How we are working to lower our environmental impact!

All About VOC's

Did you know in the United States more than 2/3's of VOC emissions come from paints and coatings? So what exactly is a VOC?

A VOC (volatile organic compound) is a solvent that gets released into the air as paint dries, such as benzene, formaldehyde, methylene chloride, and tetrachloroethylene (teh-truh-klaw-ruh-eh-thuh-leen). When VOCs react with nitrogen oxides (think vehicle emissions) and create ozone molecules, they also create fine particulates. Ground-level ozone and fine particulates are both key pollutants in the creation of smog.

In other words, VOC's play a significant role in the formation of ozone and fine particulates in the atmosphere. That is why all our hives are painted with Kilz III primer, which has less than 5 grams of VOC's per liter, and then finished with Behr Premium Plus Low VOC exterior paint (which is Greenguard Gold Certified).