Removal of strong paint odor???? Does anything really work? (ceiling, color, doors)

[ctwhitechin]

Ok I think a fresh coat of paint smells great but this is ridiculous. Repainted my popcorn ceiling in basement yesterday with Super Spec Calcimine Recoater from Benjamin Moore, it was expensive stuff, oil based, ceiling looks great, now all one color white after we had a contractor patch up some water damage.

Odor in basement is extremely strong, I have window and door open, and fan going. I have no experience with this paint before and it was the first time I ever used an oil based paint indoors. I painted my whole house with water based Benjamin Moore paint and odor faded within a day.

Ideas please? I've heard everything from leave out a bowl of vanilla extract, to burn a chocolate scented candle, to leave out a bowl of coffee grinds to absorb the odor?? Does anything like that work or do I just have to have patience????????

[chet everett]

You're doing the right thing with the windows open and fans on -- air exchange is key. Typically oil based paints take a few days to fully cure.

You can rent ion generators that create ozone to neutralize odor, but that is generally done for apartments of smokers. I suppose HEPA filter machines would help too.

I shy away from things that substitute one odor for another -- coffee grounds are fine for breakfast but it would make me sick having smell 'em for days...

[nuts2uiam]

You can put vinegar in cups around the room and also if you have charcoal for the Bar-b-Que grill. Set several mini piles of them around the room. Oil base paint always takes longer to dry, and if it is humid that compounds it.

They use charcoal to detox poisons.....it does work. But patience is a virtue.

[ctwhitechin]

Thanks for the replies, guess time will make the smell go away best of all. I never want to paint inside with oil based paint again but I had no choice in this instance.