There are so many benefits to using natural paints (& oils), it’s a wonder why more people aren’t using them. The most obvious is for your own health. Natural paints do not use products that ‘out-gas’ toxic compounds into your home for years after you’ve finished painting. Then there’s the benefit to the environment, to the painters who have to work in the enclosed spaces, and of course you are supporting companies that are trying to make a difference in the world. Here are a few facts to help you think ‘natural’ the next time you need to do some painting.
· Natural paints are based on clays, plant extracts and minerals rather than petrochemicals.
· Natural paints have good, durable, modern finishes to match most modern paints.
· The VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) found in chemical paints include hydrogen, carbon and other chemical elements which easily become gases and enter our living spaces even years after the smell has gone. These gases are toxic. Many people get headaches from being exposed to such fumes (one painter who did some work for us after storm damage said it was the first job he had done for many years where he didn’t have a headache, thanks to the natural paints).
· Many ‘green’ paints with low VOC are still petrochemical based.
· Natural paints ‘breathe’, so you can use them on brick, timber, plasterboard, hempcrete, straw and so on and moisture and air can move across the materials creating a healthy living space.
· The price difference is not that significant, particularly when you factor in the amount of time you will be exposed to the fresh paint (painting yourself or being in the recently painted rooms) and the still
Some of our favourite products that we’ve used before here in Australia include:
· Bio Paints (http://www.bioproducts.com.au/)
· Volvox (http://www.volvox.de/)
· Livos (https://www.livos.com.au/)
As always, do your research and look carefully at the available options in your local area. Support good quality, honest ingredient lists, truly environmentally friendly and committed not just for profit but for the bigger picture.