choosing paint for your home
Choosing the right color to paint a room can be hard, but the more important choice during this process is what kind of eco-friendly paint you will use! The good news is that paint for the home no longer contains lead, but there are other toxic properties still used in paint that you can avoid by choosing a kinder paint. The big culprit in paint now is VOC's (volatile organic compounds) which are solvents that release toxins during the drying process. They cause all kinds of health problems, like headaches, dizziness and respiratory problems, and some VOC's contain suspected carcinogens.
Luckily there are now many options for low-VOC or zero-VOC! But be aware that "zero-VOC" paints can still contain a small amount – but are much, much better than regular paint!
For more traditional home paints that are friendlier than some commonly found options, try these that are easily accessible at any Home Depot type store:
Benjamin Moore's Natura line
Sherwin-Williams' Harmony line
Dunn Edwards' EcoShield line
There are also other kinds of paint that have natural ingredient bases! Clay paints are mostly made of minerals and water instead of chemicals and solvents. Here are some great clay paints:
Bioshield Clay Paints
Green Planet Paints
Soy paints are another good, more natural option which are made of earth-based materials.
EcoProcote has many soy-based paints
Lime paints are another type...but in my research it looks like these wear away very quickly and can only be used on exterior surfaces. Does anyone have experience or recommendations for good lime paints?
You can see there are many options for creating a healthier house, especially considering how much time you spend in it. The best thing about using zero-VOC paints is there isn't any chemical new paint smell! The last time I painted a few rooms in my house we used the Benjamin Moore Natura line and it was smell-free! Pretty great!
If you're working on your house, there are a lot of good resources available now to find trustworthy information about making home improvements in a green, groovy way. Two books that have helped me in this area a lot are The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green by Starre Vartan and Ed Begley Jr.'s Guide to Sustainable Living: Learning to Conserve Resources and Manage an Eco-Conscious Life by my friendly eco-warrior Ed Begley. They cover everything from VOC-free paints to friendly dishwashers to making your own household cleaners!
Leave a comment if you have any other book recommendations in this genre, I'm always on the lookout for more!
21 comments
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I am glad I found this website. I have just started research on paint for your townhouse. Thanks for all the great information. Does anyone own and organic bed? I am research that also.
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Estree Mor, how timely! I'm looking for paint in Israel. Can you please point me to your source. I have no idea where to look. thanks so much.
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This is wonderful! I am painting my home now and using water-based, eco-friendly, VOC-free paint manufactured in Israel, where I live. The colors are beautiful, safe and cruelty-free. Looks and feels great! :)
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I just recently bought a townhome and I had all the inside walls painted. I used a natural line of paint and I am telling you, usually you have to open all your windows and doors and let your house air out for a few days, my house aired out in a few hours. And the smell to begin with wasn't even bad! The colors are so beautiful and I smile everytime I look at them cause they are cruelty free for me and for our earth.
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The BioShield interior paint with a satin finish has been a breeze to wipe down and keep clean - even in the kitchen. Also, the white color I selected (eggshell, I think!) has the most magically warm snow white glow to it.
(FYI: If you need to be able to keep your walls clean, know that the BioShield clay paint - in the past it has been this way, anyway - cannot be easily wiped clean...and touch up painting it is not an easy option, due to how the new clay/color matches with the old. But what a wonderful option for those situations where this is not a concern!)
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Some more info on Yolo Colorhouse paint; I checked their website and by definition its "zero VOC" (< 5 g/L of VOC)....its Greenseal certified and you can get LEED points, and:
100% recycled plastic containers
100% post-consumer waste labels with soy based inks
Bio-diesel and rail shipping to reduce embodied energy
Poster-size sampling system reduces quart can waste
Displays made from renewable and recyclable materials
They also state in their FAQs:
Is YOLO Colorhouse tested on animals/animal ingredients?
No, absolutely not.
