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AFM Safecoat Interior ZVOC Paint was one of the first 0-VOC (volatile organic compounds), no HAPS (hazardous air pollutants) paints on the market.
It’s also free of PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, aka “forever chemicals” (still common in paints!) and APEs (alkylphenol ethoxylates, suspected occupational carcinogens, and endocrine disruptors, according to Healthy Materials Lab).
Because it’s one of the first, many chemically sensitive people have used this over the years, and in a survey I did it was the second most popular paint amongst sensitive folks.
The paint is a zero-VOC formula, though the primers are not 0-VOC.
It’s often used to seal in off-gassing from below (especially with the Transitional Primer).
(You do not want to mix this brand with other brands).
This is a review by a reader Hailee.
How was the odor at 24 or 48 hours?
The odor of AFM Safecoat Paint was still present at both 24 and 48 hours, but was not a strong odor.
When did you find it to be totally off-gassed to your perception?
I do not have chemical sensitivities but I have a very keen sense of smell.
It was completely off-gassed in less than a week. I would say 4-5 days.
But like I said, the odor was not strong to begin with.
In most new builds, I can smell the paint clearly even months after, but when walking into my new home, I do not smell anything when I come in!
How many coats of AFM Safecoat wall paint were needed to get the black color on the wall? What about the off white?
The white walls were primed, and then just needed one coat of paint.
The black walls were primed (not tinted primer), and then needed three coats of paint.
Did the paint seem thin?
(Many people say they needed 4 coats, and some reviewers said the paint was thin. Though this depends on the color, the temperature, and if we are talking about the wall paint, primer or furniture paint, so there could be some confusion here. The formula has not changed lately).
The Safecoat paint was VERY thick. According to our painter, it was like peanut butter.
We had two painters, one that sprayed the house (primer and white walls) and one who hand painted our black accent wall and black bedroom walls.
Both said the paint was thick and hard to work with.
But [it’s normal that] the darker the color, the more coats you will need.
Did you use a primer for the wall or baseboards?
Primer was used on the walls: AFM New Wallboard Primer (15g/l VOC).
How durable is Safecoat paint on the baseboards and trim?
Because Hailee used the regular wall paint on the trim I asked her about the durability here.
The trim paint has been installed for about 3 months, with us living here for 1 1/2 months of that time.
It seems very durable so far, and I do not see any major issues of chipping or damage.
It seems like the same durability [as standard trim paint in conventional houses], maybe even better.
Usually for trim a more durable alkyd paint is used, but the most chemically sensitive do often use a regular 0-VOC acrylic wall paint in a higher sheen on the trim.
Did the vendor make you aware the eggshell is more like a conventional satin, and pearl is like a conventional eggshell?
(I’ve seen a review where they didn’t realize this).
Yes, they told us that “a standard eggshell [look finish] is called Pearl from AFM (which is the norm for most walls in a house).
For trim, they recommend AFM Eggshell which is a little shinny and easier to clean.” [More like a standard satin or pearl in other brands].
This is confusing in my opinion. The paint that looks more like a real life bird’s eggshell is called Pearl.
And the finish that looks more like a clam’s pearl is called Eggshell. The order of the sheens from more matte to most glossy for AFM is: Flat, Pearl, Eggshell, Semi-Gloss.
Most paint brands offer the following sheens: flat, eggshell, pearl or satin, semi-gloss, and sometimes gloss, in that order.
Did you use color matching to another brand?
Yes! We colored matched to Sherwin Williams Pure White and Sherwin Williams Tricorn black and the colors are a perfect match.
Based on anecdotal evidence, AFM seems to have better ability to closely color match than ECOS.
How is the durability to stains or water?
Durability seems great so far, I have wiped everything down to clean it and have had no issues.
Door paint problems
There was an issue with the black doors though.
They were not given enough time to cure.
(They did their standard 2 weeks of cure time, and we believe they followed instructions on time between coats, temperature and humidity but Hailee was not there when the painters were painting so we can’t be sure of that).
But AFM needs more time to cure, especially with darker colors.
So, when the doors were being installed, there were some “sticky” parts and finger print marks.
Also, when I was cleaning the doors with a vacuum attachment, it scratched the whole door up because the paint was not cured yet.
We are getting these doors redone, and after talking to AFM they recommended this:
“Yes heavy pigment loads will be softer longer and with multiple coats more slowing-increase room temperature and dehumidify is the slow approach. Or Hard Sealing the paint or another approach is using Acrylacq by mixing it with the paint and doing another coat. I would ratio the blend 70/30 clear to paint.”
Corinne here, I talked to Jay Watts the owner of AFM. Even though the spec sheet says 4 hours between coats at 30-70% RH, 55 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with the dark colors Jay says:
“Dark colors do take more time. I like overnight drying between coats. I also want to resist laying on heavy coats simply because they take longer to set. I have found that with my use of these colors, I need two coats and sometimes three to achieve the hide necessary.”
I hope they change their spec sheet to reflect this.
Is it easy to wipe down?
Yes, very easy and smooth.
Have you done any touch ups and was it easy to touch up?
