Why Low VOC Paints Are the Smart Choice for Your Home

When transforming your living space, paint is more than just colour on the walls; it's something you breathe in every day. While traditional paints may look beautiful, many contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can release harmful fumes long after the paint has dried. 


Low VOC paint offers a safer, eco-friendly alternative without compromising on quality. In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits of these paints and why they’re the smart choice for healthy living.

 

 

 

What Is Low VOC Paint?

 

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are chemicals commonly found in traditional paints that easily evaporate into the air. They contribute to indoor air pollution and are known for causing headaches, nausea, and in some cases, long-term health effects. In conventional paints, VOCs are used as solvents to help with drying and spreading.

 

What Does “Low VOC” Mean?

 

A low-volatile organic compound paint contains significantly fewer of these harmful chemicals. Most low VOC paints have VOC levels below 50 grams per litre, a benchmark for eco-conscious, safer formulations. These paints are engineered using alternative solvents or water-based solutions, delivering performance without compromising indoor air quality.

 

Health & Environmental Impact

 

While high-VOC products emit strong odours and release pollutants for days (even weeks) after application, low-VOC paints are much gentler on your lungs and the planet. They're safer for your family, especially children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, and pets. Additionally, they reduce your carbon footprint by cutting down on ozone-depleting emissions.

 

Benefits of Using Low VOC Paints

 

Let’s look at why choosing a non-toxic wall paint is a smart investment.

 

1. Health Benefits

 

  • Cleaner indoor air: These paints help maintain better air quality during and after painting.
  • Safer for sensitive individuals: Ideal for homes with children, elderly members, pregnant women, or those with allergies.
  • Reduced health risks: Less likelihood of eye irritation, headaches, dizziness, or respiratory issues.

 

2. Environmental Benefits

 

  • Fewer emissions: Using paint without harmful chemicals helps reduce your home's contribution to air pollution.
  • Sustainable formulation: Most low-volatile organic compound paints are water-based, making them more biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

 

3. Practical Advantages

 

  • Low odour: Say goodbye to the overpowering smell associated with traditional paints.
  • Quicker re-occupancy: Rooms painted with low VOC paint are safe to inhabit sooner, thanks to the reduced fumes.
  • Easy clean-up: Many low VOC options are water-based, allowing easy cleaning with just soap and water.

 

When you choose our low-VOC paints, you're not just improving your interiors, you’re investing in a healthier home.

 

 

 

Types of Low VOC Paints for Different Surfaces

 

We offer a wide variety of paints for every part of your home:

 

1. Low-VOC Interior Paint

 

Perfect for bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and children’s spaces, low-VOC interior paint helps create a healthy indoor environment. These paints offer smooth finishes, low odour during application, and are formulated to release minimal emissions, making them perfect for frequently used rooms.

 

Our Recommendation: Check out our One Timeless Natura, which provides a smooth, elegant finish without strong odours.

 

2. Low-VOC Exterior Paint

 

Protect your walls from weather damage while keeping emissions in check. Low-VOC exterior paint is formulated to be weather-resistant while maintaining low emission levels. It offers durability, UV protection, and colour retention, all while being safer for the environment.

 

Our Recommendation: Try One True Vision, a durable, exterior paint made for Indian climates.

 

3. Low-VOC Wood Paint

 

Painting wooden furniture or MDF panels? Opt for a low-VOC wood paint that offers a smooth, durable finish with lower levels of chemical fumes, suitable for indoor and outdoor wooden elements alike.

 

Our Recommendation: Our Allwood Melamine offers excellent adhesion, protection, and a smooth finish.

 

4. Low-VOC Enamel Paint

 

Need a glossy finish for metal railings or wooden trims? These paints are designed to be quick-drying, resistant to wear, and significantly lower in harmful emissions compared to traditional enamels.

 

Read more on enamel paints in our article What is Enamel Paint? Everything You Need to Know. Learn more about surface-specific options in our guide on Types of Paint for Walls.

 

 

 

How to Identify the Best Low-VOC Paint for Your Needs

 

Choosing the best paint is all about selecting a product that meets your health, environmental, and functional expectations. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the world of low-volatile organic compound paint and make an informed decision.

 

1. Look for Trusted Certifications

 

Certifications are an excellent starting point. They help you verify that the product meets established health and sustainability standards.

