House Interior being painted - any fume absorbing suggestions? (Houston: organic, live)

[texas7]

Have interior of home painted and that includes oil-based paints on trim. Too hot to open windows - any suggestions on anything that might cut down on the fumes for people and pets who are home during the work?

[NTT]

How about opening the windows in the late evenings until you go to bed? Early in the morning would be good too. Any bit of time that you can open the windows would help. If you have fans, turn them on too while having the windows opened.

[TimBomb]

check if its the painters themselves

[lhafer]

Even though it's hot - opening the windows is the best, fastest option. That and some box fans around to help dry it fast. When you are at work, make sure the AC fan is on, depending on what kind of thermostat you have - you will either have to turn the AC on, or just run the fan.

The the air moving through the house.

[tstone]

Box fan in the window, blowing from the inside out at nighttime helps quite a bit if you're using oil-based or just stinky paint.

We painted recently ourselves, used Valspar Signature from Lowes and Better Homes & Gardens (Glidden) from Wal-Mart. Valspar odor disappears in 1 day and the Glidden is zero-VOC, zero odor and that's without fans.

[texas7]

we are using sherwin williams - just had a/c on all day today - I sat outside on patio while painters painted - no windows open though. They are using oil-based on trimwork and am concerned about fumes as they have more trim to paint over the next few days. Painter is taking my doors with him though and will paint those at his place so the bigger items needing oil based will be painted and aired outside my home. He'll be doing baseboards, crown moulding and door frames/window frames.

[mikeyyc]

Go to the grocery, pet store, pick up a bottle of nilodor. Get the concentrate in the little bottle. Get the painters to add about 3-5 drops per gallon of paint, and stir it in.

Odor gone. Of course, all the VOC's and things that give you headaches are still there, the solvent smell is just masked.

Works perfectly every time.

[Redrover]

Use a paint that is either low VOC or no VOC (volatile organic compounds). Those fumes that both you are the "off-gassing" of those compounds so just use paint that doesn't do that.

[glorplaxy]

Opening the windows wont kill you. It worked for all of the people who lived in Houston before ac.

[NTT]

Originally Posted by Redrover

Use a paint that is either low VOC or no VOC (volatile organic compounds). Those fumes that both you are the "off-gassing" of those compounds so just use paint that doesn't do that.

Cool! I learned something new! Thank you