Buying a new home or starting a new home improvement project is exciting especially when paint is involved. Choosing the colors you want to see every day is a big decision accompanied by the fun of shopping around and taping up paint swatches. But there are more factors to consider when buying paint other than just color and finish. What about the caliber of the paint you’re buying and the impact it will have on your health or the environment? And what about the impact the paint industry has on global labor and human rights? If these are questions that have crossed your mind or you are just beginning to ask yourself this, buying an eco-friendly or ethical paint may be the best choice for you.
What are VOCs?
We all know what fresh paint smells like. That chemical odor you smell when a fresh layer of paint goes up is due to VOCs, volatile organic chemicals. VOCs are what cause that chemical paint smell and it is also the reason paint can warnings suggest you paint in a well-ventilated area. These VOCs can cause more than just an unpleasant scent. Short-term and long-term exposure to VOCs can have an impact on your health.
The issues with VOCs don’t go away when the smell does. After the paint dries and the scent subsides, the VOCs and other toxic biocides can still be detected in the air months and even years after the initial paint application. This can be dangerous for everyone in the vicinity including adults, children, infants, and pets.
What is Eco-friendly Paint?
If high levels of VOCs and exposure to excessive chemicals are a concern for you and your health, then a natural alternative is a great solution to your desire to paint without compromising your well-being. Eco-Friendly paint is a more natural alternative with lower levels of VOCs, toxins, and preservatives.
The following paints are eco-friendly and ethical:
Chalk paint has less VOCs than the average paint and can be used on the interior and the exterior of the home while ceramic paint contains antimicrobial properties. Linseed oil paint also contains fewer toxins and can be used on a range of surfaces. If you are looking for a paint product completely comprised of natural ingredients and containing absolutely no VOCs, then milk paint is the way to go. Milk paint is derived from a protein found in milk and comes in the form of a powder. This type of paint has been around for hundreds of years, yet many have never heard of it. Another benefit of milk paint is that it emits no odor. All these paint types provide a natural solution with a more healthy, safe, and sustainable impact.
Why Choose Eco-friendly Paint?
If you still aren’t convinced that an eco-friendly paint isn’t right for your next home improvement project, then keep reading. The benefits of using eco-friendly paint are endless. Because eco-friendly paints consist of less or no VOCs, there is little to no odor associated with painting. This is a huge advantage of using a natural alternative because the paint smell can be unpleasant. The smell alone can cause short-term health problems like nausea, headaches, and dizziness. Without the smell present, you won’t need to evacuate your home or avoid that freshly painted room at costs. This is also critical if you have infants or smalls pets in the home as they are more sensitive to chemical exposure. After the smell goes away, the health risks remain. The long-term health issues that come with constant and enduring exposure to VOCs such as respiratory and nervous system complications are dramatically reduced if not avoided altogether.
In addition to preserving your health, eco-friendly paint products also positively impact the environment. VOCs are just as bad for planet Earth as they are for the human body. These compounds contribute to the formation of the ozone layer and smog. Smog affects humans in a number of ways and it also reduces the overall air quality. VOC emissions can also contribute to global warming.
The Solution
So, you know you need to go with an eco-friendly, sustainable paint but choosing the paint is half the battle. The next steps are doing the actual painting. If you're an Albuquerque/New Mexico resident looking for expert help, we at the Andy's Painting Company can assist you in selecting the perfect eco-friendly paint for your project in the perfect shade! Our trained color consultants will work with you to determine what color is right for you and our expert painters will get the job done the right way. Contact us today!
