Hohmann & Barnard’s Textroflash™ Liquid is VOC and HAPs Free!

Hohmann & Barnard’s Textroflash™ Liquid is an excellent air & vapor barrier and also performs as a moisture barrier. It allows proper drainage in various types of wall systems and provides protection from the detrimental effects of air exfiltration and infiltration, such as energy loss, condensation, efflorescence, bacterial growth, mold, etc. More environmentally friendly than other spray-applied products, Textroflash™ Liquid is suitable for application to concrete, CMU, cast-in-place concrete or gypsum sheathing. It can be spray-applied or brush/roller-applied. After curing (4-24 hrs. depending on ambient temperatures), Textroflash™ Liquid is a resilient, seamless membrane with high elongation and water-resistant properties.

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Healthy Paints, Stains, & Finishes

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to spruce up a room is a new coat of paint. Woodwork and flooring can also be sanded and refinished to give your home a new look. Unfortunately, paints, stains, and finishes are notorious contributors to indoor air pollution. Oil-based paints, for example, release large quantities of potentially harmful volatile organic chemicals (called VOCs) as they dry. This release of VOCs continues for a week or two after painting. Conventional wood stains and finishes also release huge quantities of VOCs, often more than oil-based paints, and much more than water-based wall paints.

VOCs and other chemical ingredients in paints, stains, and finishes may cause short-term health effects, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, allergic reactions, and sore throats. They may also cause serious, long-term health problems like cancer. The very old and very young are most susceptible, as are those with weakened immune systems. VOCs in paints also contribute to local air pollution, notably photochemical smog that plagues many cities in summer months.

Conventional water-based latex interior house paints are safer than oil paints. They release less VOCs, but also release small amounts of formaldehyde, ammonia, mildewcides, and other potentially harmful chemicals. As these paints dry, the chemicals are released into the room air, creating a distinct odor. The chemicals are inhaled by whoever is doing the painting and by the home’s residents—sometimes for several months afterward.

Why add chemicals if they can cause health problems? The most dangerous ones, VOCs, are used to make the paint dry faster. Mildewcides are added to prevent mold and mildew, both in the can and when the paint is on the walls. (Generally, interior paints contain less mildewcide than exterior paints.)

Responding to these and other concerns, the paint industry has made dramatic changes in their products. They now offer many environmentally- and people-friendly options. What’s more, you won’t have to break the bank to go green since these paints don’t cost any more than premium conventional paints.

What Are Your Options?
To begin with, many off-the-shelf interior paints today contain much lower VOC concentrations than in the recent past. Some manufacturers have gone a step further, producing paints with even lower levels of VOCs, labeling the paint “low-VOC.” All major paint manufacturers produce a line of low-VOC paints. They’re available in paint stores, many home improvement centers, and hardware stores. No-VOC paints are also available from many of the same companies.

While low- and no-VOC paints are safer and better for the environment than conventional paints, they often contain ammonia and antimicrobial additives (mildewcides). Another issue to be aware of is that federal regulations that apply to VOCs in paint only cover the types of VOCs that contribute to the formation of smog. Other types of VOCs are not counted, so no- or low-VOC paints may actually contain some VOCs that may pose a health risk. To find out, contact the manufacturer and ask for a copy of the product’s Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

Excerpted with permission fromGreen Home Improvement by Daniel D. Chiras, published by RSMeans.

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