Is exterior paint harmful in a sunroom?

[Versitas]

Hi Team,

We have a 70s brick home we got rendered and painted with Taubmans Sunproof Exterior Paint (see picture below). I thought the renderer used Dulux Weathershield but checking tins it was taubmans. 

Essentially our front deck we are closing in and the render has this exterior paint on it. The intent is to close in the deck, plaster, paint and put in a walk in wardrobe and ensuite off the master bedroom as well as a small sunroom off our daughters bedroom. 

My concern is the use of this exterior paint and it potentially being harmful to our health. Is there any concern? The alternative is to chip all the render away so the paint is removed then plaster over that which would be handy to not have to do… but if in doubt would be willing to do it. 

Does anyone have any experience in this? Have attached some photos below of the current area. 

Thanks in advance 

Keiran

 

 

 

[JacobZ]

Hi @Versitas,

Thank you for your question and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is great to have you with us.

The main concern with using exterior paint such as the Taubmans Sunproof are the higher levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) necessary to create the durability to withstand exposure to sun and weathering. The main time for concern in terms of VOCs is within the first few weeks after painting as they naturally "gas-off" in the form of fumes, lowering the air quality if they are contained indoors. There is no definitive time frame for how long it will take for VOCs to gas off to a negligible level, so it is certainly something you should consider if you plan to close in this area.

To lower the risk from gassing off of the higher VOC paint, you could use a low VOC primer such as Dulux 2L UltraAir Interior Primer over the top of the external paint and then coat with a low VOC paint such as Dulux 4L Interior Paint UltraAir Low Sheen Vivid White. This will help to contain the risk, but will not remove it completely. 

Ultimately, the only way to completely neutralise the risk from VOCs is to remove the external paint once closed in and replace with a low VOC indoor paint such as the Dulux UltraAir mentioned above.

Let me know if you require further assistance or clarification.

Jacob