Paint is used for just about every purpose but the trick is to get the right paint for your needs.
Painting your home could be problematic… You have a variety of Paints to choose from and there are so many products available in the market – glossy, flat, latex, natural, Low VOC and Zero VOC.
It definitely is worth the research before you make your decision. This is an (x) part series of articles designed to help you make the best painting Decision.
Benefits of Painting
Painting a house is just like providing skin to a body. Paints main function is to serve as one of your home’s primary lines of defence against the sun, rain, snow, hail, dirt, grime and wind. Paints not only cover the holes or cracks but also beautify and add character and personality to a home. It makes the home more attractive, clean, fresh and beautiful, and also protects it from premature deterioration. Painting is the cheapest and easiest way of both increasing and maintaining the value of your home.
No doubt, a good paint job increases the life and adds character and personality to your home. It also expresses your personality and sense of style in a bold and unique way. Therefore it’s important to input quality time planning which colours, shades and paint styles you want to decorate your home with.
Effects of Painting on Health
Along with all of these positive impacts, paints may also have some negative impact on the healthfulness of a house. As per the US, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) paints are rated within its Top Five environmental hazards. This is because traditional paints normally contain the chemicals called VOCs and other toxic components that evaporate into the air and can affect the health of residents and can cause air pollution.
EPA’s research shows that VOC (volatile organic compound) levels indoors while the paint is drying are around 1000 times higher than outdoors. Research shows that babies, children, pregnant women, older people and those having respiratory problems are particularly vulnerable to solvent vapours.
Three Components of Paint Products
- Pigments that provide colour, toughness, texture and protect the surface to be painted
- Binder holds the pigments together and influences gloss potential, exterior durability, flexibility, and toughness.
- Solvents are added to a mixture of pigment and binder for it to be applied to the surface.
Certain additives can also be included for special results like splatter resistance, easier brushing, mildew resistance, the hardness of the paint film and UV resistance. Common binders used are latex, vinyl, acrylic and alkyd. Latex, vinyl and acrylic, which are formulated with water and are known as “water base”. As in traditional paints, natural plant oils like Linn Seed and Tung oil are used, therefore these types of paints are known as “oil base”.
Solvents in Paint Products
Out of these three components, the solvents are the main culprit for the paint’s level of VOCs. This is due to the fact that the solvent is designed to evaporate speedily, leaving only the pigment and its binder behind on your walls. Solvents tend to be either oil-based or water-based. Oil-based solvents have high VOC content and water-based have low or no VOC content.
But just by replacing the oil-based solvent, the paint is not free from harmful chemicals entirely. Pigments and binders may also include VOCs, and all three
components often contain a range of other toxins.
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