VOC’s are “volatile organic compounds” (VOC’s) which are gasses released into the air by certain solids or liquids. They are unstable, carbon-containing compounds that quickly vaporize into the air. When they enter the air, they react with other elements and cause air pollution, and toxicity. This form of air pollution has a negative effect on your health, and it may surprise you to learn that this pollution is most commonly found in your in your home, your office and other buildings where you spend time.

How are we exposed to VOC’s?

The most common ways to be exposed to VOC’s include common household cleaners, pesticides, paints, building materials and office or crafting supplies. One of the most prevalent forms of VOC producing products are household painting supplies, from primers to paints; second only to automobiles.

VOC Paints are so confusing, what’s the difference?

Low Odor or Low VOC’s Paints Defined

You may see these types of paints advertised as low VOC or low odor paints. Low VOC paints are those that contain VOC content (organic gas released) that meets the EPA standard of 250 g/L for latex paints or 380 g/L for oil based paint. But it is also possible to find paints that can be better than these standards. Low VOC paints are generally marketed by a name brand manufacturer and should contain at least 50 g/L VOC benchmark.

Zero VOC Paints Defined

Zero VOC is not a truly accurate statement. It really means that there are very; very low levels of VOC. Usually paints marketed as Zero VOC’s will have VOC’s in the range of under 5 g/L.

Adding colors to your paint will increase the VOC content to a certain extent whether you are using Low or No VOC paints.

Look for more posts on green technologies for your home painting and improvement projects SOON!

It is commonly said that refinishing can save up to eighty percent off of replacement. Usually, a new installation of of a bathtub, sink, vanity, or countertops means spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars to remove and replace. During these processes drywall can be damaged as well as plumbing and flooring. Refinishing is a cost effective means for working around these problems. Refinishing is also an effective way to make a simple color change. An older color scheme such as baby blue or pink can truly date a bathroom or kitchen.

Our Process

We use products distributed by Midwest Chemicals, www.midwestchemicals.com. They are based in Orlando, Florida. Midwest Chemicals is one of the nation’s premiere distributors of coating for all types of industrial industries. Gulf Coast Professional Finishes has used their system without every having a defective product or any type of problem. It has been in place for 17 years, long enough to demonstrate long term durability. It carries a 5 year warranty backed my Widwest Chemicals and provides one of the most durable, unique, and clean looking finishes you will ever see. Check out pictures in our Portfolio of these products being applied.

Colors

You can see below that we offer a large selection of colors and finishes to go along with our service. We offer our refinishing services using a MultiStone Color system as well as a Solid Color system. We also now offer a process call Create a Stain, which gives us the ability to make your bathtub and countertops look like marble or granite! This is one of the fastest growing trends out there, due to the fact that you dont have to spend thousand of dollars on marble or granite but can achieve the same look!

Paint consists of:

* Pigments provide color.

* Binders hold the pigments together.

* Liquid disperses and delivers the pigments.

* Additives supply traits such as moisture resistance.

Check the percentages of solids in the paint.

Pigments, binders, and additives are solids that stay on the painted surface. The liquid evaporates (or cures). Product labels reference the percentages of solids in paint. A higher percentage usually indicates a thicker, better covering paint.

The two common types of paint are:

* Solvent-based (oil or alkyd) In oil-based paint the liquid solvent is mineral spirits. Oil-based paint dries slower than latex — usually taking 24 hours to cure. Clean up with turpentine or paint thinner.

* Water-based (latex) The liquid is water. An advantage to latex paint is that it dries relatively fast, which may or may not be desirable in hot weather or direct sunshine. Clean up is faster, requiring only soap and water.

Just the first of many to inform you of painting your home and what types of paint to use and the proper way to have your home painted. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us any time.

Green homes, a new study shows, are growing in popularity – and will likely continue to do so as the overall housing market cools.

The 2007 McGraw-Hill Construction SmartMarket Report on Attitudes & Preferences for Remodeling and Buying Green Homes shows a growing market for green homebuilding and green renovation, even amid a downturn in the housing market at large – and maybe even largely because of that downturn.

“True” green homes – which the report defined as containing a specific green building element in at least three of five categories (energy efficiency, indoor air quality, water efficiency, resource efficiency and site management) – made up 0.3 percent of the construction market in 2005, worth almost $2 billion.

But the troubled overall housing market has created a need for homes to offer something different, something that catches homebuyers’ attention and differentiates their homes from others. With an increasing awareness of the economic, environmental and health benefits of green homes, that differentiation can be achieved by building green. The report predicts that green homes’ growing popularity will boost the “true” green home market to $20 billion by 2010.

And, in fact, the public’s awareness of green homes and their benefits is nearing a critical mass, the report finds. Two-thirds of homeowners are aware of green building, with 8 percent extremely knowledgeable.

Meanwhile, fully 85 percent of people who already own green homes are so happy with their new homes, they say they are either likely or highly likely to recommend others build green.

The variety of reasons people buy green homes is huge. The top four reasons given by the participants in the McGraw-Hill study are operational cost savings (90 percent), environmental concerns (84 percent), occupant health (82 percent) and potential higher resale value (73 percent).

Green renovation is also steadily growing in popularity. Nearly 40 percent of home remodeling is being done green, the study reports. The most-used green products for home remodeling projects are new or replacement windows (47 percent), HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) systems (44 percent) and new window equipment or hardware (32 percent).

The study has a confidence interval of 95 percent with a margin of error of plus or minus 8.1 percent for the homeowner data and the same confidence interval with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.7 percent for the green remodeling data.

Natura premium interior waterborne paint is a zero VOC, virtually odorless formula that doesn’t compromise on performance. It dries fast, has excellent adhesion and provides a durable finish with an unlimited color selection. Natura features our Green Promise designation, so you can breathe easy knowing that you’ve used the very best for your environmentally sensitive projects.