 

  • GreenPro Certification (by IGBC): Recognised in India, this ensures the product is environmentally friendly and safe for indoor use.
  • US Green Seal or LEED Compliant: These international standards indicate sustainable manufacturing, minimal VOC content, and eco-safe components.

 

Tip: Always check the product label or the manufacturer’s website for certification details.

 

2. Understand VOC Levels

 

Not all “low VOC” claims are equal. It’s crucial to understand what “low” actually means in measurable terms. VOC Levels below 50 g/L are generally considered safe for indoor use, according to international benchmarks.

 

3. Consider the Finish and Aesthetic Appeal

 

Low-VOC paints come in a variety of finishes, each with its own effect on the final look and maintenance:

 

  • Matte & Eggshell: Ideal for interior walls, hiding imperfections and reflecting minimal light.
  • Satin & Semi-Gloss: Durable and easy to clean, suited for kitchens, bathrooms, and hallways.
  • Gloss & High Gloss: These finishes are sleek, durable, and washable, making them perfect for trims and metal surfaces.

 

4. Assess Performance Features Beyond VOC

 

While VOC content is important, you should also look for additional performance traits to ensure lasting value and low maintenance:

 

  • Anti-fungal and Anti-bacterial Properties: Especially useful for kitchens, bathrooms, and monsoon-prone areas.
  • Stain Resistance and Washability: Key for high-contact areas like hallways or children’s rooms. Consider non-toxic wall paint that is also easy to clean.
  • UV Resistance: Crucial for exterior paints exposed to sunlight, preventing fading and cracking.

 

Beautiful Walls, Healthier Homes

 

The paint you choose plays a bigger role in your home than just adding colour; it shapes the air you breathe, the safety of your spaces, and your impact on the environment. By choosing safer, cleaner alternatives, you're making a thoughtful choice for your health, your family, and the planet. 

 

Ready to make the switch? Explore our curated selection and start your journey towards a healthier, more mindful way to decorate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Painting your home is fun and hassle-free when planned well. For that, you must know all about various aspects of the painting process. Find answers to all your paint questions here!

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Terms and Conditions

This Website/ App is owned by Grasim Industries Limited, Birla Paints division (“Grasim”).

“we” / “us” / “our” means Grasim Industries Limited (Grasim) 

“You” or “your” means any person who visits our Website/ App. 

 

Please read these Terms and Conditions of use carefully before using this Website/App. The Terms and Conditions set forth below (the "Terms") as well as those contained in the Privacy Policy of the Website/App governs your use of the Website/App and are legally binding on you. If you do not agree to all of these Terms or Privacy Policy, do not use access or otherwise this Website/App or any information contained on the Website/ App. 

Your use of the Website/App shall be deemed to be your understanding of, and agreement, to each of the Terms set forth herein. Grasim may revise and update these Terms from time to time. Your continued usage of the Website/App shall be considered as an implied acceptance/deemed consent to abide by these Terms for usage of this Website/App.

Privacy Policies

1. PURPOSE

Thank you for visiting our Website/ App. This Website/ App is owned by Grasim Industries Limited, Birla Paints division (“Grasim”). This Privacy Policy is designed to tell you about our practices regarding collection, use, and disclosure of information that you may provide via this Website/ App. Grasim is committed to protecting the privacy of every individual who installs and/or uses the Website/App. We have adopted the following Privacy Policy, which sets out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be handled and dealt by us through your use of the Website/App. Please be sure to read this entire Privacy Policy before using, or submitting any information, to this Website/App, which is intended for use by residents of India.

2. SCOPE OF APPLICATION

 

  1. This policy will be applicable to all personally identifiable information that you provide to Grasim while visiting or using the Website/App. This Website/App contains links to other Apps. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such other Apps. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our Website/App and to read the privacy statements of any other App that collects personally identifiable information.
  2. Grasim expressly reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy periodically in future which will be exercised at its sole discretion, and at such intervals of it choosing the right without prior notice to the users. User shall review our Privacy Policy available at the Website/App regularly to be sure you are fully updated with our current practices and procedures in this area. Your continued use of the Website/App will be subject to the then-current Privacy Policy. 
  3. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for the Website/App:
    • Overview: As part of the normal operation of the Website/App, we collect and, in some cases, may disclose personally identifiable information about you. This Privacy Policy describes the personally identifiable information we collect about you and what may happen to that information.
    • By accepting this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use, you expressly consent to collect, store, delete, use, combine and disclose your personally identifiable information in the manner prescribed in this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and is subject to the conditions of the Terms of Use and governs all use of the Website/App by You.
    • We may collect your name, address, email address, telephone number, location data and other personally identifiable information you submit on the Website/App. Such personally identifiable information will not be posted in areas of the Website/App viewable by the public or users of the Website/App. Location data is collected for the purpose of enabling real-time surveyor allocation and improving operational efficiency in assigning site visits.
    • By using this Website/App, you agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy. Whenever you submit information via this Website/App or through any other mode, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of that information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

3. DATA GATHERING
 

Collection of Information: We may collect information that you share with us through your use of our Website/App, for example by: 

  • E-mailing or writing to us using the contact details posted on our Website/App; or 
  • Submitting other enquiries.

