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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

“I cannot imagine finer painters--and I have worked with many. They work exceptionally hard. It is a joy to see their workmanship!”

— Alicia R.
Oakland

“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 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

“I want to express my thanks for a job well done. The rooms look great and there is no problem with any marks on the all the trim, floor, carpet, etc. The paint job is lovely. I also want to express my thanks for the level of professionalism the foreman showed in running the job. He was very attentive to any changes I needed to make, was extremely careful in getting the faux paint color and effect correct. Thanks so much for a job well done.”

— Suzan D’Arcy

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

“The entire MB Jessee team is courteous, efficient and professional. From scheduling and estimating to the crew managers and crew, they all did an excellent job on a small (but complicated) two room project in my house. I'm already thinking about getting them scheduled for the next project in the spring.”

— Cari Cheney

“Hello Matt,Just another notice of thanks to your wonderful crew, Rigoberto, Javier and John. They did fantastic work, with Rigo providing meticulous and conscientious attention to the details and excellent woodwork finishing, as evidenced by the beautiful fireplace. Javier did a fantastic job in the bathroom especially, it looks "brand new," and John always does quality work, both with the interior and exterior. I can tell they care about what they do. Rigo's "punch out" was very thorough, too. I will call again when I need some more work and will definitely recommend your company and fine crew. I also felt as a homeowner, I could leave my house in their good hands during the day and that took a lot of worry from me, they were honest, prompt and reliable. They were also very kind, respectful and clean in their work, very professional. Thank you.”

— Beth Marx & Melissa Kirsch
Oakland

“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

“Julie, by the way, I have never been so impressed with the service of a painting job before! It was like magical elves came and painted our walls without us having to do a thing! It looks amazing and just wanted to let you know how happy we are. Thanks”

— Anja
Piedmont

“I just wanted to thank you all for doing such a phenomenal job on our recent house painting. We are very happy with the outcome and can't say enough good things about the crew. Everyone working on the project was outstanding and made it a great experience. Thanks to everyone.”

— Daylan
Piedmont

“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