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<TITLE>Re: [Greenbuilding] Natura Paint - Any thoughts</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>Home Hardware sounds like a local hardware store...they may be a Ben Moore dealer and selling the same Natura paint. Ask them for MSDS and technical data sheets. <BR>
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Also ask about their tinting systems—most lines add VOCs and <FONT COLOR="#800000">Alkylphenol Ethoxylates (APE)</FONT>, which are surfactants (detergents) that can be <I>oestrogenic (</I>hormone disrupting) and <I>bioaccumulative</I> (they don’t break down in the environment and increase concentration up the food chain).<BR>
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You have to look beyond the VOC label. This is an old issue but still quite relevant. Many paints still have exempted VOCs (b/c they don’t react with sunlight to cause ozone smog they aren’t regulated and so aren’t part of the label’s VOC number), acetone (nail polish remover), crystalline silica, ethylene glycol (antifreeze), or formaldehyde precursors (in the can they don’t do anything but when their applied the chemicals react with the air to form formaldehyde)...you have to check the MSDS for disclosures and even then they can still be hidden. For example, BM Aura still has 35 g/l VOCs and ethylene glycol.<BR>
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And of course there’s the junk factor — is the paint actually a good paint and does what paint is sposed to do. All good paints will tell you 2 coats are recommended, and often a coat of primer for best hiding and adhesion. Some of the waterier paints will need 3-4 coats, especially for darker colors.<BR>
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Now, b/c we sell paints, the following has bias in the answer...<BR>
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We sell 4 lines of wall finishes: American Pride (aka Mythic), AFM Safecoat, American Clay plasters, Bioshield paints. All are ZERO VOCs and zero of the above junk and there are no VOCs or APE in any of the tints. About as healthy as it gets. Costs: $20s-40s a gallon, so about 40% less then BenMoore and a BMW less than Farrow and Ball. Don’t take that crap that great paint has to be so expensive.<BR>
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We have had a number of customers come in and complain about both Aura and Natura odors and reactions, and have covered them with our American Pride or AFM Safecoat lines to fix it. These lines are extremely popular.<BR>
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In terms of quality of the finish, the Smithsonian uses our American Pride. Their curators do some serious testing.<BR>
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Hope this helps,<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="1"><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:9pt'><B>Jason Holstine<BR>
</B></SPAN><SPAN STYLE='font-size:7pt'><IMG src="cid:3379244676_131878323" ><BR>
Amicus Green Building Center<BR>
“Sustain Your Space”<BR>
Member - USGBC, GreenAmerica, NARI, NAHB<BR>
e: <a href="jason@amicusgreen.com">jason@amicusgreen.com</a><BR>
w: www.amicusgreen.com<BR>
p: 301-571-8590<BR>
tf: 866-587-9140<BR>
f: 301-571-8597<BR>
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On 1/30/11 1:58 PM, "Lynelle Hamilton" <<a href="lynelle@lahamilton.com">lynelle@lahamilton.com</a>> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Consolas, Courier New, Courier"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>I am searching for a No-VOC paint for my house. I know that Farrow and <BR>
Ball is great, but can't swing the $$ to prime and paint with it.<BR>
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I am looking at Aura and Natura, but am confused about Natura. Both <BR>
Benjamin Moore and Home Hardware sell "non-VOC" paints under this label. <BR>
I can't find any information on whether they are indeed the same paint, <BR>
or not.<BR>
Home Hardware's is much cheaper, but I don't know anything about quality <BR>
and coverage.<BR>
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Can anyone shed light on this? Or, is there a better one out there for <BR>
new walls. I'm painting on my own, so need something available to <BR>
consumers.<BR>
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Many thanks!<BR>
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Lynelle<BR>
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