Rekindled

This is a repost from my blog archive.  Enjoy!

We have been redecorating recently, and being a bit of a treehugger, naturally I decided to spend some time researching eco-friendly paint options. I discovered that most paint contains something called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These are chemicals which can cause indoor air pollution that is bad for the environment and bad for your health. Once you have painted your walls, the chemicals can continue to affect the air in your home for years. VOCs are also what make paint smell, so low-VOC paints are more ‘breathable’.

Luckily the British paint industry seems to have cottoned on to this problem, and they have come up with a 5-band classification scheme: Minimal, Low, Medium, High and Very High. B&Q have also developed a logo (right) which can help you to make an informed decision. While I was shopping for paint I noticed that most brands seemed to be labelled Low or Minimal, which is encouraging.

You can also go one step further and buy paint that is completely natural. These paints contain zero VOCs. The only compromise you have to make may be on colour. Natural paints tend to be available in more muted, natural shades. They can also take much longer to dry. At the moment there are no mass-market natural paint options, so unfortunately you can’t just pop down to your local DIY store and pick up a few cans, you will have to plan in advance and order your paints online (although many suppliers offer next-day delivery).