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Paint FAQ
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Natural Paints FAQ
Specific questions regarding the brands of paint can be found in the relevant FAQs. Please use the links on the left of the page to navigate.
For guidance on preparation and application please visit the relevent product page to download the product data sheet.
Why choose Natural paints over conventional paints?
A natural paint is made from renewable raw materials such as natural oils (wood oil, linseed oil), wood resins, heavier produce (chalk, marble earth, clay), solvents (water, citrus peel oils), etc. Our ingredients are clearly listed in full on every pot.
Conventional synthetic paints, even when dry, still give off volatile fumes for several years. Manufacturers use marketing such as “odour free” or “child-friendly paint”; however they still contain toxic fumes that can harm you and your family.
Natural paint is manufactured without any plastic copolymer, which means none or a lot less electro static charge. This means there will be far less dust in the house, a savvy choice for asthmatics.
Natural paints and varnishes allow buildings to "breathe", as they are micro-porous. Allowing a surface to breathe properly discourages the build-up of condensation, which can result in mould. Using Natural Paints results in a clean and safe environment in which to live.
Who knew that picking up a paintbrush could have so many pitfalls? Apart from the nausea, dizziness and headaches which can arise if you don't open enough windows while you're merrily creating a feature wall or jazzing up an old cupboard, the long-term effects aren't great either. The constituents of conventional paints may include formaldehyde, heavy metals and volatile organic compounds, or VOCs for short. Those VOCs are given out while painting - and for up to five years after your brushes have dried.
The World Health Organisation says that professional decorators are 40% more likely to contract lung cancer, so it's no great leap to wonder whether paint in the home is detrimental to those living there (just ask the people who get allergic reactions). Not to mention the potentially harmful processes involved in the manufacture of paint ... This is, after all, the petrochemical industry, so not only does production involve the use of non-sustainable resources, it's said that producing one litre of paint can result in up to 30 litres of toxic waste.
What is an eco paint ?
By 2010, paint manufacturers will be obliged to comply with stringent new EU limits on VOC levels. Some have complied already and are labelling their products as 'environmentally friendly' - but it ain't necessarily so. According to sustainablebuild.co.uk, many of the 'non-toxic' paints from conventional companies "still contain VOC solvents, chemical pigments and fungicides". Equally confusingly, the move towards low-VOC, water-based gloss paints is also controversial, as it means manufacturers have to add even more ingredients, using a more intensive production process, than before.
Even among the producers of 'eco' or 'natural' paint there's no cut and dried definition of what that description means. Some use synthetic, petrochemical-based ingredients, just in lower amounts; others are made with natural solvents, which still contain VOCs (though rather than emitting noxious gases they tend to smell of the citrus fruits from which they're often derived). Some contain animal products. And some contain titanium dioxide as a whitener, which is a big contributor to environmental problems. Clearly, there are degrees of 'eco', and the only way to decide is to read the label carefully and consider all the claims made by the manufacturers. Ethical Consumer concludes its buyers' guide to gloss paint with this useful 60-second green guide: 'Generally, plant-based, water-borne paints are the best buy, followed by plant-based, solvent-borne ones with natural solvents. Try to avoid those using titanium dioxide.'
How to prepare and apply natural paints?
Eco paints can be hard to get hold of - they still only account for a minute percentage of the market and so, although they are stocked in green outlets all around the UK, it's probably easiest to buy them online (see below). They're also more expensive than conventional paint, though not horrendously so - especially when you consider that you're paying for natural ingredients and, very often, low-carbon or carbon-neutral production (and the ability to compost any leftover paint - yes, really!).
Using eco paints used to mean fiddling about with mixing powders and base paint, but these days you can buy eco paints ready-mixed, in a wide range of colours, and even have them colour-matched to your desired shade. They can be applied in the same way as ordinary paints, with similar coverage, though paints made with natural oils tend to take longer to dry.
Each of our products have a product data sheet you can download which gives directions on application and preparation. Please email us for data sheets or download from the product page.
Can I use natural paint anywhere in the house?
Pretty much anywhere that you would use conventional paint. Because they are microporous, they're ideal for walls in older houses, which need to breathe. They're also perfect for children's rooms and toys. They're available in a wide range of finishes: as well as emulsions, interior and exterior eggshells, masonry paints and primers, you can buy hard-wearing, wipeable natural paints for use in kitchens, hallways and so on, or, at the other end of the scale, distempers which are only for low-use, dry areas.
Are Eco paints as durable as conventional paints?
A Which? report of five years ago came to the conclusion that: "On the whole the 'natural' paints we tested didn't do as well as the others." Unsurprisingly, the manufacturers argue that their products are just as good as conventional paints. Biofa's paint, for example, is used on the Norwegian parliament and Brighton's Jubilee library, while several eco paints have been recommended by Oko Test, the stringent German environmental magazine. Some natural exterior paints have been tested for six years in varying environments and performed as well as or better than the brand leaders when applied as directed.
Edward Bulmer, an architectural historian, interior designer and green campaigner says: "I have used natural and traditional paints for a long time, and there is absolutely no problem with longevity and performance as long as they're applied correctly. Our emulsions perform every bit as well as synthetic paints, if not better, because the pigment-loading in them will be higher so they won't fade. And the performance of our natural oil paint will easily outstrip that of a synthetic coating because it actually impregnates the surface of the timber and bonds really well with it."
If most paints are potentially hazardous to use, why are they not covered in orange and black hazard symbols?
The labelling legislation makes special provision for paints, in many cases removing the requirement for the well recognised hazard symbols. This should not be interpreted as meaning that paints are less hazardous than other products that do carry such labels.
Additionally, there is no legal requirement for paint labels to include a full list of ingredients. We believe consumers should be able to make informed choices, so all our products carry a full declaration of ingredients.
What are VOCs and if I buy a low VOC paint can I be sure it is not harmful to use?
Volatile organic compounds are carbon based chemical compounds found in most paints. VOCs are harmful to health, the environment and contribute to global warming. It is now a legal requirement for paint labelling to state the VOC content of the product and although EU legislation restricts VOC content of paints it does not prohibit their use. Most solvents contain high levels of VOCs and therefore solvent based paints (most gloss paints and many eggshells) will normally have high a VOC content. However most water born paints also contain VOCs. Earthborn paints do not contain VOCs. It is important to remember that not all paints declaring low or zero VOC content are the same and that unlike Earthborn paints, some other paints can (and normally do) contain other ‘nasties’ such as acrylic softeners, ammonia or formaldehydes.