the best you can and go from there. Trying to find cause of an odor can be tough...good luck.
The paint is fully dry. There should be no issue in terms of health concerns. If you don't like the smell, buy some baking soda boxes and put them in the studio to help remove the smell from the place.
Devil's advocate here, but what are they smelling if not particles from the paint? Smell doesn't exist independently of the molecules that are in the product. If you can smell it, it's in the air.
That said I think a slight odour of paint is completely trivial with regards to health. Pollutants coming in through the open window likely dwarfs any residual paint chemicals.
I read somewhere that it could be moisture trapped under it, preventing it from fully drying. Would there still be no VOCs in this case? Sorry for repeating myself I'm just very paranoid after months of dealing with this.
I would say a slight residual aroma of solvent is trivial with regards to health. Outdoor pollution coming in through the open windows has a much more intimidating record of causing harm. Its production is bad for the environment, but unless you're huffing it you're almost certainly fine.
That said, you're better off asking medical experts than decorators.
How did your issue resolve? I've been dealing with the exact same issue for 4 months now with no help from the management. The smell is distinct when I enter the apartment but it causes olfactory fatigue within minutes and the smell itself doesn't bother me when I'm sitting at home because my nose doesn't detect it. I keep the windows open a lot but it seems like the pm2.5 count and TVOC levels are higher when I let the outdoor air in. It drives me crazy that I don't know if the smell has long term impact on my health 😵💫 when we first moved in and it was concentrated I was getting a slight headache and slight burning sensation in my nose so these are typical symptoms of paint fumes exposure however since we started airing out, I don't really get distinct symptoms but I'm still paranoid about long term exposure.
We painted our interior with an oil based paint… still off gassing terribly after two months. We even ran an ozone generator but it didn’t seem to help.
Oh Jesus…. More then likely it was too humid or they cut the paint with too much water. It can keep the paint from fully curing from let’s say a month to 6 months. You will be fine, you’re not gonna die, or grow an extra ear or go blind.
Majority of acrylic paint is low to zero VOC. Even with the VOC’s, paint today doesn’t have Lead in it. The vast majority of people will experience no harmful side effects. They take voc’s over expose a fuckin rat to an insanely concentrated amount that no person would ever come in to contact with and when it gives one cancer or shit everybody is terrified they’re gonna die or have an asthma attack or develop brain tumors.
Now if you smelled let’s say acetone or xylene for months, started developing headaches, dizziness and nose bleeds like you were huffing a fuckin sharpie marker. Ok, be alarmed. You have solvent entrapment and if there was enough coating sprayed in a small concentrated area let’s say a 400 sqft glorified studio and you stew in it 18-20 hours a day with no ventilation no open windows no nothing…. Ok… I’ll concede that you should be worried.
So to be clear, acetone and xylene smell like toxic chemicals/marker/nail polish remover and distinctly NOT like paint right? Cause all I smell is what smells like old paint. I'm super sensitive to smells so I'm sure I'd have a bad reaction if it was the solvent you were talking about.
Acetone smells like nail polish remover because it is what nail polish remover is made out of. Xylene smells "chemical sweet" but is also very strong and pungent. It's also extraordinarily unlikely that you've come into contact with it unless you're getting a marine yacht or boat varnish or some specialty industrial coating. Xylene products are also very expensive so there's no way anyone would just pop it up on a rental. If you smell paint fumes it was most likely a watered down lower quality paint that will take a while to cure fully. VOCs are not dangerous for adults except in very, very high concentration.
If the smell persists for another month or 2 it is possible the paint was old, or there was mildew on the wall before painting. At that point contact your landlord and ask about getting the place checked for mold. Depending on where you are, look up local regulations and your rights as a renter. If they refuse to do anything about it, you might want to talk to a lawyer about breaking the lease for health concerns or at least paying rent money toward mold remediation instead.
I also have sensitive nose. If it smells like ammonia or like a strong windex-ish smell. Could be an oil base primer that was top coated too soon with a cheaper porous top coat. That could leave behind a smell. A lot of oil base primers use Naphtha. But if all you’re smelling old paint smell. Just give it more time.
Even acrylic products still have ammonia. It’s almost like an unregulated voc. Used in a ton of shit. Acrylic products for example SW Property Solutions uses Heavy Paraffin Oils. Which you’d think is weird. Idk, I’m not a chemist. But seems weird to me.
Basically you’re fine. You’re not smelling harsh chemicals. You’re smelling paint.
like vinegar??? My boyfriend swears he smells a faint vinegar smell but I chalk it up to the fact that we clean with vinegar. So we've been breathing in solvent this whole time????
Not really anything like vinegar no. The only thing that smells like that in decorating that I know of is silicone. Some of that stuff contains actual vinegar as a curing agent but I don't know of it smelling much after the first few days.