Yes, our painter has come back and done touch ups and it was easy.
Which other brands did you consider?
The building biologist I worked with recommended AFM Safecoat.
I did some research into other brands as well but felt that AFM was the best “health” wise, even though I heard some comments about it not being easy to work with.
The Green Design Center also recommends it, so that is how I chose.
I had my building biologist look at some different ones from Sherwin-Williams (since that is the brand that my builder used) and he did not approve any of them, even the “healthier” ones.
Corinne here – Sherwin-Williams would not be my next choice either, but at the end of the article I recommend my top two alternatives, in case AFM doesn’t work for you.
Was going with a brand that doesn’t use PFAS important to you?
YES! Extremely important.
I was trying to build the healthiest home possible and paint covers so much of the house, that this was a main priority.
Conclusion
Corinne here –
A huge number of chemically sensitive people prefer AFM Safecoat and it makes sense to continue sticking to a brand that you know you do well with.
They are also a small and reputable company, when they say we don’t use PFAS, APEs, and so on, we can trust them (at the time of writing PFAS are still common in paints and most brands will not disclose which of their lines contain PFAS, and there are other smaller brands who I don’t trust completely on this topic).
It’s also a good idea to stick to the same brand when you repaint your walls as there can be reactions between different brands, AFM is a brand that can react with other brands. (Even when the previous coat is a water-based acrylic that is long cured).
AFM claims they have a tighter polymer than other brands and so it’s often used to block smells/off-gassing from below (especially when used with Transitional Primer).
This is certainly a good option for many sensitive folks.
I have also heard many complaints about AFM paint over the years from sensitive folks, so it doesn’t work for everyone.
(Though some of those complaints are from painting the coats too close together in time or because of its reaction with another brand below.
I would also check out ECOS Paints, this is my personal favorite 0-VOC acrylic paint for sensitive folks, and the paint that came out on top in my survey of chemically sensitive folks.
I would say it’s often better tolerated by the most sensitive.
If you want a non-acrylic paint, my top preference for the lowest odor (even when wet) is Kiem mineral paint (made primarily with silicate binders).
That is one of the paints I will use in my new apartment.
Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.
Anthony
did anyone find a texture in the primer or the interior paint? there were like crumb size specs in my paint so it did not go on smooth.
Claire
Does the Keim Paint have less odor than ECOS PAINTS? I’m seeking a paint that has the least odor of all paints.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
yes
Jen Pashley
I’m hoping to get in touch with you about the advertised AFM formula that says it can seal in problematic off-gassing from other paints and primers. We foolishly used a Benjamin Moore oil based primer to cover up a smokers smell when we moved into our new house a year ago – I am sensitive and should have know better. Desperate for a solution we came across AFM’s advertised formula of their transitional primer and top coat to seal out problematic off gassing. We jumped on that with hope and spent almost $10,000 in paint and $20,000 in labour to repaint our whole house ceilings and walls. We did two coats of transitional primer with three top coats of their zero VOC paint on top. By the fifth coat I started to get so sick in the house. At first I thought it was in my head but then realized something was wrong. I have been trying to troubleshoot this with the AFM company and came across your blog today and my jaw dropped. I am wondering where you have received information about others having this problem and I am wondering what the byproducts from the reaction could be. Without giving all of the details here I am traumatized by this whole experience. And am wondering what is lingering in the air of our house.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
People have reported AFM reacting to other brands of paint. (It’s not the only brand of paint that reacts with other brands). I have not tested it for what’s off-gassing when this happens. But if you have before and after VOC testing please send it along.
It can also be a problem of not curing properly if they applied too many coats in succession.
Nick D.
We recently had a painter use AFM eggshell zero box paint in our baby nursery. After painting I realized he did both costs essentially in succession not waiting the required 4 hours between coats. It’s been exactly one month and there is still odor.
1) is this odor dangerous for the baby even though its marketed as “zero voc”
2) will it ever fully cure ? And if so, how long?
3) what is your suggestion? We want the odor to be completely dissipated before having the baby move into the room. What is our best plan of action
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
It is off-gassing, it’s not going to cure on it’s own in my experience, I would strip it, though you could do a VOC test to see if it’s significant
Nick D
By strip do you mean sand?
Would sealing over it using AFMs transitional primer then reflating with proper wait times suffice?
Gil
Hi, we had our house painted (with Benjamin Moore Zero voc paint on the walls which worked well (smell totally resolved after about 3 days), but they used Benjamin Moore Advanced (Alkyd /hybrid oil) paint on the kitchen cabinets and closet doors. They used a sprayer to apply it and likely did 2 coats without allowing enough dry time between them, (it says to allow 16 hours between coats but they completed it all in one day). The paint smell was very strong from the start and 4 months later it has hardly dissipated at all. We tried raising the temperature in the house to the 79 degrees for the first 2 weeks (day & night) with no change. After 6 weeks I had to remove the cabinet & closet doors from the house just to diminish the smell so we could move back in. I have then in a carport closet and when I open the door the smell is still overwhelming (even to my non-fragrance sensitive partner). I’m now looking for options to seal in the smell/VOCs and am wondering if the AMF SafeCoat Transitional Primer would be the right product for this? I was thinking we would prine it and then coat it with 1-2 coats of the AFM SafeCoat, Zero VOC Paint to help seal it up. (We don’t mind if the paint is not meant for cabinets as we have used regular no voc latex paint for cabinets in the past and have been fine with it. ) I was going to get a sample of the Transitional Primer and
the SafeCoat paint to try it out first but wanted to check first if there are other products we should consider as well? Thanks much (I love your website the info has been so helpful!)
