what kind of paint to use on latex mask
Firm painting is something that millions of homeowners exercise every weekend. From interior wall painting, kitchen cabinet painting to painting the exterior of their homes.
Sadly though, many people exercise not empathise the potential dangers of pigment fumes and particles and therefore practice not take the necessary precautions with paint masks and paint respirators.
In this post, I am going to non simply show y'all my favorite picks for the best painting masks and respirators for popular painting projects, only I will show you lot the dangers of breathing in VOCs and pigment particles, how to care for your paint respirator and even a few other tips to keep yourself condom.
Notation: For this article, I will simply be discussing filtering masks and Air Purifying Respirators (APRS), not SARs equally they are considered professional person equipment.
Pigment Respirator Index
- The All-time Paint Masks and Respirators
- The Damaging Effects Of Breathing Paint Fumes and Particles
- How Exercise Paint Respirators Piece of work
- Keeping Your Respirator In Top Working Order
- Other Safety Gear We Recommend
The Best Pigment Masks and Paint Respirators
Before I show you my picks for the best masks and respirators, I desire to quickly discuss the difference betwixt a paint mask and a pigment respirator.
A paint mask is to prevent airborne particles from inbound your respiratory system, information technology is small, cheap and dispensable after a few uses. Some masks can even assistance eliminate paint smells while wearing them.
A paint respirator (as we are discussing today) is a type of mask designed to prevent the wearer from inhaling dust particles, microorganisms, fumes, vapors, and gases. A respirator provides a much larger amount of protection to the wearer.
The All-time Paint Respirators For Painting
A painting respirator is necessary for a lot of different occasions and not necessary for a few as well.
For me, I similar to utilise a respirator any time that I am spraying paint. This keeps non simply organic fumes out of my respiratory system merely modest pigment particles likewise.
I also similar to utilise a respirator whatsoever time I am using a loftier VOC type paint (such equally an oil or lacquer). Personally, I don't apply lacquers whatsoever more than these days and I am using oils less and less.
I don't utilise a respirator if I am using a ZERO or low VOC paint while brushing and/or rolling a project. If I am using a normal paint and have good ventilation, I likewise will skip a respirator.
3M Half Face Disposable Respirator
For nigh DIYers, this 3m dispensable half mask is the perfect protection for those times when y'all are spraying paint. Since almost home owners don't spray that oftentimes, a disposable mask such every bit this is perfect.
This paint respirator will protect confronting organic vapors (VOCs) found in paint and the pre-filters will filter out grit particles.
This mask is practiced for viii hours of heavy filtering or 40 hours of calorie-free filtering. If you lot tin first to smell vapors, it'due south time for a new mask. Yous should also use the mask by the suggested expiration date and throw away later on it has expired.
Once the mask has been used the recommended time or it is past its expiration, the carbon pores in the cartridges volition get less constructive at filtering organic compounds from the air.
This mask is perfect for latex paints, oil-based paints and protecting against sanding dust from drywall and wood.
Buy This Paint Respirator at Amazon.
If have more than an occasional need for a respirator, this 3M Respirator with replaceable cartridges is perfect as you only accept to replace the cartridges and non the mask.
3M Full Facepiece Respirator
If you plan on doing a lot of spraying, have a very poorly ventilated expanse, or volition have pigment falling into your face while painting (such as painting a ceiling), then the 3M Full Confront Respirator is my favorite mask.
I relish this mask because of the protection it provides my eyes and helps me avoid getting pigment on my face up while painting.
It filters out VOCs and grit particles and has replacement cartridges then yous can employ this mask for years.
TIP: Brand sure to buy protective flick for the facemask so you don't have to scrub the pigment off the shield every time after yous paint. This tin can crusade your shield to get dirty, scratched and cloudy over time.
This mask is neat for painting any oils and lacquers that have potent fumes that tin can hurt your eyes. Information technology is also perfect for nigh spraying applications, peculiarly those above your caput. Finally, I like information technology any time I am rolling above my head (such as ceilings) as it helps keep my face up make clean and my eyes paint free.
Yous can buy 3M's Full Face Respirator at Amazon.
The Best Pigment Masks For Painting and Dust
Pigment masks are perfect for any grit creating project such as sanding walls before painting, sanding drywall and sanding old pigment. They are likewise swell for people sensitive to pigment smells (even with depression VOC paints).
Full general Sanding & Dust: 3M Cool Flow Valve Paint Mask
The 3M Cool Menses Paint Mask is the perfect inexpensive, disposable mask for sanding, general grit, and work.
This mask is made for sanding non-harmful materials (yous'll need a different mask for sanding pb-based paints) and blocks 95% of airborne particles.