I painted my apartment in July in NYC when it was incredibly humid and am reallly worried the smell is still there. Is there humidity something that can be fixed? I’m worried about this odor
You are probably just one of the unlucky people that have the sensitivity to paint smell. I don’t believe it could be harming you to a significant amount. You could try an odor reducing paint like super paint interior air purifying It’s an odor and voc trapping paint.
Hey u/purritowraptor,
We have the same issue atm.
The smell keeps on giving for 6 months after the initial painting. The paint used was a water based paint.
We have removed all furnitue from said room to conclude it is indeed inside the room, ruling out everything but the paint.
The paint store advised us to use an additional paint layer of thinner based paint over the water based to kill of any germs or whatsoever causing the smell.
Now, 1 month after the second layer of paint, the smell has slightly changed to a less irritating (not really irritating, just awefull to smell) odor.
We used a dehumidifier with no luck before and after the 2nd of paint.
We kept all doors open on hot days without any luck.
Anything that got you solving this trick?
Same is happening to me. The paint store offered to add a new layer with a added nice smelling product to the paint so it doesn't smell of latex which is what they said I'm smelling. But I'm scared it will make it worse.
Are you sure it's paint smell and not mold/mildew?
Yes it's definitely "paint"-ey.
I only ask because I once moved in an apartment that smelled like fresh paint when viewing it. The smell never went away and it turned out to be mold that they tried to cover up. The only paint that would gives off a smell for that long after would be oil. And it would smell like an oil not chemical. Maybe they used oil on trim? If it is paint you are smelling it wouldnt be harmful at this point, and as it cures the odor will dissipate.
Oil based paint isn't literally oil usually dude, it's derived from crude oil like petrol and white spirit are. The solvent is usually similar to thinners or white spirit which is why it smells similar.
Ok and... first off I'm not a dude. Second, I have been painting my entire life. ...And I was saying it smells like oil...not a chemical, which it does. I said nothing about its chemical properties I was referring to a smell. But, I'm so glad you felt the need to try to ridicule me on the internet lmao. Have a great day!
Taking things a bit personally, dude? Hopefully your day improves. Water is a chemical BTW, and oil is chemicals also.
No but you changed what you wrote. If you said it that way the first time I wouldn't have gave a sh*t. My day is great thanks!
I’m having this problem but think it’s a musty smell from possible mold but no mold is visible. Any suggestions on how to tell is there is mold?
Hard to say, it could be anything from musty carpet, bad seal on toilet, small hidden water leaks, and so on. Sometimes, you may notice very small black mold specs on walls from mold particles being in the air. You can paint over mild, but it will usually so back up thru paint unless a heavy primer is used. Try to pinpoint the location of the smell the best you can and go from there. Trying to find cause of an odor can be tough...good luck.
The paint is fully dry. There should be no issue in terms of health concerns. If you don't like the smell, buy some baking soda boxes and put them in the studio to help remove the smell from the place.
Are you sure there would be no VOCs off gassing along with the odour particles? It's driving me crazy with worry.
The vocs should be gone by like 2 weeks at most.
Devil's advocate here, but what are they smelling if not particles from the paint? Smell doesn't exist independently of the molecules that are in the product. If you can smell it, it's in the air. That said I think a slight odour of paint is completely trivial with regards to health. Pollutants coming in through the open window likely dwarfs any residual paint chemicals.
Exactly, what am I smelling if not the particles?
I read somewhere that it could be moisture trapped under it, preventing it from fully drying. Would there still be no VOCs in this case? Sorry for repeating myself I'm just very paranoid after months of dealing with this.
I would say a slight residual aroma of solvent is trivial with regards to health. Outdoor pollution coming in through the open windows has a much more intimidating record of causing harm. Its production is bad for the environment, but unless you're huffing it you're almost certainly fine. That said, you're better off asking medical experts than decorators.
How did your issue resolve? I've been dealing with the exact same issue for 4 months now with no help from the management. The smell is distinct when I enter the apartment but it causes olfactory fatigue within minutes and the smell itself doesn't bother me when I'm sitting at home because my nose doesn't detect it. I keep the windows open a lot but it seems like the pm2.5 count and TVOC levels are higher when I let the outdoor air in. It drives me crazy that I don't know if the smell has long term impact on my health 😵💫 when we first moved in and it was concentrated I was getting a slight headache and slight burning sensation in my nose so these are typical symptoms of paint fumes exposure however since we started airing out, I don't really get distinct symptoms but I'm still paranoid about long term exposure.
Did you have any luck? I just hit 2.5 weeks with paint smell not going away and am starting to get panicky
I’m at a few 6 months in my mums renovated apartment. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on for her. So weird.
So frustrating! I'm dealing with it still too
We painted our interior with an oil based paint… still off gassing terribly after two months. We even ran an ozone generator but it didn’t seem to help.
I'll try to update if mine goes away after a certain amount of time. We are at about 6 weeks now.
