Eco-Friendly Approaches to Interior and Exterior Painting
As the call for a healthier and sustainable world widens, taking individual responsibility for the planet is no longer about reputation but a necessity. Thankfully, life presents plenty of opportunities to show the environment some tender love and care, interior and exterior painting included.
“How?” you ask. Well, we focus on matters regarding eco-friendly painting in this article. We highlight eco-friendly paint options as well as best practices for minimizing your carbon footprint on your painting projects.
Sustainable Interior and Exterior Paint Solutions
Whether you want to create a beautiful focal point with an accent wall or just want to give your curb appeal a boost with a new roof color, here are tips to ensure that you do so sustainably:
Use eco-friendly paints
With eco-friendly paint options available in the market, your first step towards sustainable painting is opting for them. These include:
- Low VOC paints – Unlike traditional paints, their major attribute is zero to low volatile organic compounds (VOCs). And, of course, low to zero content of these toxins translates to little or no harmful chemicals making their way into the environment. Low VOC paints also rarely harm the indoor air quality, making them the perfect choice not just for the environment but for your health as well.
- Recycled paint – Ask for paint that has been recycled from old paints
- Water-based paints – This paint uses water as a base, hastening the time that they take to dry. They also contain fewer toxins and have low odor.
- Natural-based paints – As the name suggests, these paints are made from natural compounds such as plant extracts, beeswax, and resins among others. Just like their water-based counterparts, they are odorless and have a low impact on the environment
Paint to last
Another great way to paint sustainably is to ensure that you are doing a paint job that will last for longer. This way, you eliminate the need to repaint frequently, which keeps your carbon footprint at the lowest. Painting for longevity boils down to ensuring high-quality results.
To achieve that, prepare the surface properly before painting. Clean the surface and repair any damages. Afterward, apply a protective layer of a protective element such as a sealant or primer to protect the painted surface from harsh elements.
Buy with precision
We all know that keeping the waste that we generate at the lowest possible level is vital in enhancing our sustainability goals. This is exactly what buying with precision does. It ensures there is little to no leftover paint after project completion.
Buying with precision also means getting the color right from the start. You don’t want to open several cans of paint that are likely to end up as waste before finding the color that you want.
This is a hurdle that you can easily pass by working with professional painting service providers. An expert would be better able to give an accurate approximation of the paint needed. They can also take you through the color selection process and do the purchasing on your behalf.
Dispose of paint sustainably
How do you dispose of leftover paint after your paint project? The goal is to make sure that you keep sustainability in mind when doing this. For starters, refrain from pouring leftover paint in drains. A sustainable alternative is to leave the paint to dry into a solid mass and then dispose of it in the trash can.
Be sure to recycle the empty paint cans or repurpose them for other uses at home, such as planters or DIY outdoor lanterns. In addition, consider donating leftover paint to someone else who might need it. You can also use the paint for smaller paint jobs such as decorating planters, painting old furniture, and the like.
Adapt sustainable painting practices
Your impact on the environment can be reduced significantly by taking small steps towards eco-consciousness. Here are a few sustainable painting best practices that you should incorporate when painting:
- Use sustainable brushes and rollers such as those made from natural materials such as bamboo or recycled materials
- Clean brushes immediately after use to prevent paint from drying up, and then save them for use in your next paint projects
- Ditch disposable paint supplies for high-quality ones that can be used again in the future
- Improvise what you have at home instead of buying paint supplies. For instance, you can use an old sheet for furniture protection. Also, try borrowing what you don’t have from the neighbors before considering buying
Conclusion
Internal and external painting isn’t just about adding more life to the interior or exterior of your home. It is also an opportunity to fulfill your sustainability goals. Make sure to opt for eco-friendly paints.
Also, paint with longevity in mind and estimate the amount that you need with precision to reduce waste. When it comes to disposing of leftover paint, consider the suggestions given here to do it with less impact on the environment. Lastly, adopt the sustainable painting best practices discussed above.