Safe Painting and Painting Secrets

It is the time of year when so many of us are bringing out the paint brushes to brighten up our homes both inside and out, so we thought it was in the best interest of everyone to offer some information for easy and safe painting. Even the most mainstream hardware store now offers at least one brand of healthier paint, and what a difference it makes, to your lungs, to your health, and to the planet, to use these newer, more environmentally friendly paints!

Learn from these shopping tips for paint, and painting secrets:

Use Low- or No-VOC and Formaldehyde-free Paint

Most paint releases VOCs into the home. All paint will continue to volatize in the form of dry paint “microflakes” for years after the home is completed. Low- and no-VOC products reduce the danger of the flakes since they are manufactured without mercury or mercury compounds, or pigments of lead, cadmium, chromium, or their oxides. Low- or no-VOC paint reduces the emissions of VOCs into the home, improving indoor air quality and reducing the formation of urban smog. Low toxicity paints also reduce health and environmental hazards.

* Recommendation: Paints with low- or no-VOC content are available from most major manufacturers and are applied like traditional paint products with a brush, roller, or spray gun. Every finish and color is available in low-VOC paints. Choose lower gloss, lighter-colored paints because higher gloss and darker-colored paints contain more VOCs.

To avoid paint/finish hazards altogether, consider designing surfaces that don’t require painting, such as integrally pigmented plaster walls and natural wood trim. Follow manufactuerers’ application instructions to ensure proper coverage, long-term performance, and safe use.

Painting Tips

* With latex paint, prime the brush or roller by dipping it in water and shaking out the excess. The tools will pick up paint more easily.

* Work from painted sections toward unpainted sections-from wet to dry-and back over the same stroke. But do not over brush.

* Low-luster, semigloss, and gloss paints tend to highlight surface irregularities. Use flat paint to help hide imperfections in your home’s wood siding.

* If you’re painting over stucco or cement, first mist the surface with a garden hose.