Your new home is a fresh canvas to express your creative personality. A palette of lovely colors is not the only consideration in choosing paint. Before putting on a painter’s hat and coveralls, consider choosing eco-friendly paints for your home.
Most conventional house paints contain VOC’s - volatile organic compounds. VOC’s are responsible for that “fresh paint smell”. VOC’s are also found in cleaning supplies, building materials, furnishings, copiers, printers, glues, adhesives, and other household and office products.
Exposure to VOC’c can negatively affect your health and indoor air quality. High concentrations of VOC’s can reach levels 5 times higher indoors than outdoors, and persist long after initial use of the product. These organic chemicals can cause headaches, nausea, allergies, chemical sensitivities, and irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat.
Tweet: VOC’s can reach levels 5 times higher indoors than outdoors.
No official standardization has been established for VOC labels on non-industrial products such as indoor paints. The best green products have been verified for top performance, consistent environmental standards, and social awareness.
Here are 7 eco-friendly paints for your home:
Anna Sova Healthy Paint: Up to 90% food grade ingredients.
Benjamin Moore EcoSpec® WB Interior Latex Paint: Zero VOC's. Meets the highest environmental requirements including LEED credit.
Bioshield Clay Paints: Clay is one of the oldest and cleanest paint material. No-odor, non-toxic, no-VOC's.
Green Planet Paints: Plant-based paint with zero VOC's.
Harmony Interior Acrylic Latex Paint: Zero VOC's. Green Guard Indoor Air Quality Certified® and GreenGuard Certified for Children and Schools.
Olympic Premium: Zero VOC's. Backed by Good Housekeeping Seal.
Yolo Colorhouse® Inspired: Zero VOC's. LEED Gold manufacturing facility.
Also look for the following green labels and logos:
- Asthma & Allergy Friendly
- Greenguard
- GreenSure
- Green Promise
- Green Seal
- Green Wise
Choosing eco-friendly paints for your home will help minimize VOC exposure, protect your health, and improve your home’s air quality.
For more information on eco-friendly paints and tips to create a healthy and beautiful home, click here.
Share your comments with me on Twitter and Google+
Subscribe to my ezine The Connected Times, a daily ezine focused on integrating sustainable lifestyles, technology, and social media.
