Have a Better Life

Image via Wikipedia

With the popularity of green living on the rise, going green when painting your home is a prime consideration. Unfortunately, options for painting the exterior of your home are fairly limited when compared to the options that you have for the interior. Home paint is loaded with VOCs (or volatile organic compounds) which have a harmful effect on the environment long after they have dried. Without these chemicals, however, the exterior paint on your home would not be able to stand up against weather wear. There are still some basic steps that you can take when painting your home to lessen its impact on the environment.

Going Green When Painting Your Home Exterior

One of the greenest alternatives for house painting is not a paint at all, but rather a stain. Lime wash is applied to your home exterior in the same way as whitewash and, like whitewash, it has little to no negative impact on the environment. However, lime wash will not stand up against the elements for as long as normal, petroleum based paint. Lime wash can be tinted to any color before being applied – it is not green as in popular belief. One of the aesthetic advantages of lime wash when used on the exterior of a home is that it will have a slight glowing appearance when exposed to natural light.

Another option that you have for going green when painting your home exterior is to choose any of the variety of petroleum based paint products certified to be low in VOCs. Although you need these chemicals to prevent monthly painting projects, you certainly do not need as much as commonly comes with commercial paint. By disposing of the paint properly and painting conservatively, you can lessen the impact that these chemicals have on the environment. Remember to never pour unused paint down the drain. If you must throw it away, leave it open to dry and then throw it away in your normal garbage or take the unused portion to a recycling or hazardous material disposal center.

Going Green When Painting Your Home Interior

As the interior of your home is not regularly exposed to the elements, you have quite a few options when painting and can avoid harmful VOCs altogether. This is very important as indoor air pollution is quickly becoming a leading health hazard in the United States. Clay paint is an all natural alternative but is only available in tints of white, orange and blue and there are no other colors available whether you do-it-yourself or hire a painting contractor. However, there is a wide assortment of completely natural paint that you can use on your home interior. Many of these paints are made entirely from natural plant dyes, waxes and oils and have absolutely no impact on the environment once applied.