Paint Environmentally Friendly

There are plenty of ways to go a little greener around the house. You can recycle. You can switch to energy-efficient light bulbs. And now you can keep the environment in mind even when you paint.

By using low-VOC paints and primers, you can paint "green" to matter what color you choose. These paints and primers have fewer harmful compounds than traditional paints, making them better for the environment. Low-VOC paints can also improve your indoor air quality, making these paints a better choice for your home, your family and Mother Nature.

Visit your local True Value hardware store for the expert advice and products you need to paint "Green" and healthily.

Get to Know Low-VOC Paint
Keep It Green and Safe

Get to Know Low-VOC Paint

For decades, VOCs have been a key ingredient in the composition of latex- and oil-based paints, solvents and varnishes. Exposure to these compounds can trigger asthma attacks and cause other respiratory problems, irritate eyes, cause nausea and dizziness. Prolonged exposure has been linked to kidney and liver disease and even cancer.

In response to changing environmental regulations and consumer demand, many high-quality, low-VOC products, such as True Value EasyCare^® latex primers and paints, are available for purchase. These alternatives release fewer toxic fumes, and what fumes they do produce dissipate quicker. Low-VOC primers and paints are applied the same way as conventional paints and primers, and they cost about the same as most manufacturers' top-of-the-line paints. Because they are not deemed "hazardous waste," low-VOC paints can be cleaned and disposed of easily without the use of strong solvents.

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Keep It Green and Safe

Remember the BUD rule—the first rule of environmentally conscious painters:
Buy no more product than you need
Use the product you buy
Dispose of leftovers in a safe, responsible manner.

Store Excess Properly
You can get more use out of your paint if it's stored properly. Always store paint in a dry location where the temperature is above freezing. Replace the lid firmly and store the can upside down to prevent air from entering the container—this will keep your paint usable longer.

• When purchasing low-VOC paints, buy only what you need for the job at hand. Before you begin, measure the area carefully (height x width = total sq. ft.). One gallon of paint will cover approximately 350-400 sq. ft. To calculate how much paint you'll need for your specific painting project, check out the paint calculator tool at truevaluepaint.com.

Reuse Paint
Don't waste paint. Use excess for touch-up jobs or to paint a small area of your home. Think about donating extra paint to someone who can use it, like an artistic friend or a theater group trying to stretch its financial resources.

Dispose Properly
Latex paint must dry before you can dispose it in the trash. Even if you have used all the paint from a can, allow the empty container to dry with the lid off before discarding. If you have less than one-fourth of the paint from a can left over, you can dry it by simply leaving it out in a well-ventilated area until it hardens, stirring once every few days.

Be Safe
When leaving paint out to dry, be sure to keep it away from children and pets. Also, keep drying paint away from all open flames and outdoor weather.

Well done! With your new environmentally conscious outlook on painting, your household is on the way to cleaner, healthier air. Head to your local True Value hardware store for the products and advice you need to paint the environmentally friendly way.

For more projects, go to TrueValuePaint.com. >

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