Eco-friendly paint is healthy and affordable

You have finished constructing your dream home and you are eager to move in as soon as possible or you are moving into an already finished apartment that needs a fresh coat of paint. The last thing you want is endangering your health because of the paint used for your walls.

Painting the house refurbishes the walls and makes them look brand new; even for an old house. Which paint you choose, however, will dictate how long it will take for you to occupy the house, without health risks.

Every fresh paint releases fumes after they are exposed out of the can and for some, they may feel nausea or even headache when they inhale them, a reason it is advised for someone to spend some time away from a space that has been freshly painted.

According to Protekpainters, it is wise to be cautious around fresh paint that is full of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). A VOC is a gas that various products or processes emit into the air. They are both dangerous on their own and get worse when they mix with other pollutants to form new gasses. That is why it is essential to avoid a freshly painted space unless one has used low or zero VOC paint products.

The eco-friendly paint

Eco-friendly paint, according to Moses Kato, the national sales manager at Kansai Plascon, is largely water based and not solvent based. The paint is non-toxic and devoid of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which are injurious to human health.

VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors.

The examples of these VOCs may include benzene, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, methylene chloride, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, xylene, and 1, 3-butadiene, some of which may be found labeled on the containers of paint and other household products.

When buying paint, Kato recommends consumers to opt for established paint brands that conform to International Paint Certification standards and have Materials Safety Data. Paint and related coating standards are instrumental in specifying and evaluating the physical and chemical properties of various paints and coatings. Guides are also provided for the proper methods of applying these coatings, which also include enamels, varnishes, electroplatings, pigments, and solvents. These paint and related coating standards help paint manufacturers and end-users in the appropriate testing and application procedures for the coating of their concern.

“Paint that is high on VOCs causes eyes, nose and throat irritations, nausea, loss of body coordination, affects the liver, kidney and central nervous system,” he says.

How healthy

Designed to protect the environment and people’s health, eco-friendly paints contain few or no harmful chemicals and come in a variety of shades, brands and types. These sustainable paints use safe pigments to achieve colour without damaging the environment and are fully biodegradable and compostable. Some paints deliver excellent coverage thanks to a thin consistency that spreads well over numerous surfaces, leaving behind a flat to matte finish depending on the type of eco-friendly paint you use.

At Kansai Plascon Uganda Ltd, he adds, they produce eco-friendly paints completely devoid of VOCs in their water-based product range, which includes; Weatherguard Emulsion,  Vinyl Silk Emulsion, Anti-Mosquito paint,  Vinyl Matt Emulsion,  Budget Emulsion,  Plaster Primer, Budget Emulsion Under coat, Gloss Emulsion Paint, among others.

When manufacturing a solvent-based product range, Kato says it has to be very low on VOCs to the recommended levels and of low hydro-carbon content making it ideal and safe for use. They also manufacture Lead- free oil based paint. Eco- friendly paints produced by Plascon have a long life span ranging from three to five years depending on the product.

Maintenance

Not all eco- friendly paints are maintenance free or easy to maintain.  Kato notes that while all their water based paints are totally eco- friendly, a few of the water based paint are easy to maintain (or washable) in this instance.

“It is specific brands that have highly washability properties such as the Vinyl Silk Emulsion for interior and Weatherguard Emulsion for exterior among the water based paints. But all the solvent based product range is highly washable, thus easy to maintain,” he says.

Which paint for where

Weatherguard Emulsion and Graffiante textured Finish is normally made for the exterior, since it withstands the irregular weather changes. Vinyl Silk Emulsion, Plascon Anti mosquito paint and Vinyl Matt Emulsion work better on the interior walls.

Eco-friendly paints, come in a variety of finishes, from matte to gloss. Each finish has its own unique benefits and disadvantages, so it is important to choose the one that is right for your needs. Matte finishes tend to be more forgiving and can hide imperfections, while gloss finishes are more durable and easy to clean.

Cost

One of the great things about eco-friendly paints is that they typically require no priming before use, saving you time and money. Cost of paint will most probably depend on the quality of the paint. The longer the paint lasts on the walls, the higher the price will be, thus benefitting one in the long run.

“At Plascon, all our products are priced to match the expectations in terms of value for money of the customer.  It is always much cheaper in the long run when one uses a quality paint brand with premium pricing, over a less quality brand lowly priced but with a poor finish, limited colour range, short lifespan, and harmful to the environment,” says Moses Kato, the national sales manager at Kansai Plascon.

Running for ten weeks from October 1 until December 12, the 11th Edition of Paint & Win ‘Colour Cup’ is rewarding six winners. This week’s winners are; Jonah Ahabwe from Ntungamo who bought paint from Hekken Enterprises LTD, Ntungamo, Manish Patel of Bugolobi from Krishna Construction who purchased paint from Shree Enterprises LTD, 7th Street, Adam Kisambira from Iganga who bought paint from Busiki General Hardware, Jinja, Hassan Mabeli from Mbale who bought paint from Wegalinemera Hardware, Mbale, Aaron Kabarebe from Bushenyi who bought paint from Kirimi enterprises LTD, Mbarara and Jackie Nakanjako from Nansana whobought paint from Cheap General Hardware, Nansana.

There are three weeks of the buy Plascon paint left, get a scratch card and stand a chance to win promotion.