Americans
use over half a billion gallons of paint a year. The chemicals
have environmental and health effects. There are a number of environmental
paints being produced, they fall into three categories:
Paints
with Low Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs)
VOCs are the fumes that you smell while you paint. VOCs can be
a number of chemicals, including: benzene, toluene, and xylene,
they can cause various types of physical reactions ranging from
mild symptoms to severe illness linked with Multiple Chemical
Sensativity.
Low-VOC
alternatives are now widely available in all colors and types
(Flat, Semi-Gloss, etc.)
Benjamin
Moore
Eco-Spec
Line Low VOC, under 10 grams per liter. Sold at all Benjamin
Moore Paint Stores or at:
Hough
Supply Company
1455 St. Clarie Ave
216 431-8423 or (888) 236-6667
Devoe
Paint
Wonder
Pure No VOC Paint
(800) 627-1650
www.devoepaint.com
Available
at City Paint and Decorating
730 East 140th St.
Cleveland, OH 44114
216 681-4400
ICI
Dulux Paint Centers
Lifemaster
2000 and complete line of no VOC paints, including a primer,
interior flat, interior semigloss, and interior eggshell. Adding
tints and colors will introduce small amounts of vocs. Cleveland
area locations:
Medina
330-723-6017
Mentor: 440-942-7708
North Olmstead 440-734-4226
Strongsville 440-816-9021
Valley View 216-328-1581
Warrensville Heights 216-662-4751
www.iciduluxpaints.com
Sherwin Williams
Healthspec
No VOC paints, including interior flat, eggshell or semigloss
25 stores in Cleveland area.
Call
(216) 566-2000 for store nearest you
Paints
and Wood Finishes using natural materials
Paints
and commercial coatings made from natural materials like vegetable
oils, plant resins, minerals, and earth pigments are gaining in
popularity. They are durable and wash easily, but are often 2
or 3 times the price of conventional paints. Though not manufactured
locally, many of them are available by mail or in select stores.
LIVOS
Phytochemistry of America, Inc.
(508)
477-7955
www.livos.com
Natural
wood finishes available at Woodcraft stores:
Beford (440) 232-7979
Strongsville (440) 572-4006
EcoDesign
Co.
Free
natural paints and finishes catalogs. Paints made of waterbased,
linseed, enamel paints with orange peel.
(800) 621-2591
www.bioshieldpaint.com
UGL
Wood-Floor Finishes
Aqua-Zar
is a non-toxic water-based polyurethane.
PO Box 70
Scranton, PA 18501
(800) 845-5227
More
paint companies can be found at www.stopwaste.org/materials/paintsta.html
Paint
Removers
Paint strippers can be very dangerous. Among the chemicals included
in these products is methylene chloride as a solvent, as well
as petrochemical solvents that are toxic and flammable. These
chemicals have been linked to heart attacks, kidney disease, and
cancer.
New
water-based paint removers are being developed that are not flammable
or include VOCs. They can be effective but often take up to 10
hours.
Diedrich
Technologies
606
Multilayer Paint Remover
Dumond
Chemicals
Peel-Away
Product Line: Peel-Away 6, 7, and 21. No
aggressive chemicals or methyle chlorides.
800
245-1191
Sold
at all Sherwin Williams stores - 25 stores in the Cleveland
area. Call (216) 566-2000 for store locations.
3M
Safest
Strippers product # 10103 Contains no methylene chloride. Safest
Stripper paint and varnish remover can be applied without using
gloves. The 3M product also doesn’t produce the harmful
fumes created by chemical strippers containing methylene chloride
and doesn't burn skin.
1-800-537-9514
Sold
at 2 Cleveland locations:
See
Bee Brush Company
4500 Crayton Avenue
(216) 881-8580
Hough
Supply and Specialty Company
7500-7600 Hough
(216) 431-8111
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