What Is Eco-Friendly Paint?

Using eco-friendly paints is less harmful to you and the environment.

Helping the environment can be as simple as choosing a different kind of paint in your house. Eco-friendly paints are water-based and regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They come in all different colors and finishes to suit what you need to decorate your home.

Hazards

Non eco-friendly paint contains chemicals which the EPA has deemed as hazardous. When painting outside these chemicals become more diluted because of the ventilation, however, when painting indoors the area is smaller and these chemicals car be harmful to a person. Moreover, these chemicals, like formaldehyde and pesticides, are harmful to the environment as well. This explains the demand for more eco-friendly paints.

VOC

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are the chemicals found in most types of paint. As people become more aware of their harmful effects, more paints are emerging with less VOCs. To be labeled a "Low VOC" paint, they must contain less than 200 grams of VOC in each liter. This standard set by the EPA is half the amount of VOC grams in the usual paint. "Zero VOC" paints are also available and this refers to paints with less than five grams of volatile compounds.

Interior

There are three type of eco-friendly interior paints: clay paint, lime wash and milk paint. Clay paint will adhere to quickly to surfaces, but lacks the range of available colors. Also, they can only be used indoors and tend to be expensive. Lime wash is made of lime stone and acts as a primer, or white wash, on surfaces. Several coats will be needed to properly prime the surface. Milk paint is made from a protein in milk called casein. It comes in powder form and must be mixed with water in order to use it. Milk paint can only be used indoors as well.

Exterior

Since outdoors paints need to stand up to more elements than indoor paints, they tend to have higher levels or harmful materials, but still less than typical exterior paints. The open air will make the VOCs less concentrated and therefore a bit less harmful and more diluted. Eco-friendly options for exterior paints do exist, the selection is much smaller than interior paints though.

Quality

The quality of eco-friendly paints may sometimes come under fire. This is because they are vastly water based paints and this makes them less durable. If something gets on the wall, it can not be scrubbed or cleaned without a touch up being needed. This is also why it is difficult to find these kind of outdoor paints. But, as eco-friendly paints continue to evolve, so does the quality of the paint.

References

• Green Living Ideas: Green Remodeling with Eco Friendly Paint