Eco-Friendly Paint | Tucson Painters

How are we exposed to V.O.C.’s?

Many product we have in our homes release or “off gas” V.O.C.’s. Here are a few examples of V.O.C. sources in our Tucson homes.

Conventional Paints
Many Cleaning Household Products
Vinyl
Carpet
Adhesives
Varnishes
Composite wood Products
Upholstered Fabrics

Solvents in ink, adhesives and paints of gas V.O.C’s. Gasoline is 100% V.O.C. V.O.C.’s are a major contributor to the depletion of the Ozone layer. V.O.C.’s contribute to poor air quality in our Tucson homes.

Painting History

Since Mans beginning we have decorated our homes. From a drawing on a cave wall, or the ancient pyramids throughout history we have expressed ourselves. We want to make our surroundings more personal. The danger is that paints have always contained poisons and toxins that not only pollute the environment. They also have very harmful effects on the air quality in our Tucson homes.

Good News

In recent years the E.P.A. has put into practice controls on the toxins and V.O.C.’s in paint. The attention this scary situation has made has been good. Many paint manufacturers now produce eco-friendly paints! As I mentioned in a previous article, technology has caught up the demand. These paints known as low or zero V.O.C. paints now perform very well. In fact they often times cover better than conventional paints. And now come with manufacturer warranties comparable or better to conventional paints.

Eco-Friendly Painting

Today we still like to express ourselves, by making our surroundings more personal. When we want to Paint and decorate our Tucson homes or business’s we have “Green” options! No more concerns about harmful paint fumes. “Green” paint has really evolved, how exciting!

Thinking about going “Green” when it comes to painting?

Recently I decided to change my diet and began eating mostly organic food, so I went shopping! What I found was very encouraging and exciting! I’m not limited on what I can have, I found finding Organic food was very easy. It has become more common than it was a few years ago.

Tucson has beautiful clean stores full of this delicious healthy food! This opened up a whole new world for me! Not only do I feel much better physically. I’m proud to be doing my part for the planet and the environment! This trend to live an Organic or “Green” lifestyle is on the rise. We have everything from Hybrid cars, solar energy, “Green” household cleaning products and beauty cosmetics. And, yes we have “Green” paint! This is what I want to discuss in this and my next few posts.

Time to Re-think “Green” Paint?

As I began to learn and appreciate all the benefits of eating Organic foods, naturally I started to think about “Green Paints”. When the industry first introduced “Green” Paints they were very expensive and really didn’t perform well, so I wasn’t very impressed and didn’t feel comfortable using a product that didn’t last.

Well guess what! Technology has caught up with the demand! Today we have what in the Paint industry is referred to low or no V.O.C. paints (“Green”) that perform! In fact the brand I primarily use has there paints with a lifetime guarantee! This is very exciting! Here’s some of what I’ve learned.

What are V.O.C.’s?

V.O.C. stands for Volatile Organic Compounds. They are found everywhere including nature. V.O.C.’s are organic chemical compounds that are found in nature, mainly in plants. If they are natural, you may ask what’s the problem? We are exposed daily to man-made V.O.C.’s that become concentrated indoors. This causes poor indoor air quality. And can irritate our eyes, throats, etc. I’ve had people tell they have experienced breathing problems when they are around products that emit V.O.C.’s.

My next post will discuss how we’re exposed to these harmful V.O.C.’s.