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Your home improvement questions answered
Question: I’m painting my home’s interior and I’ve heard about “green” paint. What exactly is it?
Answer: Kevin Nolan, president of Nolan Painting in Havertown: Green paints have no or very low amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOC), which evaporate into the atmosphere when the paint dries and cures, contributing to global warming. These paints have been around for the last decade, and nearly every manufacturer makes them.
The solvents in traditional paints help in the flow and leveling. The green paints do give up some of these properties, so the major differences are in application. In all other respects, the paints perform excellently and have great scrub-ability, color retention and durability. They actually have more pigments, binders and resins, so they do cost a little bit more.
Green paints don’t smell, so we generally recommend them for people with asthma, respiratory difficulties and latex allergies.
Have a question for an expert? E-mail tbehan@mainlinetoday.com.
