Low-VOC and Zero-VOC Paint for Daycares and Schools: A Guide for Directors and Facility Managers

For daycares, preschools and schools, the safest choice is a water-based, zero-VOC paint tinted with zero-VOC colorants, ideally one certified GREENGUARD Gold. Pair it with good ventilation and a schedule that keeps children out of freshly painted rooms for a few days. In buildings built before 1978, federal lead rules also apply, and the painting contractor must be EPA Lead-Safe certified.

This guide is written for the people who manage child-care centers and schools, not for parents painting a nursery. It covers how to choose the paint, what the labels actually mean, how long to wait before children return, which finishes hold up to little hands, and what the EPA requires in older buildings.

In this article

• What is the least toxic paint for children's spaces?
• What is the difference between low-VOC and zero-VOC paint?
• What does GREENGUARD Gold mean?
• Is low-VOC paint safe for babies and young children?
• How long after painting is a room safe for children?
• What kind of paint do schools use?
• Do EPA lead rules apply to your building?
• How should you schedule painting around children?
• What should you ask a painting contractor?

What is the least toxic paint for children's spaces?

For walls and ceilings in classrooms, nap rooms and hallways, look for paint that checks all of these boxes:

• Water-based (latex or acrylic). Oil-based and solvent-based coatings release far more VOCs and should be kept out of occupied child-care spaces.
• Zero-VOC base. The can should state a VOC content below 5 grams per liter.
• Zero-VOC or low-VOC colorants. The tint matters as much as the base. More on that below.
• Third-party emissions certification. GREENGUARD Gold is the one most often specified for schools and child care.
• Scrubbable finish. A paint you have to repaint every year is not the low-exposure option. Durability counts.

Major brands now sell commercial lines that meet all five, so choosing the safer product rarely limits colors or performance.

What is the difference between low-VOC and zero-VOC paint?

VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are chemicals that evaporate from paint as it dries. The EPA lists paints among the common indoor sources of VOCs.

The two labels are not legal terms, but the industry uses fairly consistent numbers. A green-building fact sheet published by Alameda County, California describes low-VOC paint as under 50 grams per liter and zero-VOC paint as under 5 grams per liter.

The catch is color. The same fact sheet notes that VOC ratings are generally reported for the base paint before it is tinted, and that most tints add some VOCs, with darker, saturated colors adding the most. A zero-VOC can tinted with ordinary colorants may not be zero-VOC on the wall. When you approve colors, ask the contractor to confirm that the colorant system is zero-VOC too, and consider lighter shades for nap rooms and infant rooms.

For background on VOCs, see our earlier posts on what low-VOC means and how to lower the effects of VOCs.

What does GREENGUARD Gold mean?

A VOC number tells you what is in the can. An emissions certification tells you what comes off the wall into the air. GREENGUARD is UL's emissions certification, and Gold is its stricter tier. UL describes GREENGUARD Gold as setting even lower VOC emission limits, intended for nurseries, schools and healthcare facilities. The program was originally known as GREENGUARD Children & Schools.

If your organization, landlord or district has indoor air quality requirements, GREENGUARD Gold is the easiest way to document that you met them. Ask for the product data sheet and the certification listing for the exact product being used.

Is low-VOC paint safe for babies and young children?

Low- and zero-VOC paints release much less into the air than conventional paint, which is why they are the standard choice for child-care spaces. That does not mean any fresh paint is fine to sleep or play next to on the day it goes on. Children breathe faster than adults and spend much of their day close to walls and floors, so the safest approach is to keep them out of the room while it is painted and while it airs out.

Odor is not a reliable test. Some compounds released while paint dries can't be smelled at all, and some low-VOC paints still have a mild smell from other ingredients. Plan around time and ventilation, not around whether the room smells like paint.

If a child has asthma or another respiratory condition, let families know the painting schedule ahead of time, and follow any guidance from the child's doctor.

How long after painting is a room safe for children?

Plan for at least two to three days of ventilation before children use the room. Montgomery County, Maryland's environmental protection department notes that latex paint can look dry within hours, yet recommends continuing ventilation for at least 48 hours, and preferably 72 hours, after that. The EPA likewise advises maximum ventilation during painting.

