Green Housepainting Tips
Painting your home gives it an instant facelift, but you may be concerned about the environmental impact of your choice to repaint. Fortunately, there are several ways that you can minimize the impact and paint your home in an ecologically safe manner. The following tips can help.
Tip #1: Use a low-VOC paint
A low-VOC paint doesn't produce dangerous off-gassing, which is better for both you and the immediate environment. Most major paint supplier sells their color line in a low-VOC paint. Another option is to opt for a completely natural paint, such as a milk paint. Just keep in mind there will be more color limitations with this option.
Tip #2: Dispose of paint properly
If you have leftover paint that you aren't planning to save for touchups, dispose of it properly. Never pour paint into a drain, down the toilet, or into a sewer grate. The best way to dispose of the paint is to find someone else that can use it. You may be able to donate it to a used building supply store for this purpose. If you must throw it away, open the lid and allow it to dry before disposing of it with your bagged trash.
Tip #3: Reuse your tools
It can be frustrating trying to clean paint brushes and rollers each day, plus it's a waste of water. Instead, place the brushes and rollers in a plastic bag and store them in the freezer until you resume painting. Once you are completely done, you can wash them out to store them for another use.
Tip #4: Opt for recycled brushes and rollers
Brushes made of recycled materials, including the bristles, are much more eco-friendly compared to those made from all new materials. In fact, with rollers it makes the most sense to simply purchase replacement pads instead of swallowing the monetary and environmental loss of purchasing a whole new roller.
Tip #5: Use fabric dropcloths
Fabric dropcloths used to be the standard for most painting jobs, but the plummeting cost of plastic has rendered plastic dropcloths more common. You will need a dropcloth to protect the floor, but stick to the old cloth version. Just make sure it is thick enough so you don't have to worry about spilled paint seeping through.
For more help, contact a house painter in your area. They can lead you to further tips to help green your painting routine.
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