What ingredients are in YOLO Colorhouse? The primary ingredients in YOLO Colorhouse paint are: water, acrylic polymer, titanium dioxide kaolin clay, amorphous silica, and limestone (ingredients vary from base to base). -
We recently repainted our kitchen cabinets and walls with Yolo Paint. My understanding is that the base paint is VOC-free; but the coloring they add is what contains a slight amount of VOCs.
We LOVED the Yolo paint, it is great to work with, high quality and nice and thick. No obnoxious odors at all while painting. I like that they have limited colors compared to other brands, which have way too many, its overwhelming. I dont know about whether the paint is vegan or not but they are known to be an environmentally conscious company. We purchased ours from a local "green" building supply store. Its quite a bit more expensive per gallon but we thought it was well worth it. If you are really concerned about this its a good idea also to look into the paint is made and the company's ethics and sustainability practices.
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I used Benjamin Moore's Aura paints in several rooms in our house when we first moved in 2 years ago and I have to say it was odorless. It does have calcium carbonate listed as an ingredient, but from what I understand, calcium carbonate used in industrial things like paint comes from mining , since its commonly found in rock. But I guess you would have to ask representatives of benjamin moore to know for absolute sure. Yolo is another eco friendly paint line that has limited but beautiful colors.
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A really grest book i read this summer inspired me like crazy to live small and live eco-friendly. Chock full of eco friendly kind ways to live! Its called The New Village Green by Stephen Morris and the editors of Green Living Journal. Just thinking about it makes me want to read it again!
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This is great to know, I've been gearing up to paint my bedroom. I decided on the color, and now this post helps me decide on the brand of paint. Thanks Alicia, you're awesome!!!
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Beware that a lot of these paints are not vegan. Watch out for paint that has casein, sometimes calcium carbonate, beeswax, shellac, or milk. You can make your own natural paints rather then buying them. Check out these books but please avoid the non-vegan ones or experiment and substitute with vegan items: The Natural Paint Decorator: Recipes, Finishes, Techniques by Lynn Edwards OR Using Natural Finishes: A Step-by-Step Guide by Adam Weismann
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Milk paint is the original "green" paint. There are a number of companies that make it, but I've always purchased Old Fashioned Milk Paint. Here's what they have to say about their product:
Our Milk Paint is totally free of:
} VOC's*, HAP's**, solvents or harmful poisons of any kind.
} Lead
} Mercury
} Radioactive materials
} Petroleum by-products
} Plastics
} Synthetic preservatives
} Any strong odor (just a slight milky smell on application).
Our Milk Paint is completely safe for:
} Anyone who has Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.
} Pregnant women.
} Use on children's furniture and toys.
} Use on hospital and nursery walls.
Our Milk Paint will not support combustion in case of a fire.
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Just an FYI for folks VOC's never really stop off gasing and will continue to do so as long as you have it even if the walls are dry. The other option is using a milk based paint granted not exactly vegan but, it is an option.
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I believe Olympic paints are all No VOC now...at least that is what they told me at Lowes.
Wonderful that there are so many companys going low or no VOC now.
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I painted my kids' rooms with the Benjamin Moore brand and they slept in their rooms same night! No scent after painting! For just a few more dollars, finally a paint that is safe for all involved!!
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I was just at Sherwin Williams yesterday getting paint and the salesman gave me the spiel about their 6 different kinds of paint and the benefits including the low and zero VOC's, but those paints are $20-$40 more per gallon then their basic, which is already expensive. Wish it was more affordable...
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Perfect timing on this one!!! We just closed on a house built in 1880 on Tuesday and have a TON of renovations/ updates to do...including painting! Thanks much!
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Sara Snow has a book called Living Fresh and it is full of eco-friendly and natural tips for your home. She offers tips like using vinegar and lemon juice instead of buying chemical filled cleaning products, etc.
Thanks for the painting tips Alicia!! I was actually JUST thinking about this the other day.
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Yay, Alicia you're a great help- my Kind Diet is going to be delivered on Monday, I can't wait. Had to have shipped cause couldn't find anywhere here in Johannesburg, South Africa that had it.
Thanks for all your tips
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