4. OUR USE OF YOUR INFORMATION

 

Our primary goal in collecting personally identifiable information is to provide you with a smooth, efficient and customized experience. This allows us to provide services and features that are most likely to meet your needs, and to customize the Website/App and our services to make your experience easier. We may use the information we collect from you to provide you with information and services that you request from us. We use personally identifiable information in the files we maintain about you, and the other personally identifiable information we obtain from your current and past activities on the Website/App to provide you with services.

4.1. Our Disclosure of Your Information

 

  • Due to the existing regulatory environment, we cannot ensure that all of your private communications and other personally identifiable information will never be disclosed in ways not otherwise described in this Privacy Policy. By way of example (without limiting the foregoing), we may be required to disclose personally identifiable information to the government, law enforcement agencies, or third parties under certain circumstances; third parties may unlawfully intercept or access transmissions or private communications; or users or authorized users may independently abuse or misuse your information that they collect from the Website/App in violation of our Website/App’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Therefore, although we use industry standard information security practices to protect your privacy, we do not promise, and you should not expect, that your personally identifiable information or private communications will always remain private. 

  • As a matter of policy, we do not sell or rent any personally identifiable information about you to any third party. However, the following describes some of the ways that your personally identifiable information may be disclosed. 

  • Other Corporate Entities: We may sometimes share data with our affiliates, associates, subsidiaries, joint ventures, group entities, and third-party service providers that provide us with services and/or provide you with services. To the extent that these entities have access to your personally identifiable information, we will ask them to treat it at least as protectively as they treat personally identifiable information they obtain from their other authorized users or members. Our affiliates, subsidiaries, and joint ventures will follow privacy practices no less protective of all authorized users and members than our practices described in this document, to the extent allowed by applicable law. It is possible that Grasim, its subsidiaries, associates, affiliates, joint ventures or any combination of such, could merge with or be acquired by another business entity. Should such a combination occur, you should expect that Grasim would share some or all of your personally identifiable information in order to continue to maintain and provide access to the Website/App. 

  • Legal Requests: Grasim co-operates with law enforcement inquiries, as well as other third parties to enforce laws relating to matters, such as intellectual property rights, fraud and other rights. We can (and you authorise us to) disclose any personally identifiable information about you to law enforcement and other government officials as we, in our sole discretion, believe reasonably necessary or appropriate, in connection with any investigation.

4.2. Changing Your Personally Identifiable Information

 

In case you request to remove your personally identifiable information from our records, we will retain such information in our files and databases, in order to use it in some unavoidable circumstances, such as to resolve disputes, troubleshoot problems, and enforce our terms and conditions. Further, such prior personally identifiable information is never completely removed from our databases due to technical and legal constraints, including stored "back up" systems. Therefore, you should not expect that all of your personally identifiable information will be completely removed from our databases in response to your requests. 

5. USER OF COOKIES

 

The Website/App may use "cookies" (information stored on Your computer/Your Computer Resources which include mobiles phones and Apps) by your browser at our request. "Cookies" is a term generally used for small text files a web App can use to recognize repeat users, facilitate the user's ongoing access to and use of the Website/ App, allow a Website/ App to track usage behaviour and compile aggregate data that will allow content improvements and targeted advertising, preferences etc. Cookies themselves do not personally identify you, but they do identify your computer, computer resources and devices connected with computer resources and include Mobile phones. Generally, cookies work by assigning a unique number to the computer that has no meaning outside the assigning Website/ App. You are also being made aware that Grasim cannot control the use of cookies or the resulting information by advertisers or third parties hosting data on Grasim Website/App. If You do not want information collected through the use of cookies, you may change the settings in the browsers that allows to deny or accept the cookie feature as per your discretion and in the manner agreed by you. 

