Why choose eco-friendly paints?

Today’s eco-friendly paints are nothing like the products of the past. Eco-friendly can come with a lot of misconceptions. For a long time, the thought was subpar products where you had to make a choice between going green or getting the best. Not anymore. Today, eco-friendly is not only better for the planet, it is often better for you and your painting project.

What is eco-friendly paint?

Eco-friendly paint is a category of paints that not only have more ecologically friendly ingredients, but often also have manufacturing processes that are considered greener, and better for the environment. Eco-friendly paints utilize a variety of organic ingredients to replace chemical additives and reduce health risks as well.

Less Oil Use

Eco-friendly paints are water-based instead of oil-based. This reduces harmful emissions during manufacturing and reduces oil use as well. Oil-based paints are often considered hazardous waste and difficult to dispose of while eco-friendly water-based paints can be easily disposed of without environmental damage.

Healthier for You

Eco-friendly paints use fewer, or no, volatile organic compounds (VOC).  These VOCs are what is responsible for the wet paint smell you may be familiar with.  These compounds are particularly problematic indoors where the EPA says concentrations can be 10 times higher than outdoors. Cancer concerns and other short and long-term health consequences are linked to many VOCs. Headaches, dizziness, and difficulty breathing are just a few of the health concerns linked to VOCs.

High Performance

Eco-friendly paints of today now offer superior traits compared to traditional oil-based and VOC paints.  Even exterior applications can benefit from today’s eco-friendly water-based paints.  Some offer even better adhesion to the surface than oil-based and can be applied in a wider temperature range than oil-based paints.

Just like older oil-based paints, eco-friendly paints come in a variety of options, even some with paint and primer all together in one can.

Cost Effective

While the initial cost of eco-friendly paints may be a little higher, many find that the benefits of eco-friendly paints make it more cost effective. Quicker dry time speeds the painting process and low to no odor (no-VOC) means that the area being painted can be opened to use again much more quickly and safely.

Further, improved adhesion, better surface coverage per coat, and easy clean up can make the painting process faster and more cost effective.