Painting is one of the quickest and most popular DIY projects in America. Not only will it appreciate the value of your home but your choice of paint products can have a significant impact on your health as well.
With great concern about what we now know regarding the dangers of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, many people have chosen Low or NoVOC paint for their projects in an effort to protect their health. Unfortunately, the published rules and regulations of the Air Quality Management District make it clear that Low and NoVOC paint is not always what it’s cracked up to be. Because the VOC count of traditional paint soars once tint has been added, many people are choosing to forgo traditional paint altogether. And why not considering you can still have beautiful walls, floors, and ceilings without poisoning yourself? You can effectively color your space with a little help from Mother Nature thanks to the rediscovery of natural paint.
Natural paints are plant and mineral based and entirely free of man-made chemicals, carcinogens, or other toxic materials making them environmentally safe. In tests these paints have been shown to perform exceptionally well when compared to traditional paint. The application of natural paint compares favorably to traditional paint and once cured, natural paint is durable and long-lasting. The most well known natural paint products are lime paint, flour paint, and milk paint (usually with a casein binder). Most available options for natural paint have their own particular applications and advantages but milk paint with a casein binder is an all around product proven to be durable and resistant. The following recipe provided by Dwayne and Beth Siever from The Real Milk paint Co. is a great example of the simplicity of milk paint.
Use 5 parts cottage cheese or dry curd cheese
And 1 part hydrated lime or slacked lime
Mix hydrated lime with water to make a paste. Add to cottage cheese and stir well. Let the mixture sit a few hours until the cheese lumps dissolve completely. Add your choice of lime-proof powdered pigment to the solution adding more water if too thick and adding powdered skim milk if too thin. Now paint.
To see exact instructions for this recipe or other recipes, ideas, and projects involving milk paint, be sure to visit realmilkpaint.com.
While painting is a fairly easy project, there is more to a good paint job than just getting the paint on the walls. If your space is calling for some fresh color but you don’t have the time to waste scraping, patching, sanding, and priming your way to a well prepared surface then you may want to consider the ease of using a professional. If you do not intend to paint often, hiring someone will save you the investment of purchasing the necessary materials like brushes, painting tape, and drop cloths. When simplicity and a beautifully executed project is what you need then contact one of our fully qualified green professionals to help you get started with your project today. And whatever palette you choose remember to make sure it’s green.