6. SECURITY

 

Grasim will use reasonable security measures to safeguard the confidentiality of your personal identifiable information. Although we will put our best efforts to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our Website/ App; any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features which are appropriate to the type of personal information you have provided to try to prevent unauthorised access or inadvertent disclosure. However, you agree and acknowledge that "perfect security" does not exist on the Internet. 

7. CHANGES TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY

 

We reserve the right to change, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Website/ App at any time. Any modifications we may make to our privacy policy in the future will be posted on this page. Continued use of the Website/App will signify that you agree to any such modifications.

GRASIM INDUSTRIES LIMITED, Birla Paints division

 

9th floor, Birla Centurion, Century Mills Compound, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli, Mumbai– 400030, Maharashtra, India. 
 

Registered Office:
Birlagram, Nagda- 456 331 (M.P.) Tel: (07366) 246760-66, Fax: (07366) 244114, 246024, CIN: L17124MP1947PLC000410  
 

Allwood Contractor App Helpdesk 

Call: 1800 120 1234, Monday to Saturday, 09:30 am – 6:30 pm (Except Public Holidays).

Email: paints.custcare@adityabirla.com

Product Warranty

Terms and Conditions for product warranty registration of Birla Opus products



  1. The Warranty shall be effective from the date of purchase of the Product as per the tax invoice (“Warranty Start Date”), provided that painting work is fully complete, and the Consumer registers the Product for warranty.

  2. The Product must be registered within 15 days from the date of purchase by calling customer care at 18001201234 or registering on www.birlaopus.com and furnishing purchase details as required during the Warranty registration.

  3. The Warranty shall be valid for parameters and period as defined in the respective product warranty document (‘Warranty Period’) from the Warranty Start Date. 

  4. Upon settlement of any claim, Warranty of replaced Product will not start afresh, and will continue for the remainder of the Warranty Period from the Warranty Start Date.

  5. If there is a break/ lag in completing the painting work, the registration of the Warranty and Warranty Start Date will be determined by the Company at its sole discretion.

  6. The Company may appoint a person to examine and confirm the application of the Product as per the directions specified prior to registering the Warranty.

  7. For registering of Warranty, where quantity of Product purchase is equal to or more than 200 litres, please call our Helpline on 1800 120 1234 with requisite details. The registration of Warranty in such cases is subject to a satisfactory pre‐inspection at site by Company’s representative.

  8. For the warranty to be applicable:
    1. Minimum volume of the product required to be purchased needs to be met
    2. Birla Opus recommended system needs to be used
    3. Product coverage and application guidelines need to be adhered
       

For more details, please refer to respective  product specific warranty document and product information sheet.

  1. Consumer may raise a claim within 30 days of discovering issue(s) noticed on the affected areas based on Warranty Parameters/ scope

  2. The Consumer is required to notify the Company of the issue(s) noticed along with the invoice details, sample pictures and basis for Warranty invocation by contacting the customer care at 1800 120 1234. The Consumer shall provide such additional details as required by the Company and/or allow the Company to visit/inspect the painting site either in portion or entirety at the Company’s discretion.  

  3. In case where the Company decides that the Warranty is applicable on the issue(s) noticed on the affected areas, the Company shall bear the Replacements Costs as detailed in respective product warranty document to repair/ repaint the affected areas.

  4. Replacement Costs shall mean the cost of material and labour required to correct the affected portions, as determined by the Company.

  5. In case where the Company decides that Warranty is not applicable, the same shall be communicated to the Consumer.

  6. Warranty is applicable only to the affected area where the Product is used in accordance with application guidelines and not to the rest of the areas.

  7. In case the Consumer carries out repair works on the areas covered under the Warranty, the same shall be at their own risk and the Company’s Warranty on the Product shall not be valid on such repaired areas.

  8. The Warranty will cover only manufacturing defects of the Product and will not cover any defects arising out of factors not in control of the Company. For more details of exclusions, please refer to the warranty document of respective product. 

  9. Except expressly stated, the Company disclaims any liabilities whether in contract, tort or otherwise. The Company makes no warranty regarding merchantability or fitness of products for any particular purpose. 

  10. The Company shall not be held liable towards loss or damages of incidental, indirect or consequential nature or for any value more than the tax invoice value. 

  11. In case of any disputes, exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Mumbai shall apply. Governing laws shall be Laws of India.

  12. The facts and all matters concerning any Warranty/ claim/ dispute will always be kept confidential by both the Consumer and the Company.