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I would not seal in that chemical reaction, it’s a reaction that happens when the coats are done too close together. If you did want to risk doing that I would not use AFM as it often reacts with other brands.
Gil
Thank you so much for this info, I t’s so helpful! I also reached out to Green Home Supply to ask about the AFM Safe Coat Primer and they agree with you. In case it’s helpful I’m including their response here:
“The ideal and “easiest” (term used loosely) would probably be to go to a box store and get a clear, waxless shellac. Once that is dried to the length of time listed on the can, then apply AFM Safecoat Acrylacq over that. That being said, I’ve talked with Jay at AFM, and our concern is the fact that they didn’t allow nearly the dry/cure time they were supposed to. Especially with alkyds, if that time isn’t allowed, it may never fully cure. So Jay at AFM and I are concerned about putting anything else on top and maybe making the situation worse. Because, if it’s not fully cured, you could just cause further issues. Neither of us can say what can be done to know if/when it’s fully cured. So that is the key question at play. Think about how you want to proceed before adding more on top of it.”
So it sounds like they are also concerned that trying to seal this in may not work well. With that said, before I look to replace these cabinet doors (or possibly sand them back down to the wood- which would be a lot of work/mess) I’m wondering if I should try either:
1) a sample of the de-waxed shellac and then the AFM Acrylacq, or
2) a coat dewaxed shellac and then AFM Transitional Primer, then AFM Safecoat Paint.
Any thoughts on which option might work better? Or is it a draw depending on which final look we would prefer (I.e. clear coat vs just painted)? Thanks!
Gil
That should say Green Building Supply (not Green Home Supply).
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I agree with them but would not seal that chemical reaction in. I would remove the paint and start over.
Dave
Hi Corinne,
We are having an issue with some sour smelling paint that’s already on two thirds of our home. Is AFM good at covering up odors? I’m looking at trying to repaint with a primer to try and lock in those smells as best we can but it seems all the ones saying they help with odors are the harsher chemical primers/paints.
Any help you could provide would sure be appreciated. Thanks so much.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
that is tricky bc either the paint went bad, coats were applied too quickly one after the other or there was a bad reaction between the two brands. It’s risky to paint over that. I would not use AFM though if you do want to risk that.
Dave
So do you think the paint will need to be scraped/sanded off first? What paint would you recommend?
What would you do?
Carolyn
What would you recommend for a bathroom painted with SW about 8 years ago ? I’m so confused. Im extremely sensitive.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
Ideally SW, definitely not AFM, potentially ECOS though do a test swatch first for reactions.
Carolyn
Thank you!
chris
I am interested in becoming a paid subscriber but have questions- How long is the commitment for monthly subscription? What is the cancellation policy if I no longer want to subscribe? I could not find any where else to find this information.Thanks
Ale Swan
In 2015, I used Mythic primer in a room previously painted with safecoat. Then I used AFM Safecoat paint on top. What followed was thr worst smelling room ever – it was a bedroom, and I had to abandon ship. The foul odor never went away and I had painted my entire house with AFM Safecoat. I had even used some dark AFM colors which took 3+ months to fully cure, but they eventually cured to zero smell. But mixing a non-AFM primer with an AFM paint was a total disaster. I never used the room again. It was truly that bad .
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
yeah i would not mix any other paint/primer brand with AFM or with sherwin-williams
Gina
Thank you! Can AFM paint be used on walls previously painted with SW seven years ago? Or would I need to stick with SW? I would like to use something less toxic than SW. I had a problem with ECOS paint over SW. It still smells after one year.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I would not use AFM over SW. And yeah SW is one of those paints that seems to react with others, though maybe it’s just with the eco freindly paints. Get some samples and do some big swatches. I would test Ben Moore and Kiem.
Gina
Thank you! I would feel more comfortable using Ben Moore over SW. I do have one wall that I painted large swatches of AFM and there’s no smell, but not sure if it would be different after a whole room is painted. I had the biggest issue with Ecos. And only the rooms that previously had a dark color have a smell. Ecos over SW light gray has no smell
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
AFM + Sherwin williams has been a bad mix in the past for many
Gina
Are there any primers that would be safe to use over the walls that have the old SW and the new Ecos coating? My dilemma is that I have accent walls in rooms that I covered up with Ecos but now I need to paint the whole room. I’m afraid to add another one to the mix on the accent walls. Would a primer help block a reaction before the final coating on the walls with Ecos?
Carolyn
What would you recommend for a bathroom painted with SW about 8 years ago ? I’m so confused. Im extremely sensitive.