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What are VOC

The term VOC—signifying Volatile Organic Compound—sounds dangerous and alarming, and while some of them are very hazardous, many others are extremely common and essentially harmless. VOC’s are produced by many natural means, including every plant in your home and every breath you take. They are also manufactured for use in a myriad of human enterprises, from formaldehyde to “new car smell.”

In the world of paint, VOC’s are chemical compounds that are included in many paints. Most often, these solvents are designed to create proper flow and smooth spread in the paint. As the paint dries, the VOC’s evaporate and disperse into the air, creating the familiar smell of fresh paint. There is not much specific information about how harmful these chemicals are to human health and the environment, but everyone agrees that less is better. For this reason, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and most states have created standards for maximum VOC levels in paint, and here in California, our standards are the strictest in the country. Many paint companies have voluntarily gone beyond these standards, creating excellent paints with little or no VOC content.

In general, oil-based paints need the most VOC content in their solvents for them to function properly, and latex/acrylic paints will have less. In addition, the amount of tint in a traditional paint will add VOC’s, so that darker colors have more solvents. Also, glossier paints require more solvents and commonly contain a higher level of volatile organic compounds.

Many homeowners here in the San Francisco Bay area share our concern for the environment and wish to use paints that have as little environmental impact as possible. For this reason we are proud to offer our customers the option of Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams premium-quality low-VOC and no-VOC paints. These excellent products come in every color, and achieve environmental responsibility without sacrificing performance.

At MB Jessee Painting, we believe that as painting contractors we must be serious about our responsibilities. For our customers, this means that we offer an unbeatable guarantee on all of our services. And for our environment this means examining every aspect of our business to see how we can reduce our impact on the environment, including the use of low-VOC and no-VOC paints. See our Green Plan for more details about why MB Jessee is the environmentally sound choice in painting companies.

For more than 17 years MB Jessee has been providing premium painting service to satisfied customers throughout the East Bay area. From mansions to residential high-rises, our work can be seen on display in Piedmont, Oakland Hills, Berkeley, Contra Costa, Danville, Pacific Heights, Marin and Hillsborough and throughout the greater Bay Area.

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Why People Hire Us

Fully Licensed and Insured

Fully Licensed and Insured

Clear Communication

Clear Communication

Peace of Mind

Peace of Mind

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

One-Stop Shop for Painting and Carpentry

One-Stop Shop for Painting and Carpentry

Experienced Oversight and Job Leadership

Experienced Oversight and Job Leadership

Our Credentials

Best of Oakland 2018 BBB American Society of Interior Designers ASID Leadsafe Certified Firm EPA NARI Member Nolan Summit Services Inc

Customer Reviews

“Awesome work by highly experienced, professional painters. They were: Conscious about the amount of time it would take. Ours had a lot of pre-work and took 3 weeks. Accommodating when we added a few last-minute changes Understanding when a heatwave hit and we remove some of the plastic sheeting over windows, which they had to put back up the next day. Accessible, especially the on-site crew (Hi Jose & Victor!) -- always answering questions and checking in. The end result is a perfect paint job that makes our 94-year-old house look brand new. I would definitely hire MBJ again”

— Stacey R.
Oakland, CA

“The painters at MB Jesse are top notch! Cesar's team was super friendly and helpful. They were very polite and accommodating. Their expertise in everything painting related was evident in their attention to detail and efficiency painting tricky spaces. The apartment looks brand new!”

— Adam Swisher

“I had my wooden kitchen cabinets painted white. Anabal and Danielle were doing the job. I have nothing but praise for them. They came on time, cleaned up every day, were respective, friendly and helpful. If the rest of Jessee's crew are as great as Anabal and Danielle, this company will go far.”

— Anni S.
Oakland, CA

“The finish on my kitchen cabinets had failed, becoming tacky and grimy around the handles. M B Jessee gave me a reasonable quote, far below some others, and did an outstanding job, striping the original varnish and refinishing with a new lacquer finish. The cabinets look like new. Work was done 1 day faster than estimated. The crew was extremely hard-working, considerate, and neat. Highly recommend M B Jessee.”

— Thama B.
San Francisco, CA

“My entire experience with MB Jesse was very professional. The crew were very friendly and super accommodating of my ridiculous schedule and geriatric pets in the house. The finished product, which was pretty much my entire house, far exceeds my expectations. Would definitely work with them again!”

— Heather Jordan

“Just wanted to let you know that the crew was great to have around the house for the past two weeks. All three of them were professional, courteous, and attentive to my thoughts/concerns and were extremely knowledgeable. They paid great attention to the detail and it shows.”

— Mark & Roberta Gross

“The kitchen looks NEW! You guys are amazing.”

“Richard and crew have been great, for sure. As much as I look forward to having the job done and my house back in order, I really enjoyed having them around. You should feel really good about how they represent your company.”

— Jessica Dodson

“Charles finished yesterday and did a fantastic job. We really enjoyed meeting Charles and having him in our home. He is a great guy in addition to his attention to detail in his work, the protection of our floors, walls and furnishings, and his overall interaction with us both. I would be pleased to recommend him to any of my clients.”

— Ken Morrison
Oakland

“Very easy to work with, they did an outstanding job with our project of re-painting our painting our kitchen cabinets. Given the scope of the job and that our kitchen is roughly half of our upstairs living area they did a fantastic job of minimizing the mess. Workmanship was top notch, would definitely recommend.”

— Vince Scola

“I can't say enough about how courteous and professional my foreman was. He was on time every morning and arrived cheerful and ready to go. He is highly organized and very thoughtful. He was extremely careful and respectful when moving my belongings - a mature professional.”

— Nora Robinson

“Dear Matt,You must be so proud of your men! They were fantastic to have around. Polite, courteous and hardworking. I am so pleased with the outcome of our home--in fact, I couldn't be any more pleased than I am!”

— Mrs. S
San Leandro