Eco friendly paints

Traditional paints come loaded with more than 10,000 chemicals which can pose serious health problems. Once applied on the walls, they vaporize slowly to make your home a toxic gas chamber. Eco friendly paints are a healthier alternative to traditional paints. Theses are made from naturally derived materials such as citrus peel, seed oils and inert mineral fillers. These are so natural that you can dispose them in a compost heap. Unlike traditional paints these don’t seal your wall. This easy breathing ability rendered by eco friendly paint can control moisture levels and reduce blistering and flaking.   These materials are chosen as they are non toxic, renewable and pose hardly any environmental threat.  The eco friendly paints are slightly more priced than traditional paints but the health benefits far outweigh the increased price. Usually the eco friendly paints cost $3 more per gallon, compared to traditional paints. Eco friendly paints are non carcinogenic and are non allergic.  Eco friendly paints are practically odorless (certain less expensive ones can have a faint trace of odor). The only disadvantage with eco friendly paints is that you can’t achieve the dark intense shades with them. If you want an intense shade you must choose the eco friendly paint with the highest level of VOC in them.

Newer Developments

It’s of prime importance to reduce and eliminate toxic chemicals in the surrounding.  This is because our skin absorbs 60% of all substances that it comes into contact with. Eco friendly paints earned a reputation as being of inferior quality as compared to traditional paints. Their durability, consistency and bleak color all came under the scanner. However the recent developments in technology have helped to create a new breed of eco friendly paint. These not only are less damaging to the environment but also give more options in terms of color.

Anatomy of Paint

Paint essentially consists of pigments, a binding agent which binds the colorant to the surface and a solvent which helps to keep the paint in suspension till it dries. Once the paint is applied the solvent vaporizes leaving the paint on the surface. The solvent in most silk and matt paint can be extremely harmful and causes Danish Painters syndrome, Sick Building syndrome and allergies. Even some organic paints that contain ethereal oils and turpentine oil are known to generate carcinogenic molecules.  In eco friendly paints the chemical solvent is replaced by water or synthetic binders. This process remains unchanged for both eco friendly and traditional paints. Eco friendly paints are almost carbon neutral, as they are derived from plant oil. This helps them to easily merge into the natural carbon cycle.

Milk Paint

Of the eco friendly paints, Milk paints seem to be growing in popularity of late. Milk paint in liquid form tends to spoil easily, so it’s mostly sold in powder form. However, these are hard to obtain as there are only a handful of manufacturers who make milk paints. Milk paints were known to be made several thousands of years ago and is essentially a mix of lime and casein.