Breathe Easier with Eco-Friendly Paints

All too often, the air in a home is treated like the invisible element it is: out of sight out of mind. Unfortunately, studies show that residential indoor air quality is three to five times worse than the air outdoors. Given the amount of time we spend in our homes, that’s a pretty shocking fact. Among the worst indoor air contaminants are volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These are liquid chemicals used in many different materials, and they off-gas harmful vapors that have been linked to childhood asthma and many other diseases. The concentration of VOCs in American homes has steadily risen over the last several decades, as insulation has improved and homeowners increasingly use inexpensive synthetic materials such as vinyl flooring and latex paint. Paint being one of the most widely used remodeling materials, using low- or no-VOC interior paint is an effective and easy way to vastly improve your indoor air-quality.

No-VOC doesn't mean dull colors. 

(Photo by Yam Studio; courtesy of  YOLO Colorhouse.)

You won’t have to look far. Most major paint companies have jumped on the low- and zero-VOC bandwagon. Offerings include Olympic’s Premium brand (www.olympic.com); Sherwin-Williams Harmony (www.sherwin-williams.com); Valspar’s Earthsense paints (www.valsparearthsense.com); Benjamin Moore’s Green Promise line (www.benjaminmoore.com); and Pratt & Lambert’s RedSeal (www.prattandlambert.com). Although technical baselines for what constitutes “Zero” or “Low” have long been precisely defined, standards within those parameters vary state to state, and VOC concentrations differ product to product. VOC concentration may also change depending on the tinting agent used for a particular color.

That’s why some companies, such as YOLO Colorhouse (www.yolocolorhouse.com), have dedicated their entire business to producing no-VOC paints. Although their palette includes fewer colors than those of other manufacturers, they are extremely rigorous in their formulations and in controlling all the colors they sell.

Regardless of who produces it, expect to pay between $5 and $10 more per gallon for no-VOC paint—a pretty modest investment in your family’s health. Ensure you’re buying a product that is as green as the manufacturer says it is, by looking for the logos of major green certification organizations. Two of the best are Green Seal (www.greenseal.org)—a non-profit that promotes sustainable and green products in a variety of industries, including home improvement products—and the Greenguard Environmental Institute (www.greenguard.org), an organization dedicated to protecting health and quality of life through improving indoor air quality and the products that affect that quality.

Want to learn more about indoor air quality and national standards? Check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s special online section at www.epa.gov/iaq.

The "Green" Light for New Bulbs

Lighting is key to home remodeling or design success. Pick the perfect paint color, lay a stunning hardwood floor, or install sparkling new fixtures—you still need the right light to show your work to its best advantage. That means picking the right lightbulb, which is about to become more of a challenge. The federal ban on energy-wasting incandescent bulbs begins in 2012, with the elimination of 100-watt units. The years that follow will see 75-, 60- and 40-watt incandescents go the way of the nickel loaf of bread.

That's not welcome news to the homeowners who rely on the tried-and-true incandescent as an inexpensive source of warm, skin-tone-flattering light. It is worth cheering though, because incandescent bulbs are amazingly energy inefficient (90 percent of the energy in the bulb is frittered away as heat loss), and their short lifespans translate to boatloads of landfill waste. Never fear, though; three replacements stand ready to fill the void: halogen, fluorescent and LED.

Halogens can last three times longer than incandescents and produce a brighter light with half the energy. The light is a cold, white-blue, great for tasks like reading or prepping food, but a bit harsh for overall ambient illumination. The bulbs also run hot, and touching one can be a lesson in burn triage. Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) are meant to be a better general light source, although misunderstandings about the bulbs have led to their misuse. Unless specifically labeled as "quick" or "instant-start", the bulbs take a moment to heat up. Turning standard CFLs off and on quickly or frequently is a recipe for short bulb life. Most CFLs are not suited for  recessed ceiling fixtures, because they'll overheat and burn out in short order. The bigger issues are light quality and mercury. Although touted as direct replacements for incandescent bulbs, the industry has yet to establish a standard for what 40, 60 or a 100 watts translates to in CFLs. And depending on the individual bulb, the light may be more or less like the soft, warm light from an incandescent bulb. Standard CFL's also contain mercury (low-mercury versions are available). This means they release a toxic material if broken in the home, and even whole, should be disposed of as a hazardous waste (Home Depot has a nationwide recycling program, learn more here: www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/pdf/CFL-RecyclingProgramRevised.pdf).

The new kid on the block, and the light source that shows the most promise, is LED (light emitting diode) technology. LED bulbs produce a soft light closest to incandescent in quality, and LEDs are amazingly green: The US Dept. of Energy estimates that widespread use of LED home lighting over the next two decades could result in a savings to consumers of more than $265 billion, 40 fewer power stations, and a reduction of lighting electrical demand by more than 30 percent. The bulb technology is still evolving, meaning quality is not yet standardized across products, and the cost is still high ($20 to $30 for the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent).  Of course, that wallet pain nets you a lifespan in the neighborhood of five times  longer than any incandescent, using 80 percent less energy! If you're ready to take the plunge, stick to LED bulbs that carry a replacement warranty in the event of bulb malfunction.

So yes, it's the dawn of a new age. Keep in mind, though, it's up to you what the light of that dawn looks like.