Articles & Resources
"Green Paint" Makes Life Beautiful and Healthy!
By Lisa Monachelli, Director of Youth and Family Programs
Green building, the use of environmentally-friendly products in
construction of homes and business, is very hot topic right now. From
recycled denim insulation to solar panels, there is some amazing technology
that fulfills the needs of both homeowners and the planet. Often the
big projects and remodels get most of the attention, but are out of
reach for the average homeowner. Still those do-it-yourselfers that
are looking to keep Mother Earth in mind can still do soon smaller
projects. One of the easiest is using "green" paint for
your next painting job.
There are many options to look at when thinking about green paint.
One of the easiest to find and most cost effective is Low or Zero-VOC
paint. VOC, or volatile organic compounds, are carbon containing chemicals
that readily evaporate into the atmosphere, destroying the ozone layer.
VOCs are commonly found in paint, as well as gasoline, mineral spirits
and nail polish. In addition to being ozone unfriendly, VOCs are responsible
for polluting our indoor air, which has been found by the EPA to be
5 times worse than outdoor airlow-VOC paints are often beneficial
for people with breathing conditions as well as young children and
the elderly.
Low/ZeroVOC paint is available in many indoor shades and is very
user-friendly. Most paint companies, under pressure from government
environmental organizations, are lowering VOC content and developing
better technologies for making paint safer. Try Benjamin Moore(www.benjaminmoore.com)
or Sherwin-Williams (www.sherwin-williams.com)
Natural paints are also becoming more popular and easier to use.
Natural paints are made from natural raw ingredients such as water,
plant oils and resins, plant dyes and essential oils; natural minerals
such as clay, chalk and talcum; milk casein, natural latex, bees'
wax, earth and mineral dyes.
The most commonly used of this category is milk paint. Milk paint
usually comes in powered form and is slightly less user-friendly,
needing to be mixed with water before use. These paints are entirely
non-toxic, have little odor and are very durable.
These paints are still a bit harder to find. I found milk paint at
Our Green House (www.ourgreenhouse.com)
in Newtown, CT (which has a lot of great eco-friendly products including
paint) for about $11.00 per pint. A great overall view of natural
and low/zero-Voc paints can be found at the Eartheasy website: www.eartheasy.com.
For more information on green building visit: www.greenbuildingsupply.com.
Enjoy all the colors of the earth indoors without harming those outside!
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