You want to do house painting at your Danville home, but you’re not sure if it’s a good time because the wife is expecting. Pregnancy is a delicate condition, and it’s important that mother and child should be safely away from exposure to harmful chemicals. But what if it’s the only time that you have to do house painting? Of course, you may wonder if it’s safe at all to paint or be around paint fumes during a pregnancy.

The answer of whether or not it’s safe depends on several factors. House painting in Danville can expose homeowners to several harmful chemicals and solvents found in paint. This is more of a problem for pregnant women in particular because the fumes from the paint can also affect her baby. As a pregnant woman, it would be best to let someone else do the painting. Or much better yet, wait until your baby is born, especially painting is not that urgent.

In case your house is being repaired or renovated which involves painting, you will want to be a bit more cautious when choosing paints.

There are certain paints that should be avoided. Paints generally contain a pigment or dye that’s suspended in a liquid base to which thinners and solvents may be added. The pigments may contain metals such as lead, zinc, mercury, and aluminum. These kinds of paints should not be used especially when the household has someone in the family way.

Latex (or acrylic) paints usually don’t contain solvents. Since they’re water-based, latex paints can be easily cleaned with soap and water. Although latex paints are generally safe to use around the house, exposure to them should still be minimized especially when you’re pregnant.

Oil-based paints, on the other hand, usually contain chemicals or solvents. Compared to latex paints, oil-based paints cannot be cleaned easily with just soap and water, and otherwise need turpentine or mineral spirits for cleanup. Exposure to these solvents may increase a pregnant woman’s risk of having a miscarriage or a baby with defects. Using oil-based paints or being around toxic fumes in this delicate condition is generally not recommended.

How about the so-called paints with low-VOC content or zero VOC at all? Some people deem them safe for pregnant women, but the term “zero VOC” is only a partial reassurance. Even paints that carry “zero VOC” labels may still contain small amount of toxins (usually up to five grams of VOC’s per liter). The level of VOC’s may increase when these so-called “zero VOC” paints use colorants, biocides, and fungicides.

Natural paints and finishes are made from natural raw ingredients such as milk casein, plant oils and dyes, essential oils, natural latex, and natural minerals such as clay and chalk, as well as water. Water-based natural paints give off no noxious smell at all, while some oil-based natural paints give off a pleasing fragrance of citrus or essential oils. But since you’re pregnant, you may be sensitive to certain smells so the fragrance may be too strong for you. Other than that, these natural paints are generally considered safe to use.

As a pregnant individual, it’s best to take these precautions when a house painting in Danville takes place:

• Keep the space well-ventilated.
• Limit the amount of time you spend working with paints, especially oil-based paints. Wear a protective face mask specially designed for painting.
• Don’t eat or drink while you work to avoid ingesting any chemicals.
• Have someone else do the job, not only the painting itself, but also on the sanding and scraping part before painting, and the cleanup after painting. Otherwise, doing so may make you inhale dust, which could be harmful for your baby. Hire a professional painting contractor in Danville to do the proper prepping, painting, and cleanup.
• If really necessary, go out of your house while the painting job is in progress, and find somewhere else to stay where you can be safely away from the paint fumes.

Needless to say, when you’re pregnant you and your baby’s health are of the utmost importance. If you happen to have been exposed to paint, it is helpful to know the likelihood of the defects or miscarriages are low. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most paints today do not contain lead and are probably not dangerous. But if you care for you and your baby’s health very much, it’s still best to be cautious.

Contact reputable paint contractors such as Custom Paint Inc. for more advice regarding safe house painting in Danville and nearby areas.