BEHR Premium paints, varnishes or shellacs

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. Emergency room

   Made Jul 8, 2026 · , sent to the company Jul 13, 2026 · , published by CPSC Jul 27, 2026

   The product, in the report: Interior Eggshell Enamel Medium Base 2400

   June 27th 2026- Consumer painted the home’s bottom-floor bathroom using BEHR paint purchased from Home Depot that day. Consumer and friends assisting immediately reported experiencing acute headaches and stomach upset after the first coat of paint that evening.

   June 28th 2026 - Consumer became noticeably ill and contacted Poison Control, who warned that symptoms could persist for days and instructed her to go to the Emergency Room if her condition deteriorated. Due to severe physical illness, an independent witness drove consumer to Home Depot to return the defective paint. Home Depot employees Assistant Manager [REDACTED] and sales representative deemed paint expert by [REDACTED], [REDACTED] inspected the paint, verified it was bad/contaminated, and explicitly stated This should have been caught when the paint was mixed. They noted the batch was mixed by an employee named [REDACTED] (described by staff as the best with paint). Consumer and witness, explicitly asked the representative if it was safe for my children to sleep in their bedrooms given the close proximity to the contaminated bathroom. The representative stated No Upon hearing the severity of the situation, Manager [REDACTED] explicitly stated to me that I could have anything I wanted paint-related and that he just wanted to fix the problem. Too ill to process the transaction fully, consumer declined to take physical items that day but explicitly demanded that management pull the batch to ensure no other customers were poisoned. Consumer’s family slept a family friend’s home.

   Monday, June 29th- Consumer and witness went back to Home Depot. Following staff recommendations to seal the bacterial/chemical issue, Home Depot provided replacement paint, replacement supplies, and [REDACTED] primer to treat the now-contaminated walls at no cost $0.00 zero-balance receipt issued. Consumer requested supervisor [REDACTED] to come to the customer service desk and she was a witness to this transaction. Upon application of the store-recommended [REDACTED] primer that evening, the underlying drywall immediately began bubbling aggressively, and the toxic, rancid chemical odor returned, trapping fumes in the home. Consumer called [REDACTED] immediately at 7pm who reported there was nothing he could do and explained that I could call the store at 5am the next day. Two witnesses were also present for this phone call. Slept in the ER.

   On both Sunday and Monday, Consumer explicitly requested to speak directly with the Store Manager. Employees actively refused to contact or involve him, stating they did not want to bother him and insisted they could rectify it internally.

   Tuesday, June 30 Approx. 12:00 AM- Following severe symptom escalation from the second exposure, Consumer and two of three minor children rushed to the Emergency Room. The ER documented chemical exposure for Consumer and the two oldest children. The 3-year-old toddler was primarily watched by her grandmother during the peak exposure window- Consumer was medically instructed to strictly monitor her at home for latent cardiac or respiratory symptoms).

   The two eldest children suffered severe headaches, dizziness, and intense panic. Consumer suffered an acute, active asthma attack and stomach pains while on-site at the ER. ER physicians consulted directly with Poison Control from the hospital. The family was eventually cleared to return home only after immediate acute danger passed, but the discharging doctor explicitly warned that the environmental “irritants” remaining in the home could be harmful to the asthmatics in the household, instructing the consumer to call back immediately with any respiratory changes and consumer was provided with a special mask to wear when attempting to “clear out” the bathroom.

   July 2nd, 2026 - Consumer went to follow up appointments for children and they were diagnosed with chemical exposure and Stress and Adjustment Reaction and their PCP also stated it was safe to sleep in the home. Around 8:30pm consumer’s eldest child reported that rotten egg smell again. Consumer contacted Poison Control and we slept at family member’s home due to the heat and the smell.

   A contractor came out and stated that due to the contamination all of the drywall must be removed and replaced to prevent further exposure. Consumer and family have been displaced since July 2nd because upon being in and out of the home to gather belongings, consumer noted a “sweet smell” and contractor verified that this could be hazardous.

   What began as a simple standard DIY project, turned into a nightmare. Due to stress and displacement, I am experiencing an exacerbation of chronic neck issues, increased, stress and the children are afraid to be in their own home and require mental health treatment.

   Model

   Dark Storm Cloud

   UPC

   094226014312

   Bought from

   Home Depot

   Bought

   Jun 27, 2026

   Where

   Williamstown, New Jersey: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Age 7, Female

   The reporter’s relation to them

   My Child

   As this report names them

   Brand BEHR Premium, made or sold by BEHR PROCESS CORPORATION

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Injury, Emergency Department Treatment Received

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources