I love antique furniture. I love the uniqueness of the individual pieces, the craftsmanship that went into them, but most of all, their history. I love that when I bring an antique home, it’s already lived a life somewhere else and maybe even a few times over. It goes without saying that choosing antique furniture is even better at saving the Earth’s resources than recycling your paper and plastics.
The next time you plan on refinishing a piece of furniture or painting the walls in your home, consider using non-toxic, or Volatile Organic Compound-free wood stain or paint. Volatile Organic Compounds (or VOCs) are emitted gases that may have short or long term adverse health effects.
One VOC-free product is Safecoat which comes in both paint and wood stain. Their products do not contain solvents, heavy metals, chemical residuals, formaldehyde and other harmful preservatives. You can find out where to purchase them under “Dealer Locator” on their home page. Another VOC-free paint is The Freshaire Choice, which can be found at Home Depot stores. Mythic Paints is also VOC-free and you can find where to purchase it here. California Paints is also another VOC-free option.
If you’re planning on redecorating your home, choosing a VOC-free paint or wood stain will eliminate toxins from emitting into the air over time and therefore, create a safer environment for you and your family.
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All three products are good quality paints that are safer to work with. If you’re refinishing wood, Safecoat offers SCS Certified clear finishes as well…Acrylacq and Polyureseal.
Please note that VOC-free and non-toxic are not synonymous. Choosing a VOC-free product will eliminate some, but not all, toxins that could offgas. There are many hazardous ingredients used in paints and coatings that are not considered VOC’s. Make sure you request full disclosure of the ingredients list before purchasing any of these products.
Andrew Pace
http://www.degreeofgreen.com
Andy,
Thank you for letting us know about Safecoat’s clear finishes. It’s great to know.
Also, thank you for the additional information about “non-toxic” products and “VOC-free” products.
Your website is very informative! Thank you for visiting.
Kirstin @ Trying To Be Greener
I just found out that some paints that are VOC free in the can actually end up with VOC’s when the tint is mixed to create a color, so unless you keep the paint white there is at least 10 -50 VOC’s. I am going to stick to milk paint because I dont want any VOC or toxic materials in my already toxic world. Thanks for the info on non-toxic paint vs VOC free.
Dave