The breathing valve helps keep the mask and your face up cool and comfortable while working. It allows your exhaled air to hands escape and closes while you lot breathe in to force air filtration. If you've ever worn a dust mask for a long menses, yous'll know that they can get actually humid and uncomfortable very quickly.
You can buy the 3M Cool Flow Paint Mask at Amazon.
General Sanding and Odors: 3M Latex Paint and Odor Paint Mask
The deviation with this mask vs other painting masks is that the mask has a layer of carbon on the exterior of the mask that actually helps filter out a lot of airborne odors.
This mask is perfect for anyone who is sensitive to paint smells and wants to help reduce basic smells while painting.
If you want 100% air filtration, you will need one of the pigment respirators listed above.
The mask has a 95% filtration rating of airborne particles.
Yous can purchase the 3M Latex Pigment and Odour Paint Mask at Amazon.
The Damaging Effects Of Breathing Pigment Particles and Fumes
The main reason most people don't properly protect their respiratory systems when painting is that they don't understand the long term effects that animate in paint fumes and paint particles can take on them.
Animate in VOCs
VOCs, otherwise known as Volatile Organic Compounds, are organic chemicals used in paints (amidst other things) for their high evaporation rate (they help paints dry speedily). For the purpose of this article, I'g leaving their explanation and employ basic.
Different VOCs have different effects on the human being trunk and the severity of these effects is going to depend on the length of exposure and the repetitiveness of the exposure (painters being exposed for long amounts of times for many years take the most hazard).
Short term effects are (simply not limited to) eye, nose, dizziness, headaches, fatigue and throat irritation.
Long term effects include (but not limited to) liver damage, kidney harm, key nervous system damage, and long term causes of cancer.
Past this simple list, y'all can run into that breathing in whatsoever amounts of VOCs is simply not worth the risk when a simple cheap painting respirator can protect you.
Breathing Latex Pigment Particles
Breathing in latex particles can be harmful in a few different ways.
First, if yous are spraying pigment, tiny aerosol of wet latex paint go into the air and go into your respiratory organisation. These bits of latex really build upwardly in your lungs and are believed to cause long term damage.
Second, latex paint contains silica, which is known to crusade cancer. When sanding, this silica becomes airborne and enters your respiratory system.
How Do Pigment Respirators Filter Out Pigment Particles & VOCs
Respirators filter the area that passes through their cartridges through a procedure called carbon filtering.
The cartridges that adhere to the 3M paint respirators in a higher place (and fifty-fifty the Pigment and Scent mask) accept activated charcoal within of them. Each particle of activated carbon has an incredibly big expanse or porous surface area that is used to trap impurities in the air.
In fact, one gram of activated carbon actually has 32,000 square feet of surface surface area for gas absorption!
Equally the organic compounds laissez passer through the carbon filters, they are absorbed into the activated carbon and trapped, allowing only pure air to menstruum through.
This is why carbon cartridges tin can typically filter 8 hours of heavy VOCs or up to 40 hours of low VOCs, they actually take a point where the carbon becomes full and is no longer effective.
This is the same procedure used in water filters and many other filtration devices.
Keeping Your Paint Mask and Paint Respirator in Working Guild
One time you purchase a pigment respirator, yous don't want to go out information technology sitting around the home or garge.
This can actually crusade the carbon to fill up with moisture and natural air contaminants around the house while it is not even in apply.
To keep your painting respirator in skilful working social club for as long as possible either remove the filter cartridges and place them in a zip lock pocketbook or identify the entire mask in a large zip lock bag.
This will limit the amount of contaminants and wet that come into contact with the carbon.
Other Prophylactic Gear We Recommend
Ear Plugs
Earplugs serve a dual purpose for a painter. One, they protect your hearing, plain. Only a second added benefit is the web log some other admission for VOCs to easily enter your body.
Paint Suit
A paint suit isn't but for keeping you clean, although it does that very well. VOCs tin can enter your body by being absorbed through your pare. A paint arrange limits VOCs contact with your skin and minimizes your body's assimilation.
Safety Goggles
As with earplugs, a secondary purpose of condom goggles is to prevent your optics exposure to VOCs. Although my first choice for eye protection is a full face up mask.
Resources Used:
- https://medicine.yale.edu/intmed/prep/worker/protection/respiratory.aspx
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respirator
- https://medicine.yale.edu/intmed/prep/worker/protection/respiratory.aspx
- https://world wide web.sherwin-williams.com/painting-contractors/business organization-builders/paint-technology-and-application/SW-Art-Breathe-EASIER
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compound
- https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-bear upon-indoor-air-quality
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_filtering
Source: https://diypaintingtips.com/best-paint-respirator/