When we think of our dream house we have each one of the rooms imagined in every detail. Our houses are more than concrete and wood! They are It’s a places that give us that will give us the feelings of comfort and safety. They are a reflection of our mind and aesthetic ideas! We give them the attention they need in order to make them our dreamland!
You might think that choosing the right colour for your house is the only concern you are going to have when you decide to make some changes? Well let us tell you, it might not be like that! You should have in mind that the type of paint will determine the end result, but it will also have to be harmless for yours's and your family’s health.
The different composition of Paints
Basic paint
The basic paint contains the colour and binders, known as resins, that helps them to insert in the solvent (a liquid base), so it can be applied on surfaces.
Acrylic & Latex
Acrylic and latex paints are water based. The components in Acrylic paint are pigmented (colour), binder and water. When it comes to latex paints there is water and a coalescing agent for binding!
Oil-paints
Oil-paints contain more synthetic materials. Pigment is the colour and is usually a powder. The binder in oil paint is linseed oil. The solvent could be a variety of things, but most often it is turpentine or mineral spirits.
So, as you can imagine, water-based paints are more eco- friendly, than any paint that is synthetic-based. Although, traditionally it is believed that the paints that last longer are those with harsh chemicals. This idea has changed with the evolution of technology and new materials.
How can I make sure that my paint is eco - friendly?
In March 1992, at Maastricht the EU signed and started using the EEC Regulation 880/1992 agenda, which is the test to scientifically confirm if a product is eco-friendly or not. The main target of this agenda was to clarify that eco-friendly products are as effective and in good quality as the ones chemically-based. So since then, every eco-friendly product has the Eco Hallmark on it! If your paint is eco-friendly, search for the label!
Choose correctly!
Why is it important to choose eco-friendly paints, especially for the interior painting of your house? The average person spends between 48-50 hours a month at home! Sleeping is not included! So imagine having to live in a place that the chemical levels of the paints are 10 times higher, than the VOC’s of outdoors (source)