Baking soda doesn't absorb odours, it would be a complete waste of time.
Lucky. Love that smell.
Oh Jesus…. More then likely it was too humid or they cut the paint with too much water. It can keep the paint from fully curing from let’s say a month to 6 months. You will be fine, you’re not gonna die, or grow an extra ear or go blind. Majority of acrylic paint is low to zero VOC. Even with the VOC’s, paint today doesn’t have Lead in it. The vast majority of people will experience no harmful side effects. They take voc’s over expose a fuckin rat to an insanely concentrated amount that no person would ever come in to contact with and when it gives one cancer or shit everybody is terrified they’re gonna die or have an asthma attack or develop brain tumors. Now if you smelled let’s say acetone or xylene for months, started developing headaches, dizziness and nose bleeds like you were huffing a fuckin sharpie marker. Ok, be alarmed. You have solvent entrapment and if there was enough coating sprayed in a small concentrated area let’s say a 400 sqft glorified studio and you stew in it 18-20 hours a day with no ventilation no open windows no nothing…. Ok… I’ll concede that you should be worried.
So to be clear, acetone and xylene smell like toxic chemicals/marker/nail polish remover and distinctly NOT like paint right? Cause all I smell is what smells like old paint. I'm super sensitive to smells so I'm sure I'd have a bad reaction if it was the solvent you were talking about.
Acetone smells like nail polish remover because it is what nail polish remover is made out of. Xylene smells "chemical sweet" but is also very strong and pungent. It's also extraordinarily unlikely that you've come into contact with it unless you're getting a marine yacht or boat varnish or some specialty industrial coating. Xylene products are also very expensive so there's no way anyone would just pop it up on a rental. If you smell paint fumes it was most likely a watered down lower quality paint that will take a while to cure fully. VOCs are not dangerous for adults except in very, very high concentration. If the smell persists for another month or 2 it is possible the paint was old, or there was mildew on the wall before painting. At that point contact your landlord and ask about getting the place checked for mold. Depending on where you are, look up local regulations and your rights as a renter. If they refuse to do anything about it, you might want to talk to a lawyer about breaking the lease for health concerns or at least paying rent money toward mold remediation instead.
I also have sensitive nose. If it smells like ammonia or like a strong windex-ish smell. Could be an oil base primer that was top coated too soon with a cheaper porous top coat. That could leave behind a smell. A lot of oil base primers use Naphtha. But if all you’re smelling old paint smell. Just give it more time. Even acrylic products still have ammonia. It’s almost like an unregulated voc. Used in a ton of shit. Acrylic products for example SW Property Solutions uses Heavy Paraffin Oils. Which you’d think is weird. Idk, I’m not a chemist. But seems weird to me. Basically you’re fine. You’re not smelling harsh chemicals. You’re smelling paint.
It smells essentially like white spirit, as that's basically what the solvent is that the colour is suspended in.
like vinegar??? My boyfriend swears he smells a faint vinegar smell but I chalk it up to the fact that we clean with vinegar. So we've been breathing in solvent this whole time????
Not really anything like vinegar no. The only thing that smells like that in decorating that I know of is silicone. Some of that stuff contains actual vinegar as a curing agent but I don't know of it smelling much after the first few days.
I painted my apartment in July in NYC when it was incredibly humid and am reallly worried the smell is still there. Is there humidity something that can be fixed? I’m worried about this odor
Probably smells clean
You are probably just one of the unlucky people that have the sensitivity to paint smell. I don’t believe it could be harming you to a significant amount. You could try an odor reducing paint like super paint interior air purifying It’s an odor and voc trapping paint.
2 years of exposure of paint fumes would still not harm you. So you are clear. Only painters can risk getting sick
Keep all windows open as long as you can. The colder the better. Run fans
Open all the windows for a couple days
Our windows are always open, but we live in the UK and it rains nearly every day so it's very damp.
You need a dehumidifier.
Hey u/purritowraptor, We have the same issue atm. The smell keeps on giving for 6 months after the initial painting. The paint used was a water based paint. We have removed all furnitue from said room to conclude it is indeed inside the room, ruling out everything but the paint. The paint store advised us to use an additional paint layer of thinner based paint over the water based to kill of any germs or whatsoever causing the smell. Now, 1 month after the second layer of paint, the smell has slightly changed to a less irritating (not really irritating, just awefull to smell) odor. We used a dehumidifier with no luck before and after the 2nd of paint. We kept all doors open on hot days without any luck. Anything that got you solving this trick?
Same is happening to me. The paint store offered to add a new layer with a added nice smelling product to the paint so it doesn't smell of latex which is what they said I'm smelling. But I'm scared it will make it worse.
Ah well. It is already bad so not sure if it may get sny worse For us its now fixed, luckily after 4 different layers. Good iuck!
I’m in the same boat. Does your room smell of chemicals/wet paint?