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Get out your ripped Candlebox T-shirt and your old cargo shorts with the hole in the pocket. It's time to paint! Steve Thomas, host of Renovation Nation, pitches in to paint many a pad on his program.
Old-school paint, the kind of paint used on old schools and other buildings, was noxious, sometimes lead-based and bad for the ecosystem. Paints no longer use lead because it caused medical problems, but many paints on the market are still unhealthy for the planet.
Steve, green go-getter that he is, wants us to paint in a way that is in sync with the planet. But how?
Here's how:
- Use Eco-friendly paint. This stuff exists. It has less volatile airborne particles than regular paint, but it is more expensive. Your lungs or a few extra bucks? I know what I would choose.
- Take your old paint cans to the recyclers. You should always recycle. Some paints cannot be disposed of with the regular trash because they contain heavy metals or petroleum. We don't want that ending up in our drinking water.
- When stripping old paint, use an eco-friendly paint stripper. There are plenty of these products on the market. There is also something called a heat gun that can burn the paint off, but that might pollute the air or set your walls on fire. Elbow grease, a clenched jaw, a scraping tool, willful determination and a non-toxic cleanser are my recommendations.
- Be careful. Before you strip paint, you need to test for lead. Always wear appropriate eye protection and work in a properly ventilated area. These words make lawyers and mothers happy.
- Use eco-friendly paint additives. These additives create a micro-vacuum. This vacuum reflects heat back into the house, reducing energy costs.
Happy painting!
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