Prime
Eco-friendly paint is healthy and affordable
What you need to know:
Eco-friendly paints, come in a variety of finishes. Each finish has its own unique benefits and disadvantages, so choose one that is right for your needs.
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 on the walls.
Every fresh paint releases fumes after opening the can that is why it is advisable 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.
It is essential to steer clear of 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 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.
Cost
One of the great things about eco-friendly paints is that they typically require no priming before use, saving you time and money.
The 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,” he says.
Which paint for where
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.
By choosing eco-friendly paints, one is not only reducing the carbon emissions which are slowly but surely contributing to global warming, but also ensuring a healthy environment for one’s family.
This weekend’s winners for the Plascon Paint and Win promotion that has been going on for the past 7 weeks include; John Onyango Omunyin who purchased the paint from Passent hardware in Seeta, George Lawrence Bua bought it from Shree Impex Hardware in Lira, Joseph Balisanyuka bought it from Tebakyayika Paint Centre from Kisenyi, Ivan Omugole bought from Erire Hardware in Tororo, Michael Segawa purchased it from Slon Hardware in Mukono and Elisa Muchunguzi who bought the paint from Kabarebe Hardware in Kabale.
