Eco-friendly Paint Selection

One industry that has seen a huge shift to green products in the last decade has been paint. We first saw this trend as latex formulations became more commonly used not only for flat wall paint but also for trim and even cabinets, rather than using oil-based paints. Since latex paint is water-based, it is typically more eco-friendly by default – but then the paint companies began to push the envelope even further by reducing VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) in their formulas that can be harmful as they release into the air. Gradually over the last few years, we have seen a shift to low-VOC and even zero-VOC in many offerings.

Here at the Urban Greenie, we have tested many eco-friendly paint formulations but had not had a chance to use any from Sherwin-Williams. We would like to thank the wonderful folks at Sherwin-Williams for providing the paint for our green makeover on Washington Street in Garland. Not only will we put it through rigorous testing, using it for both rolling and spraying, but we will be able to do so knowing that it is safer for us to use and will provide a healthier environment for the homeowner.

We are especially excited about the exterior paint that has been specially formulated to cover the old vinyl siding on the home. Sherwin-Williams offers 100 colors in VinylSafe® Paint, even a few on the darker end of the scale which has previously been thought to be impossible for vinyl siding because of warpage problems. So we will see how it turns out!

Thanks also to our friends at Carmichael Lynch Relate in New York for helping to facilitate the paint donation.

Coming up next: Choosing the paint colors!