Refreshing the paint throughout your home is a great way to make your home feel more modern. Freshly painted rooms, especially bedrooms, need time to dry, ventilate, and settle before they look their true color and can be used regularly. A common question that painters get asked is if they can sleep in a freshly painted room. While you may not have the option to sleep in other places in the home, there are some risks to breathing in paint fumes or chemicals. Let’s look at how different paints can impact your indoor air and what you need to know about freshly painted bedrooms.
Did You Use A Low-VOC Paint?
The type of paint you use can make a huge difference not only in appearance, but also in how safe it is to use the room directly after application. Low-VOC or zero-VOC paints are safer than other types of paints, meaning that you may be able to use the room sooner. Oil-based paints will also create fewer fumes, which is essential for those sensitive to smells. Using one of these paints can shorten the time you need to stay out of the room and reduce the bad chemicals you and your family are exposed to.
Timeline For Sleeping Or Using A Freshly Painted Room
Even if you choose a premium paint, homeowners should still be cautious about sleeping in a freshly painted room. Healthcare experts and painting professionals recommend waiting at least 72 hours before sleeping in a freshly painted room. This allows the paint fumes to make their way out of your home, reducing the compounds you are breathing in and reducing the strong paint smell. Sleeping in a freshly painted room could lead to long-term effects on your respiratory system.
Even if you choose a zero-VOC paint, drying times should also be considered. Especially for kids’ bedrooms, certain types of paints will remain wet or tacky for hours after application. Leaving wet paint on the walls for your children to touch or brush against can ruin the final product, transfer paint to other areas of the home, or stain clothing.
Waiting 2-3 days before sleeping in a freshly painted room is best for most people, but especially children or elderly family members.
Health Risks Of Sleeping In A Freshly Painted Room
Understanding the health risks or symptoms you may experience from harmful paint fumes can help keep you safe and aware, saving precious time to get medical help. Breathing in paint fumes can start to cause respiratory issues, including asthma attacks, difficulty breathing, nose irritation, throat irritation, nausea, and headaches. VOCs can also cause damage to your kidneys, liver, and nervous system that may not be immediately noticeable.
Staying on top of your health and tracking worrisome symptoms will help you limit long-term exposure and long-lasting health damage. Long-term exposure to paint could lead to death in rare cases, but limiting exposure is the best way to stay healthy.
Sleeping away from your home is the best way to avoid these health scares, as well as ensuring the room is well ventilated during the drying process. If the bedroom begins to smell less like paint and the walls are completely dry, you should be safe to sleep in the room again. Opening a window, setting up fans, or leaving doors open during painting will help the fumes dissipate quicker.
Interior Painting From Our Experts
Brush Brothers Painting has years of experience working with homes and businesses that need a painting refresh. Our expert knowledge on interior and exterior paint will help our customers love their final product, save them time on a DIY application, and find higher quality paints at a more affordable price. We know that working with a professional can seem like an unnecessary investment, but when you work with a painting expert, you and your home will benefit. Professional painting will boost your curb appeal and home comfort when done correctly.
Brush Brothers Painting specializes in interior painting, exterior painting, wood staining, faux finishing, wallpaper installation, accent walls, and brick painting. We are the trusted experts in Utah to help you give your home a refresh and a modern feel. Consider us for your next home improvement project and schedule your service online.
