Ask TreeHugger: Household Green Paint Alternatives
by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA on 04.17.07
Question: I need to paint the inside of my house, but don’t want to use the traditional paints, which I know have many chemicals. Are there chemical-free alternatives?
Response: Traditional household paints contain many chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are a large group of carbon-based chemicals that are volatile, meaning that they like to exist as a gas. The type and amount of VOCs in a household paint generally varies with the type and brand of paint, but traditional household paints generally contain many VOCs, including benzene, formaldehyde, and toluene. Some of these VOCs have been linked in scientific studies to bad health outcomes, including eye, nose and throat irritation, nauseau, headaches, and even cancer.
Because VOCs are volatile, they can “off-gas” from the walls into the air as the paint is applied or as it dries. This, combined with the fact that the paint is usually applied to a large area, can cause people living or spending time in these freshly painted homes to have exposures to VOCs that are much greater than normal – as much as 1000 times greater. These potentially large exposures – and resulting smells, headaches, and other potential health effects -- cause many (including you!) to look for lower VOC or chemical-free paints.
There are several types of lower VOC or no VOC paints, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Of the traditional household paints, latex or water-based paints -- especially the latex paints that are largely free of formaldehyde and other chemicals to prevent mildew and mold (“low biocide”) -- have lower amounts of VOCs as compared to oil-based paints. Similarly, flat finish paints tend to contain fewer VOCs than glossy finish paints, while white or pale paints have less VOCs than brightly colored or dark paints.
Even lower in VOC content are the “low VOC”, “zero-VOC” or “no-VOC” latex paints, which must have VOC levels lower than 100 parts per gallon (or less than five grams of VOCs per liter g/L in the case of “zero VOC” or “no-VOC” paints ). Although lower in VOC content, they all (even those paints labeled as “no VOC ") generally release some VOCs into the air, with the amount differing by brand. These low and no VOC paints work well, with studies showing that they work as well as or better than a conventional latex paint. However, care should be taken in selecting a "low-VOC" paint, as some may still emit relatively high amounts of certain VOCs and some may perform poorly.
Other paints are entirely free of man-made chemicals and thus are the least polluting and harmful options. “Natural” paints are composed of natural materials, such as linseed, citrus, and soy oils, pine- and balsam-derived turpenes, minerals, plant pigments, lime, and chalk. Although they are made from natural ingredients, “natural” paints may still emit significant amounts of VOCs from ingredients like turpenes or citrus oil, which can also cause eye or lung irritation in some people. “Milk-based” paints, on the other hand, emit no natural or man-made VOCs, but have limited usage (for example, not in kitchens, bathrooms, or other damp areas), take a long time to dry, and require frequent repainting.
There are several sites that provide more detailed information and/or lists of low or no VOC paints, including GreenSeal and GreenHome, which you may want to check out before deciding on a paint type. Also, you may want to look at comments on TreeHugger for other recommendations about green paints.
Previous Ask Treehugger columns can be found here.
Helen Suh MacIntosh is a professor in environmental health at Harvard University and studies how pollution behaves in the environment and how it affects people's health. Please keep in mind that her answers are just her interpretation of available information and should not be taken as the only viewpoint or solution to a problem. Use this column at your own risk. Having said this, please feel free to post any of your environmental health questions to Helen@TreeHugger.com (please use a descriptive email subject line and mention if you want to remain anonymous or not).
We have a reef aquarium in our living room and it is very sensitive to VOCs, to the point that certain aromatic foods can sometimes disturb the tank's denizens. We've found that Valspar Signature Colors is sufficiently low-VOC to not set off the tank and it works (and lasts) well. It's also fairly reasonably priced.
I don't know how green its manufacturing process is though. Does anybody have knowledge of this?
I have used the sherwin williams Harmony paint with great success. I think it's a no VOC paint, and the lack of smell was surreal the first time I used it.
Not sure if my first comment went through so...
Dave,
My consumer research (as a hobbyist) tells me that there are definitley better choices out there. Valspar still contains some pretty nasty stuff (VOC's, biocides). Note the difference between low VOC and no VOC. I would check out some of the no VOC or natural paint options.
Are there chemical-free alternatives?
Response: Traditional household paints contain many chemicals...
Do we have to keep propagating this anti-science nonsense? *All matter* contains "chemicals". But even if you restrict the term to mean "artificially stuff" (however that works, exactly) chemicals per se aren't evil.
The Sherwin-Williams stuff is great, with zero-vocs. Doesn't give me headaches like conventional paint does. However, it does contain antimicrobials, and it touts it as a positive.
Sherwin Williams makes an anti-microbial, ZERO-VOC, & silica-free interior latex called "Harmony." It's a water-based paint that you can get as a primer or a topcoat & comes in several different finishes. I've had good luck with it and it's almost odor-free! Also, in areas where I am not so concerned with off-gassing (like outdoors or in the garage), I've used Kelly-Moore "Ecoat" paint. It's not low/no VOC, but it IS min 50% post-consumer recycled waste paint. I've had good luck with it, too, and both brands have worn well.
I've used Biofa paints throughout my house here in Ireland.
They are a pleasure to work with - pleasant smelling, very effective, great range of colours and you can sleep in the newly-painted room the same day.
Outdoors, these paints 'weather' attractively. In other words, on a properly-prepared surface these paints gradually erode with the wind and rain, rather than peel like mainstream paints, and thus require very little preparation for another coat.
I've also used Nutshell varnishes for outdoor furnishings: my verdict is, simply, they extremely well. Highly recommendable. And no, I have no connection with these companies whatsoever, just very pleased with the results.
You can also try Bioshield Paints - I've used them to paint murals in kids' bedrooms. The colors are great and the kids can sleep in their rooms the same night. www.bioshieldpaint.com
I really want to paint greener too, but I can't seem to afford it. Where I live green paints aren't offered at least, not that I can find. I've asked and no luck. I know there are websites I can go to to buy some but the shipping and handling alone is enough to cut into my grocery bill. I have a lot of painting to do in my old house and either I paint with regualr paint or I never ever get to paint. Any advice?
D,
Some chemicals are bad, some are good. Where's the nonsense? It's not anti-science to call certain chemicals harmful. This should be quite obvious!
You can also make your own milk paint from scratch... requires some practice but is so cheap it's ridiculous. Tip: don't use grape juice as a purple-tint... as you might guess, it curdles the milk. :)
If I'm painting a home that I don't plan to live in for weeks after its painted does it really matter???
For more detailed analysis of the issues in choosing 'greener' paints, check out our Australian based web-site www.greenpainters.com.au.
Although the focus is on paints available in Australia, the issues are universal to the paint industry. Greenpainters is a not-for-profit organisation of paint professionals committed to sustainable coatings and painting practices. We do not sell paint, and are not funded by any paint manufacturers, so we can be completely objective.
In short, the most sustainable paints are plant-based paints. They are made from renewable resources, and their chemical composition is based on unprocessed, naturally occuring chemicals. New technology is allowing some companies to manufacture these paints to high standards of durability, sheen, abrasion resistance, opacity, and colour-fastness.
Conventional paint manufacturers are chemical companies, and don't want people to know the facts about their products. Eventually, the cost of petroleum will be so high, that petroleum-based acrylics will be the same cost as plant-based paints, and the manufacturers will be faced with law-suits from painting contractors who have a 5 times higher risk of developing cancer from using their products. Other environmental issues associated with even so-called 'low-VOC' acrylics include disposal of the toxic waste associated with their production, and waste-water contamination after clean-up.