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Simple Green: Try a Low VOC Paint

atla051508ecopaints01.jpgWe talk a lot about the wonders of adding a coat of paint to spruce up, well, life. It seems the right color can transform a room or a piece of furniture into something so awesome you hardly recognize it. Painting is normally a quick endeavor that can happen in an afternoon or over a weekend. Make it green by checking out a paint that doesn't have harmful fumes and toxins, aka a low or no VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paint:

 
 

Some great places around LA to find low voc paint are:

livingreen in Culver City: they also have other materials, like tile, and eco friendly furniture.
Crown Paint on Pico
Jill's Paint in Atwater
Cox Paint in Santa Monica
Home Depot has even rolled out a Zero VOC paint!

Some of the low VOC paints we've tried and liked are:
10 Best Low and No VOC Interior Paints
FreshAire Zero VOC Paint
Krylon's Low VOC Spray Paint
Best Affordable Low VOC Paints


Have a Project for Green @ Home Month? Submit it here:

Info:
Please send us photos and info on how you live green@home. This is not a contest, just a way to build up an AT inspirational database of sorts on how real folks are living greener at home.

Simple, straightforward ideas are welcome, like how you deal with your recycling bin in a small kitchen, and so are ambitious projects - like your amazing green roof. We hope to have a big archive of ideas to inspire us all by the end of the month.

PRIZES:


6-26-ecover1.jpg6-26-ecover3.gifIn exchange for sharing your green@home ideas, Ecover will reward the first 100 ApartmentTherapy readers, who submit photo/essays demonstrating ways in which their lives are green, with their choice of Ecover Liquid Laundry detergent, Ecover Dishwashing Liquid, or Ecover Glass & Surface spray cleaner. Each of the first 100 will also receive Ecover Heavy Duty hand cleanser.

7-7rakshabella.jpg

7-7raksha.gifRaksha Bella will reward one lucky sweepstakes winner with a complete bedding set made from all certiefied Indian organic cottons. The set includes a queen-sized duvet cover, quilt, two pillow cases and two European shams in the winner's choice of three designs. The Classic Collection from Raksha Bella features sumptous textiles in traditional Indian prints, handblocked with lowimpact and vegetable dyes. Choose from the Raj Paisley (available in Indigo or Rum Raisin), Tree of Life (in Canton & Mimosa) or Indian Rose (in Dusty Cedar, Cress Green or Indigo). A retail value of $1,165.00.


HOW TO ENTER:

To enter the Green @ Home Giveaway, please submit below. Submissions will be posted from July 7th to August 1 and winners will be notified by August 8th.


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RULES:

Please, only one submission per person. Duplicate submissions will be discarded.

This is not a contest.

The first 100 posted submissions will receive a gift from Ecover.

The winner of the Raksha Bella Sweepstakes will be randomly drawn from all complete entries (even those that aren't posted).

Winners must claim their prize within three business days after the date of notification of such prize. A Sweepstakes winner's failure to respond to the prize notification within the specified three business days will be considered such Sweepstakes winner's forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected from the pool of eligible entries. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected from the pool of eligible entries.

To enter, you must be a U.S. resident, age 18 or older to enter. Employees, partners and vendors of Apartment Therapy and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. We will disqualify any entries that we believe are generated by scripts and other automated technology. When applicable, the winner may be required to execute and return within five business days an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and Publicity Release to be eligible for the prize or an alternate winner will be selected.

All prizes will be awarded. No substitutions including for cash are permitted, except that Apartment Therapy reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater monetary value for any prize. Winners shall be responsible and liable for all federal, state and local taxes on the value of their prize. To receive a complete list of winners or a copy of the Official Sweepstakes Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Apartment Therapy, 22 Howard Street #4i, New York, NY 10013.

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Comments (5)

I love, love, LOVE Sherwin Williams Duration paint. It's low VOC, and is a beautiful paint - great consistency, coverage and durability. I used it on nearly every room of my house and recommend it fully.

posted by ilovebutter on July 22nd 2008 at 3:19pm
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Don't forget EPOXYBOX in Venice. They have Lime Paint and clay paint, in addition to cork floors and many other eco trappings.

posted by SydneyBristow on July 23rd 2008 at 7:51am
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how are the prices for low voc paint? I would love to use it for my new place (it's in dire need of a makeover) but I am also on a very tight budget and afraid to go into the hole w/ the job. any suggestions?

posted by lunatig on July 23rd 2008 at 11:19am
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I used to work for a national paint company, and just thought I'd mention that the more tint that you add to paint increases the VOC levels exponentially (Once did the math and figured out just how much for a concerned customer, and its staggering what a little tint in paint will do). If you really have problems with chemical sensitivities, or just dislike VOCs in your home, stick to colours with the least amount of tint possible. (This really only goes for most standard tints though)

As for pricing, low VOC paint tends to be at the higher end of the price spectrum, but with paint often times you get what you pay for. Also, you have to really look at the value of paint-you get the most "bang-for-your-buck" out of paint when you look at the cost of the finish compared to the amount of square footage that it covers. It really does make the most impact in a space for the lowest cost per square foot of any of the finishes you could replace in your home. (ie: flooring, countertops, etc.)

Hope that helps!

posted by jenner on July 23rd 2008 at 4:27pm
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Jenner - wow thanks for the information. I had no idea the pigments added so much VOC. Good to know!

posted by ilovebutter on July 27th 2008 at 11:43am
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