Nontoxic finishes.

Q: How do I choose the best nontoxic finishes to decorate my home?

A: Among the initial questions I ask my customers, one of the most important is "How green do you want to be?" Many people will admirably respond, "I want to be the greenest!" However, their response may not hold up once careful consideration of their priorities is made. The most suitable finish for an individual is not always the greenest. For instance, sometimes it's the specific toxicity that really counts, while, for others, performance is the highest priority. Sometimes, upon deeper investigation, health and eco-conscious customers find they want a different 'level' of green than they originally thought.

So, I have begun using a tool called Green Levels to help customers choose the best finish for their project. It can also be used as a general guide for all green building materials (not just finishes) and puts the options into four easy-to-grasp categories:

GREEN LEVELS

Level One--Greenest

Level Two--Greener

Level Three--Green

Level Four--Not green

Level One--The most sustainable, nontoxic, earth-friendly level. This level is a choice for people who are willing to do whatever it takes to have completely natural finishes. These coatings consist primarily of plant-based resins, minerals and elements. Petrochemical-free materials like earth paint, earth plasters, Venetian plasters, clay plasters, lime wash, mineral paints, plant oils, tree resins, milk paints, and flour paints fall into this category. Some products here far surpass performance of regular paints with long lifecycle factors (plasters, oils, inorganic minerals and tree resins), and others have shorter lifecycles but can be very non-toxic and sustainable (lime wash, milk paint and flour paint). Level One finishes are not always the easiest to apply, but they're definitely the most fun to use!

Level Two--These finishes are the choice for those who want greener, envirosocially responsible finishes but feel that cost and performance are nearly as important. Level Two coatings tend to be primarily nontoxic but not necessarily petrochemical-free. They balance performance, ease of application, cost and health. Examples include oil-based paints with a few more driers, 100 percent pure nontoxic acrylic, nontoxic solvents like citrus, propylene glycol or alcohol ester (Texanol), nontoxic anti-microbials and nontoxic fillers. These are easy to use, high performance coatings that can be tinted to specific colors. They are also long-lasting and healthy, with a fairly low negative environmental impact.

Level Three---These coatings can be used for very demanding surfaces that cannot be sufficiently treated by the first two levels. This level is for those who want finishes with fewer poisons but also have performance and cost requirements that come first. These coatings can be exceptional performers: highly processed paints that have all the conveniences of regular paint but do not contain quite as many toxins and are lower in VOC's. Concrete sealers, linseed, soya and pure acrylic paints with additives or driers but no toxic solvents or poisons are in this category. This is the most difficult category to choose. These coatings may have "green" labeling but should still be checked for toxic biocides or solvents, which would eliminate many name-brand paints from Level Three. This is true whether they say "Zero VOC" or not since VOC is not a measure of toxicity.

Level Four--Finishes in this category are wide-scale contributors to global warming. Ordinarily, these are non-sustainable coatings with toxic petrochemicals and additives that may or may not be listed in the ingredients. Many common house paints, oil and water-based polyurethanes, and wood finishes fall in this level. Sometimes they are sustainable, plant-based coatings that have cheap toxic driers and solvents. Level Four coatings are best reserved for limited industrial, aircraft and automotive usage,

CASH REGISTERS ARE VOTING BOOTHS!

Global warming and our global economy are intricately interwoven and our green purchases impact others on a large scale--especially when it comes to paint. In this world economy, the global democracy seems to be money, and every purchase is counted as a vote. If people buy regular toxic paint, then they elect the conventional money-driven companies to determine toxicity standards. But if we support envirosocially responsible companies who are dedicated to a healthier environment, we can impact what chemicals we live with. It is the local, individual purchases that will ultimately determine who is in power, and therefore have the greatest effect on world health and global warming.

By Tom Rioux, Earthpaint

Tom Rioux is a nontoxic paint manufacturer. Interested in changing the way the world uses paint, he focuses on developing sustainable paints that are better than their toxic counterparts. For more information, check out www.Earthpaint.net or call 828-258-2580.