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Green is the New Black

Five Environmentally Friendly Painting Tips for Your Home!

If you plan to paint your home’s Interior, make sure the experience is a safe one.

The best quality acrylic-latex paints these days are products that contain low-or

no-volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) These new high tech products reduce the

emissions of VOCs into the home, thereby improving indoor air quality and

reducing the formation of urban smog. Look for LEED certification on the label to ensure you are getting a low-VOC product. Products like Duration Home and Harmony paints from Sherwin Williams meet LEED certification and are labeled as “Green Smart”.

1. When at all possible, use all the paint you buy – an extra coat will give more protection. Share your leftovers with a neighbor who has a small area that needs painting. Most paints can be recoated after they are dry to the touch and this is usually less than an hour or two.

2. Leftover paint should not be poured down the drain – in household sinks, toilets or storm sewers. Store in tightly sealed paint cans and store upside down (helps maintain the seal).

3. If you must dispose of leftover paints, convert them to solid waste first and then dispose of them in regular trash. To convert the paint to solid waste, simply remove the lid and allow the water or solvents to evaporate. This should be done in an area away from children.

4. Solvent –based paints are ignitable and present additional hazards. These products should not be disposed of down storm sewers, household drains or on the ground. If you are going to leave them to dry out, do so in a well ventilated area. Solvents used for cleaning tools can be treated the same way.

5. Consider using quality water-based acrylic-latex paints. Pure acrylic latex Pints are increasingly used across a broad range of surfaces. They are more environmentally- friendly and contain very low levels of solvents. If you are using water-based paints over old solvent-based paints, make sure you follow the label instructions for surface preparation – usually a good cleaning and light sanding.