Paint Manufacturers
Guide To Eco And Natural Paints
What’s wrong with conventional paints?
Who knew that picking up a paintbrush could have so many pitfalls? Apart from thenausea, dizziness and headaches which can arise if you don’t open enough windows while you’re merrily creating a feature wall or jazzing up an old cupboard, the ong-term effects aren’t great either. The constituents of conventional paints may include formaldehyde, heavy metals and nasties known as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs for short. Those VOCs are given out while painting – and for up to five years after your brushes have dried.
The World Health Organisation says that professional decorators are 40% more likely to contract lung cancer, so it’s no great leap to wonder whether Paint in the home is detrimental to those living there (just ask the people who get allergic reactions). Not to mention the potentially harmful processes involved in the manufacture of paint … This is, after all, the petrochemical industry, so not only does production involve the use of non-sustainable resources, it’s said that producing one litre of paint can result in up to 30 litres of toxic waste.
What is an Eco Paint?
By 2010, paint manufacturers will be obliged to comply with stringent new EU limits on VOC levels. Some have complied already and are labelling their products as ‘environmentally friendly’ – but it ain’t necessarily so. According to sustainablebuild.co.uk, many of the ‘non-toxic’ paints from conventional companies “still contain VOC solvents, chemical pigments and fungicides”. Equally confusingly, the move towards low-VOC, water-based gloss paints is also controversial, as it means manufacturers have to add even more ingredients, using a more intensive production process, than before.
Even among the producers of ‘eco’ or ‘natural’ paint there’s no cut and dried definition of what that description means. Some use synthetic, petrochemical-based ingredients, just in lower amounts; others are made with natural solvents, which still contain VOCs (though rather than emitting noxious gases they tend to smell of the citrus fruits from which they’re often derived). Some contain animal products. And some contain titanium dioxide as a whitener, which is a big contributor to environmental problems. Clearly, there are degrees of ‘eco’, and the only way to decide is to read the label carefully and consider all the claims made by the manufacturers. Ethical Consumer concludes its buyers’ guide to gloss paint with this useful 60-second green guide: ‘Generally, plantbased, water-borne paints are the best buy, followed by plant-based, solvent-borne ones with natural solvents. Try to avoid those using titanium dioxide.
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HEARTLAND 21000 Dryer Vent Closure $15.99 … |
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M-D Building Products 92296 SmartTool 47-1/4-Inch Digital Electronic Level $119.25 Welcome to the versatile world of SmartTool. Most levels only give you information at level (0 degrees) and plumb (90 degrees) using bubbles you have to work to center visually between two lines. You can do that with SmartTool, too, but the SmartTool also lets you measure digitally, electronically, and with an actual number, at every angle, all 360 degrees of a complete circle. So instal… |
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Extech PH100 ExStik Waterproof pH Meter $89.99 Now you can test pH on the spot easily and accurately with the ExStik PH100 Waterproof pH Meter. The durable ExStik meter features a flat surface electrode for measuring pH in liquids, semi-solids, and solids. A built-in smart chip offers memory recording of 15 settings, allowing you to compare readings over time. The ExStik lets you know when the meter needs recalibration and when it’s time to re… |
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NASCAR Thunder 2002 $11.00 2001 – EA Sports – XBOX – NASCAR Thunder 2002 – Rated E – Original Case, Paperwork – Players 1-4 – Memory Unit – Limited Edition – Collectible… |
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NASCAR Thunder 2002 $29.99 NASCAR Thunder 2002 roars to the front of the pack with a revolutionary new graphics engine from the developers of Madden NFL, a new career mode, and a new level of interactivity that brings the racetrack to life. Get “in the game” like never before: hear what the driver hears, see what the driver sees, and feel what the driver feels. NASCAR Thunder 2002 features more cars than ever on the track, … |
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Dispersing Pigments and Fillers (Hardcover) $205.86 The dispersion of pigments and fillers is the most important and complex step during paint manufacturing. Wetting, mechanical destruction and stabilization occur simultaneously, and each of these steps must be faultless in order to get an optimal di… |
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Painting - Drawing | admin | 
December 10, 2010 3:37 pm
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