There’s something very cool about moving into a house that’s been renovated almost exactly to your own taste. In my case, barely any changes have to be made (except for taking down this metallic Star Trek-like orb hovering over the dining room table, which aside from looking completely out of place also emits a disturbing red glow).
Most of the walls have been painted inoffensive neutral tones, which is nice, but I do like me a bit of colour, otherwise I start to feel like I’m in a mental institution. Normally, I’d just make my way to Canadian Tire and go through all the pain swatches until I found something good. But this time, I’m going to make sure I get a brand that’s low in VOCs (or, even better, has none whatsoever).
As this site explains, indoor air is three times more polluted than outdoor air, and the main cause of this is the toxins found in paints and finishes. If you opt, instead of regular paint, to use one that’s made from natural ingredients or is at least low in VOCs, it means less harm to the people living in the house, as well as all the rivers and streams that end up carrying paint (I’ll be washing my brushes as little as possible, of course, and won’t pour any unused paint down the drain — Toronto has scheduled Environment Days when you can drop off hazardous waste like this, then officials take it to the appropriate disposal site).
Treehugger has a list of affordable low-VOC paint brands, so I think I’ll try browsing around a bit before committing to a brand. Anyone have any recommendations?
Image from Green Living Ideas
Posted by gettinggreen
