Conservation 101: the Compete to Conserve Blog

photo credit: orangeacid

When we first moved into our flat in San Francisco, the backyard was so overgrown that we took bets on how many bodies were hidden in the brush. As the yard was slowly cleaned up—blackberry bushes and ivy vines cleared, along with the trees both predators had taken down—the skeleton of a once terraced landscape design started to appear. And that’s where the home improvement project paused.

Now a year and a half later, we are sizing up the options for creating our first “real” backyard. The yard needs to be usable and kid-friendly, but thinking realistically, it should also be pretty low-maintenance.

One obvious component will be grass—probably multiple sections of it. And with water scarcity still commanding the local headlines, one can’t help but consider the option of grass alternatives.

While the thought of Astroturfing our landscape is a bit horrifying, recent developments in synthetic grass tout more realistic products. Some even promise to look, feel and act just like natural grass—without the need for water, fertilizer, pesticides or mowing. 

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Painting is more fun with non-toxic paint.

I was a big fan of Home Depot’s Behr brand paints, until I learned that mainstream paints emit dangerous toxins called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). When it came time to repaint the rooms our house, I decided to use “green” paints that reduce indoor air pollution and are more environmentally friendly.

A friend who is a building contractor recommended we try “natural” paint. Seems easy enough, but the more I read, the more I realized I was green on the topic of green paint. (Eartheasy.com offers a great round-up of the types of non-toxic paints and who offers them.) I decided the best way to learn was to experiment, so I chose two types of non-toxic paints (natural and synthetic) in three brands: AFM Safecoat, Yolo Colorhouse, and BioShield. Here’s what I found:

AFM Safecoat Pros:

• Available at lots of green home improvement stores
• Zero VOC (be sure to ask your retailer to use tints without VOCs, too!)
• Low odor dissipated within two days–much faster than my old Behr paints
• Wide color selection (”Blue Wish” is the color shown in the photo above.)
• Good coverage
• Available in flat, eggshell, semi-gloss, and glossy finishes

Cons:

• Paint chips not easily available
  (I know they are wasteful, but they are handy. Instead, I had to wait until the paint chip book was returned by another customer and then check it out for three days. Eco-friendly, yes. Convenient, no.)
• Not an entirely natural paint

AFM Safecoat is my overall favorite of the three non-toxic paint brands I tried, the main two reasons being availability and color selection. I also liked that while it did give off an odor, it wasn’t the strong chemical-smelling odor found in standard high-VOC paints.

Yolo Colorhouse Pros:

• Paint chips and poster-size swatches made with real paint available for purchase
• Available at lots of green home improvement stores
• Zero VOC (be sure to ask your retailer to use tints without VOCs, too!)
• Low odor dissipated within two days
• Good color selection (though not as wide as AFM Safecoat)
• Available in flat, eggshell, semi-gloss, and glossy finishes

Cons:

• Fair coverage, it didn’t stretch quite as far as the AFM Safecoat paint for the same size room
• Not an entirely natural paint

I love the Yolo Colorhouse color choices, and the big swatch gave me a good sense of what the color would like in the room we painted (much better than a standard 1-inch paint chip). But the coverage wasn’t good enough to make it my top pick.

BioShield Clay Paint Pros:

• Water and clay based, so I consider it a “natural” paint
• Odor dissipated within four days (a little longer than the others, but faster than standard paint)
• Odor was earthy smelling, not like that chemical, solvent smell present in nail salons
• Excellent coverage, the same amount of paint stretched further than the others
• Free chips available to order online; a kit with real paint swatches of all their colors is also available for $12.50

Cons:

• Costs more than AFM Safecoat or Yolo Colorhouse paints: $44/gallon versus $38
• Not available at as many retail outlets (You can order online, though.)
• Color selection, while attractive, is limited compared to the other brands
  (Eco Home Improvement in Berkeley taught me how to blend two colors to achieve the shade I wanted, but I prefer to buy off the shelf.)
• Not available eggshell or gloss finishes (They do offer a trim enamel, but according to instructions, it requires sanding between coats–too fussy for me!)

I love the BioShield clay paint we tried. If I hadn’t been in a hurry to finish my work, I would have used it for all my walls, if not the doors and trim. But the hassle of ordering and waiting for color swatches, and then ordering and waiting for my chosen colors was not worth it for me. If you are a good plan-ahead type though, this brand of paints comes highly recommended.

If you can’t find these brands at your local retailer, you might consider trying Home Depot’s new zero-VOC paint called Freshaire Choice. You can order free color chips online and purchase the paint at your local Home Depot.

photo credit: Photocapy

Whether you’re painting or just passing by a recently painted surface, the smell is unforgettable: strong, deep, “chemical-y,” often lasting for days. Paint fumes are caused by something called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a major source of ozone creation and indoor air pollution. It’s also a major reason I’m willing to live with a wall color I hate longer than anyone should have to. Fortunately, consumer demand for no- and low-VOC paint is growing, and so are the choices.

You can buy no- and low-VOC paints online, at green building suppliers, and at most major paint retailers (including The Home Depot, which began offering its Freshaire Choice line this spring).

How “Natural” Differs from No- or Low-VOC

No- and low-VOC paints fall into two basic categories: those made with synthetic ingredients and those made with natural ingredients such as water, clay, bee’s wax, milk protein, plant oils, and mineral oils. (The latter are often referred to as “natural paints.”)

No-VOC (also called zero-VOC) and low-VOC paints made with synthetic ingredients more closely resemble the performance of traditional polluting paints (durability, consistency) and offer a wider variety of finishes (flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss) than natural paints. They cost less than natural paints—typically $30-$40 a gallon compared to $40-$60 or more a gallon—but more than standard paint, which can cost as little as $20 a gallon. You’ll also find no- and low-VOC paints at more retailers.

Why Choose No-VOC over Low-VOC?

The difference between no-VOC and low-VOC is not as simple as you’d think. According to EPA rules, a paint may be labeled no-VOC if it contains less than 5 grams of VOCs per liter. That means some no-VOC paints have no VOCs, but some do.

Kelly Moore’s Enviro-Cote, for example, contains 15 grams of VOCs per liter, even though it’s labeled no-VOC. While I myself don’t consider it a true zero-VOC paint, it’s still quite low when compared to traditional paint base, which can contain 100 grams or more per liter.

Low-VOC paints contain a lower amount of VOCs than traditional paints do (less than 200 grams per liter, under EPA rules). If you’re looking to reduce indoor air pollution, it’s best to go with a no-VOC paint.

Beware: Color Tints Can Add VOCs

Color tints, which you’ll most likely be using, can add even more VOCs, so check that your supplier uses no-VOC tints.

Where to find no- or zero-VOC synthetic paints:

American Formulating and Manufacturing (AFM offfers truly zero-VOC paint)
http://www.afmsafecoat.com

Yolo Colorhouse (truly zero-VOC)
http://www.yolocolorhouse.com

Home Depot (Freshaire Choice line only; truly zero-VOC)
http://freshairechoice.com

Kelly-Moore (Enviro-Cote line only; contains small amounts of VOCs)
http://www.kellymoore.com

Sherwin-Williams (Harmony line only; contains small amounts of VOCs)
http://www.sherwin.com

Benjamin Moore (EcoSpec line only; contains small amounts of VOCs)
http://www.bejaminmoore.com

Where to find natural, nontoxic paints (truly zero-VOC):

Bio Shield
http://www.bioshieldpaint.com

Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company
http://www.milkpaint.com

Anna Sova Luxury Organics
http://www.annasova.com