When I bought my townhome, one of the first things I did was paint. I was like a crazy and obsessed woman, trying to find the perfect hues to compliment my furniture, while solving for a cohesive color scheme. Despite all my “research”, I overlooked the fact that there are indoor house paints that are environmentally friendly.
Standard paints contain solvents called VOCs, or volatile organic compounds. These solvents are released into the air and contribute to smog and pollution. With eco-friendly paints, these solvents are essentially reduced or eliminated, and therefore less toxic to the environment.
While you may feel good about using eco-friendly paints, there are several drawbacks.
- They are generally more expensive than standard paints – on average, $3 more per gallon
- They dry quickly, making it difficult for an even application
- They are less durable and should not be used in high-traffic areas
- Color selection is limited compared to standard latex paints
Federal law caps VOC content in paints to 250 g/L, and many states and cities have enacted their own regulations: for example, beginning July, California will ban paints with over 50 g/L of VOCs. With these tighter regulations, manufacturers are sure to focus more of their attention on eco-friendly paints, which will hopefully reduce or eliminate many of their drawbacks.
Have any of you used eco-friendly paints? If so, please tell us about your experiences!
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