As my collection of paints, thinners, stains, degreasers, oils, finishes, and primers grew, so did my requirements for masks, gloves, respirators, and flammable cabinet real estate. It seemed like a good time to reevaluate what chemicals I’m using in my studio and if there was a good way to use fewer toxins in my work and lessen the chance of mushroom clouds appearing in place of my shop (or the change of poisoning myself). I’m no chemist or environmental scientist, so the information I’ve gathered is a mixture of advertising from environmental paint companies, wikipedia, common sense, and guesswork.
A few guidelines that rose to the top:
1. It may go without saying, but the more you want to modify a surface from its ‘natural’ state, the more stuff you have to use. So, the best way to avoid using toxins is not to use chemicals at all, or only use those that protect a surface rather than changing its color/texture.
2. VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are to be avoided or eliminated where possible.
There are a few sneaky paint manufacturers who advertise “zero VOC” paint, but this is only true for the base color – as soon as you add color tints it emits VOCs. What numbers constitute acceptable vs. dangerous VOC levels are somewhat a matter of debate, depending on the location of use, sub-category of compound, and how much money the source stands to loose (or make). From Consumer Reports :
Federal VOC limits are now set at 250 grams per liter (g/l) for flat paints and 380 g/l for others . . . California's standards are stringent: 150 g/l for nonflat finishes and 100 g/l for flat. Even tougher is the 50 g/l level for all finishes set by California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), around Los Angeles.
My own experience is that anything over 100 g/l requires a lot of ventilation and zero VOC is by far the best -- I have to evacuate my 400 sqft studio when I use Minwax stains (250 VOC).
3. Water-based chemicals are generally better than those that require solvents. When you need to use solvents, use the citrus-based ones.
4. MSDSs (material safety data sheets) are your friend – there is certain information that manufacturers are required to disclose about their product. My experience has been that the harder it is to find the MSDS on a manufacturer’s website, the more they have to be chemically ashamed of (are you paying attention, Minwax?)
5. Some products that seem very similar may in fact have very different properties, even if the change is only color. Cadmuim oil paints, for example, are toxic. Titebond II wood glue has fewer health dangers than Titebond I or Titebond III (although III is more waterproof, so you’ll have to evaluate if its is worth the extra risk for the added durability – a trade-off I saw in many wood finish products as well).
A few products that seem promising:
The Home Depot’s FreshAire Choice – I haven’t used it yet but hopefully it signifies that the push for healthy paints isn’t just a niche market/industry.
Vermont Natural Coatings – fantastic customer service, and a product line that uses the byproducts of the cheesemaking process. I’ve made a few sample pieces and am waiting to see about durability.
BioShield – they use clay pigments in many of their products and have a nice range of wood tints. Some of the colors I ordered arrived dried-out, so there may be some manufacturing/packaging issues to be sorted out.
Earthpaint – I haven’t tested their finishes yet, but they seem to walk the talk.
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