In practice, that means:

• Paint on a Friday evening or the start of a break, not the night before children arrive.
• Run the HVAC on outside air, open windows where weather allows, and use fans to move air out of the room.
• Keep doors to freshly painted rooms closed to the rest of the building while it airs out.
• Put cribs, mats, soft toys and fabric items back only after the room has ventilated.

What kind of paint do schools use?

Schools and child-care centers need paint that survives handprints, crayons, backpacks and daily cleaning. Most use a commercial-grade, zero-VOC acrylic in finishes matched to the surface:

• Eggshell or satin for classroom and hallway walls. These finishes wipe clean far better than flat paint and hide wall flaws better than semi-gloss.
• Semi-gloss for doors, door frames, trim and handrails. These are the most-touched surfaces and need the hardest finish.
• Durable, scrubbable or high-performance lines for corridors, cafeterias and restrooms, where walls get scrubbed and bumped every day.
• Flat paint for ceilings, where nobody touches it and glare matters more.

Our guides to eggshell vs. satin and paint sheens explain the trade-offs in more detail.

Do EPA lead rules apply to your building?

If your center or school building was built before 1978, they very likely do. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule covers "child-occupied facilities," meaning buildings, or parts of buildings, built before 1978 and visited regularly by the same child under age six. Per the EPA's RRP guidance, that means visits on at least two different days a week, at least three hours a day and at least six hours a week, and at least 60 hours a year. Daycares, preschools and kindergarten classrooms are the typical examples.

What the rule means for a painting project:

• The contractor must be certified. According to the EPA, renovations in pre-1978 child-occupied facilities must be done by lead-safe certified firms, with trained workers.
• Prep counts, not just paint. Scraping, sanding and patching are what disturb old lead paint. The rule applies when work disturbs more than 6 square feet of painted surface per room inside, or more than 20 square feet outside.
• Families must be informed. As the City of Fredericksburg explains, contractors must provide the EPA's Renovate Right pamphlet to the facility's owner and make renovation information available to parents and guardians of children under six.
• Work practices change. Certified firms contain the work area, avoid dust-generating methods the rule prohibits, and clean up and verify before children return.

Not sure when your building was built? Check the property records or ask your landlord before you request quotes, so every contractor bids the same requirements.

How should you schedule painting around children?

• Use breaks first. Summer, winter break and spring break give rooms the most time to ventilate. Book early, because these are the busiest weeks for school painting.
• Otherwise, use weekends. Start Friday evening so rooms have the full weekend to air out.
• Phase the building. Paint one wing or a few classrooms at a time, and move groups into finished rooms before the next phase starts.
• Keep the work zone sealed. Children and staff should never pass through an active work area. Exits must stay clear the whole time.
• Tell families ahead of time. A short note with dates, the product being used and a contact name heads off most concerns.

Our guide to painting an occupied commercial building covers phasing, exits and occupant notices in more detail.

What should you ask a painting contractor?

• Which exact products will you use, and what are their VOC content and certifications?
• Are your colorants zero-VOC, and will they keep the tinted paint zero-VOC?
• Is your firm EPA Lead-Safe certified, and will a certified renovator be on site? (Required for pre-1978 child-occupied facilities.)
• How will you contain dust from patching and sanding?
• Can you work evenings, weekends or during school breaks, and finish in time for the room to ventilate?
• Have you painted schools or child-care centers before, and can you share references?
• Can you provide proof of liability insurance and licensing?

Final Takeaway

For daycares and schools, choose a water-based, zero-VOC paint with zero-VOC colorants, ideally GREENGUARD Gold certified, in a scrubbable finish. Schedule the work so rooms can ventilate for 48 to 72 hours before children return, keep children out of active work areas, and tell families what is happening. If the building was built before 1978, hire an EPA Lead-Safe certified firm, because the federal lead rules apply.

My Painter & Exteriors paints schools, child-care centers, churches and offices across Northern Virginia and DC, working around class schedules and occupied buildings. See our commercial interior painting services, or request a free estimate and we will walk your building and build a schedule around your children and staff.