Painting is the easiest and most transformative way to boost your home’s aesthetics and improve its value. Hiring a professional painting contractor like Brush & Color Painting can help you save money, time, and the frustrations that come with DIY home painting.
While hiring a painting contractor is a relatively straightforward process, choosing the paint can be quite overwhelming. After deciding on the color, sheen, and brand, you still have to choose among the many available varieties –including eco-friendly paint. If you’re looking for environmentally friendly and safer paint options, eco-friendly paint could be the best option for you.
What Is Eco-Friendly Paint?
Eco-friendly paint, or natural paint, is paint that has been specially designed to have lower levels of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). When you open the can of any conventional paint, you notice the “paint smell” that usually comes from Volatile Organic Chemicals.
Conventional paint releases the most VOCs during painting and within a few days after painting. However, many paints will still release the VOCs for months or even year’s after the paint has dried.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), VOCs released by regular paint can cause short term and long term health consequences. Some of the most common health consequences include nausea, dizziness, headaches, irritation of respiratory eyes and respiratory tract, and heart or lung damage.
VOCs are the main reason painting instructions advise that you only work in well-ventilated areas. The chemicals used to preserve paints and the pigments used to create the colors can also be hazardous at certain levels. Some outdoor paints and paints designed for bathrooms might also contain fungicides meant to deter mildew growth.
Eco-friendly paint manufacturers develop their products using a variety of natural ingredients. Some of the most popular natural ingredients include milk protein, citrus, balsam, clay, among others. While conventional paints are regulated to minimize any toxic effects, if you want safer options, consider eco-friendly paints.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Paint
- Low VOC Content –this is the biggest benefit, and as earlier mentioned, eco-friendly paints contain zero or insignificant levels of VOCs. They have a significantly lower impact in damaging the environment.
- Made From Natural Materials –eco-friendly paints are made from natural materials that non-toxic and friendly to the environment. Commonly used natural ingredients like lemon peels, seed oil bee wax, and clay don’t emit harmful volatiles during use.
- Low odor –while a few people might like the ‘freshly painted’ smell that is emitted after painting, it can feel unpleasant and suffocating to many homeowners. Eco-friendly paints are free of the typical odor that usually released by ammonia and formaldehyde found in conventional paints.
- Health Benefits –the VOCs in conventional paints can linger around for years, even after the paint has dried up completely. If you’re continually exposed to VOCs, you run a risk of developing health complications such as frequent headaches, irritation to the respiratory tract, and even lung cancer. Using eco-friendly paints will help you avoid these potential complications.
- Cost-Efficient –eco-friendly paints might seem costlier at first, but they’re significantly cost-effective in the long run. Overexposure to VOCs in conventional paint can send you to an unexpected trip to the hospital because of health-related concerns. Besides, eco paints have greater color retention, viscosity, abrasion resistance, and paint coverage.
The Bottom Line
So, are eco-friendly worth it? Well, considering their listed benefits above and testimonials from many of our customers, we can confidently say that eco paints are worth their costs. If you need professional help with your residential painting project, Brush and Color Painting can help.
We offer interior and cabinet eco-friendly painting services in Austin, TX, Tarrytown TX, Clarksville TX, and Westlake, TX. To use our services, book a FREE estimate or call us on (512) 947-0594 if you have any question.