Vibrant Mexican Colour

We are often concerned with getting colour right to the extent that many people in my experience just close down and opt for white. White can be great of course, as can the muted heritage colours that various designer paint companies sell, but how exciting it can be to have the freedom that people have in Mexico and throughout South America in their use of colour. Of course you can get it terribly wrong but more often than not colours even from very different colour palettes will work together. Do we ever say in nature 'that's a bit of a clash of colours'? Be bold!

Waterbased Eggshell Painting Tips

Eggshell Painting Tips

1. Earthborn Eggshell doesn't require an undercoat and can therefore be applied directly to either wood or a previously painted surface.
2. The secret of a great finish is in the preparation (boring I know!). To prepare a previously painted surface sand down with a suitable grade of sandpaper. The reason for sanding is to provide a key for the eggshell to sit on, so any shine should be removed -you don’t need to remove the paint .This may require a rough grade of sandpaper to begin the job-say 60 grit and then finishing of with a finer grade 120 grit or finer. Make sure that you don’t leave scratches on the surface as this will look ugly and always sand with the grain of the wood even if the grain can’t be seen. If you are painting directly onto the wood then you are sanding to provide a smooth surface.
3. If you are painting directly onto wood, your first coat of eggshell can be watered down with approximately 10% water. Water can also be added to subsequent coats but for aesthetic purposes only. Eggshell can be applied with either a roller or a brush. I often apply the first coat with a mini foam roller and the second coat with a brush. This technique confuses any brush strokes.
4. As water based eggshell dries quickly you will need to be organised when applying it. Don’t paint too large an area unless you have to. If you are painting a panelled door then use the diagram below. Any time that you go over onto another surface of the door that you aren't yet painting then just feather out to make sure their are no lumps of paint that will show up under the second coat.

After applying the first coat sanding the paint is usually suggested but as Earthborn Eggshell dries so hard I recommend that you skip this process.

Painted Chest Of Draws

This is my latest commission for Making Magazine. The brief was to paint this chest of draws with an African theme. The unit was painted with Earthborn Claypaint and then hand painted from a stencil pattern, again with Earthborn Claypaint. It took a while to hand paint it but I'm pleased with the result!

Hazardous Petrochemical Paint

We all like the idea of a quick home make-over - and what better pick-me-up for tired-looking walls than a fresh lick of paint?

But the USA’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies paint as one of its top five most hazardous substances. Why? Read on to find out.

What’s In Paint?

Don’t let seductive environmentally-friendly names such as ‘Forest Green’, ‘Primrose Yellow’, or ‘Sunset Pink’ lull you into a false sense of eco-purity – standard household paints are a smooth blend of toxic chemicals.

They generally include pigment (the colour), carried by a resin and/or binder, a solvent to help the paint application, and a dryer. In vinyl and acrylic paints they will also include plastics compounds. Some will include formaldehyde, arsenic, thinners, and foamers.

Harmful Effects of Paint Pollution

We like paint. Each year we buy three hundred litres of the stuff. But if we knew the harm it could do, perhaps we’d seek safer paint options.

Prolonged or high exposure to paint and paint fumes can cause headaches, trigger allergies and asthmatic reactions, irritate skin, eyes and airways, and put increased stress on vital organs such as the heart.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported a 20%-40% increased risk of certain types of cancer (in particular lung cancer) for those who come into regular contact with, or work with paint while Danish researchers point to the added possibility of neurological damage.

Off Gassing

Although by taking sensible precautions whilst painting, such as making sure there is adequate ventilation and wearing a mask, your problems are not all over once the paint is dry.

There is growing concern amongst environmentalists about ‘off gassing’, the process by which chemicals continue to release volatile toxins into the atmosphere long after their application is complete.

Volatile Organic Compounds

As paint is applied, the World Health Organisation report that the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) given off are as much as 1000 times higher than found outdoors.

During the life-time of the paint on your walls, it will also continue to release chemicals into the environment as invisible paint pollution.

Effects On The Environment

When VOC’s react with oxygen, they can form ‘bad’ ozone in the presence of sunlight. This is a contributory factor to the greenhouse effect and a cause of global warming. One study by C.E.P.E. attributes paints and varnishes to causing as much as five percent of all VOC emissions.

However, it is not only household paints which are the problem -

Toxic Boat Paint

Paint used to deter limpets, mussels, and other sea organisms from sticking to the bottom of boats has been labelled as the most toxic substance ever to be unleashed on the marine environment.

Tributyltin - or TBT – was condemned as much as forty years ago when its harm as an endocrine-disrupter were first noted. Since then, it has done untold harm to such sea creatures as oysters, harbour porpoises, mussels, clams, abalone, gastropods, and skipjack tuna, as well as generally polluting the sea.

Although concern over tributyltin has been shared by countries the world over and its use is mainly restricted to unscrupulous practitioners, ratification of a ban has been slow to take effect. However, from 2008 the use of TBT will finally be outlawed in Europe and any boats or ships entering EU waters using TBT will be turned away.

Paint the Town Green

It’s not all bad news. If you want to change the colour of your walls, there is nothing to stop you doing so in a way that won’t harm you or the environment. These days there is really no excuse to buy polluting, chemical paints because there is a wide range of eco-friendly paint productions now available.

So next time you fancy a new colour-scheme, check out green paint!

© PollutionIssues 2000-2014