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THE BENEFITS OF NATURAL PAINT
Natural paint has many, many benefits which stretch from the manufacturing process through to the actual effects of the paint on you and I.
Environment - the ingredients are manufactured using the least amount of energy possible. The ingredients come from sustainable sources and therefore preserve our natural capital.
Effect on building materials - natural paints and varnishes allow buildings to "breathe", being micro-porous. Modern building techniques, including conventional petro-chemical paint, tend to "seal up" surfaces, for example, conventional paint creates a coating on top of the plaster or wood rather than binding with the underlying surface. By allowing a surface to breathe properly, this discourages the build-up of condensation and resulting mould and allows the walls to naturally expand and contract as the temperature rises and falls within the house.
Effect on health - there are no long or short term health issues for humans using the paint.
Quality - the product is of high quality and is of professional standard.
Good Price - the prices are comparable to any good quality chemical paint.
For example PRIMASOL emulsion
Chemical Solvent free - means that you will not breathe toxic petro-chemical fumes. The paint is free from acrylic resin (no Glycol Ester), formaldehydes etc. The solvent is actually water!
Long lasting - the colour and finish will last for years.
Washable - the matt finish allows you to wash the walls with soap and water without damaging the paint finish.
Easy to apply - after giving the paint a vigorous stir, you can either thin the first coat with 10% water or apply the paint as it is. Apply two coats for a good depth of colour.
Re-paintable - if you feel like a change of colour just apply the colour you want on top of the old colour - again apply two coats.
Real chalk matt effect - the natural chalk content in the paint gives a slightly matt, textured finish.
HISTORY OF NATURAL PAINT
There was a time when household paint was mixed by hand by the professional decorator. Then came mass production of paint in the 19th century and later still, in the 1960's, the petro-chemical industry introduced mass market chemical paint. The use of simple ingredients such as chalk, cellulose and casein (a milk derivative) for household paint have almost disappeared. In their place we now have two generations of painters and decorators who have known nothing other than petro-chemical based paint; easily available, cheap and offered in a never ending rainbow of colours to satisfy the huge consumer demand.
However, as many of us are becoming more aware of our environment, we are beginning to question what we not only put into and onto our bodies but also what we put in our homes.
Conventional petro-chemical oil based paints and varnishes contain many complex volatile chemicals which remain volatile long after they have been applied to our walls and woodwork. Hence that "paint smell" which lingers on after we have painted our houses. The petro-chemical paint industry is slowly introducing water based alternatives but these may have more severe consequences for our health than oil based paint.
From the old tradition of paint making comes modern natural wall paints and varnishes, using modern manufacturing processes which minimise environmental waste and use minimal energy in their production. These paints and varnishes are based on chalk, cellulose, casein (a milk derivative) as in times of old. Biofa natural oil based paints are made of natural oils and use citrus peel oil as a natural solvent. The complex volatile chemicals of petro-chemical paints have been banished along with the use of acrylics and formaldehyde.
WHY ARE NATURAL PAINTS NOT "ORGANIC"
We are occasionally asked whether our paints are "organic" ie made from ingredients free from pesticides etc. Biofa natural paints are not "organic" for two reasons. The first reason is simple - minerals cannot be classified as "organic" as they are not grown or produced from an animal and minerals tend to be the main ingredients of natural paint.
The second reason is slightly more complex. "Organic" is also a term used in chemistry when chemicals go through complex processes to produce a new synthetic substance. This process is used in petro-chemical paint production whereby the chemicals are combined to produce a volatile organic compound. If you look on tins of paint you will see this listed as VOC. These VOCs are listed on the tin as either high, medium or low VOC emissions and are considered a health hazard and to be used with care.
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