When you are about to start house painting in Concord, should you ask your painters to use non-VOC paints, especially when they don’t regularly use them?

More and more homeowners are becoming aware of the importance of quality air, especially those of the indoors. That’s why so more people are using low-emission paints such as VOC paints that can help to improve indoor air quality. It can also provide health benefits for those who spend a large amount of their time inside their homes.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there is at least three times more air pollution indoors than outdoors. Much of this is due to the paints and finishes that are applied on the walls. Most of these paints and finishes emit low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can negatively affect indoor air quality for many years.

As people are more environmentally conscious these days, in addition to the new environmental regulations, many low- or non-VOC paints are now available and in demand.

If professional painters in Danville or the surrounding areas haven’t used low- or non-VOC paints before, you can request them to use them when they paint your home. Chances are painters will be willing to use them. There are a number of good benefits from using these paints, especially non-VOC paints, for both the homeowner and the painter. The benefits include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Those with allergies or chemical sensitivities in particular will benefit from low- or non-VOC paints as they have reduced toxins.
• Reduced toxins are also good for the environment. These toxins will stay out of landfills and groundwater when they’re cleaned up, washed away, or when throwing away the paint can.
• Low- and non-VOC paints are as good as VOC paints when it comes to quality and performance. They are durable, easy to clean and scrub, and cover the flaws from previously used VOC paints.
• All low- and non-VOC paints are water based, which makes them easy to clean with just soap and water.
• Low and non-VOC paints emit no hazardous fumes, and off gassing is not a concern. It means that they are safe for those who intend to stay longer indoors.
• Since the EPA states non-VOC paints are non-hazardous, it is safe to dispose of the paint cans.

To give you more options for choosing low- or non-VOC paints, consider these options:

• Natural paints. These are made from natural materials such as plant oils, mineral dyes, beeswax, clay, chalk, or other natural ingredients. These are considered the healthiest paints for you as well as for the environment.
• Zero VOC paints. These are paints that have less than 5 grams of VOC. Adding a color to VOC paints will increase the paint’s VOC levels to 10 grams, but it can be no longer considered as “Zero VOC”.
• Low VOC paints. This type of paint that has VOC levels of not more than 200 grams per liter, according to the EPA. Most low VOC paints contain no formaldehyde or heavy metals, and use water instead of petroleum-based solvents as carriers.

If you care about your own health, as well as the health of your family and your environment, consider a switch to non-VOC paints when house painting. You can request painters in Danville and the surrounding areas to use non-VOC paints if they haven’t used them before. If they are not willing to use low- or non-VOC paints, you may look for others who will use them when house painting in Danville.

When you are house painting in Concord, you may be using different kinds of paints for a variety of applications. Nowadays, as people are becoming more environmentally aware, more and more are purchasing "green" paint. No, not exactly the color green (though you may see some), but environmentally-friendly paint. There are several brands that are selling such “green” paint, as awareness of the paint’s impact on the environment has become more noticeable.

What makes paint gentle to the environment? Most people use paints with VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) like formaldehyde and benzene. Although these are the major factors, there are other components found in paints that are equally harmful to the environment: biocides (which kill bacteria, and this is a basic ingredient in most paints), vinyl chloride and phthalates. You must also consider how biodegradable paints are, and that would make a big impact on the environment. Even packaging isn’t spared, as it may be a harmful factor.

Fortunately, most major paint brands sell "green" paints, or at least, paints being advertised as such: Yolo Colorhouse No VOC Paint, Delta Soy Paint, Benjamin Moore Green Promise, Center*Star Thermopel, Real Milk Paint, Sherwin-Williams GreenSure, Behr Premium Plus, and Glidden Brilliance. All paints mentioned contain low levels of VOCs or contain no VOCs at all, and are have a low odor.

You can find more information about these paint brands at the brand’s official web sites. These will tell you whether their paint (either all or just one variety) is eco-friendly. VOC content is the most apparent factor in most of the environmentally safe paint varieties, but you can also find other components being mentioned as well.

In accordance with federal regulations, the allowable limit of VOCs is up to 250 grams per liter (g/l) for flat paints and 380 g/l for other paints. Paints must be labeled "low VOC" if they have 50 g/l. Paints that are labeled "no VOC" must be 5 g/l or less. You may find that every brand of paint mentioned above has a variety of paint that falls under one of these two categories.

Most paints that are being advertised as environmentally safe are devoid of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury — components that are found in some paint varieties. Some paints use natural ingredients such as Real Milk Paint. It uses pharmaceutical grade lime that kills bacteria and acts as a curing agent through carbonization. That means it draws carbon dioxide from the air as it hardens. The pharmaceutical grade lime also acts as a fireproofing agent. You may want to consider these good qualities and benefits when you compare environmentally-friendly paints.

The rule also applies to tints if you want to add them to your paints. Some tints possess VOC levels so it is important to check out their content. Sometimes, when you add tints to your paint, they may stand a good chance of increasing VOC levels.

You can seek the advice of the professional painting experts who will always welcome your questions regarding the options, the pros and cons, and other concerns you have about paints. These experts will be able to provide you with their recommendation for environmentally-safe paint varieties when house painting in Concord.

House painting in Concord is not something that should be taken lightly. There are several important decisions to make. If you have the money and little spare time to do the painting, hire a contractor to do the job for you. The question is, would you choose a licensed over an unlicensed contractor?

First and foremost, take the legal matters into account. In most states, contractors are required to have a license in order to work. A licensed contractor has evidence that not only are they fully knowledgeable in his field, it also shows that he has been trained in the trade.

To know if a painting contractor is indeed really licensed, ask him for his credentials. There have been some instances that the contractors themselves claim that they are licensed, but later on you discover that the license has long expired or isn’t a valid license. It’s recommended that you verify the license itself. If a contractor’s license is proven to be valid, then he’s eligible to work for you.

You can tell if a contractor is licensed by the quality of his work. Usually, the quality of the job done by an unlicensed contractor is much less than that of the quality of work performed by a licensed contractor. Professionals who are really serious about being a licensed contractor invest in getting their license because it will cost him to obtain it.

However, some people can be really tricky. There may be someone who really know very little about house painting but manages to pose themselves as professionals by purchasing a license despite their amateur status. So it is recommended that you talk to references and check the contractor’s Better Business Bureau rating. In fact, if you still have doubts regarding the contractor’s license, you may check out the Contractors State License Board website (www2.cslb.ca.gov/onlineservices/checklicenseII/checklicense.aspx) for verification.

The financial aspect is often the biggest issue when it comes to licensing. If a contractor doesn’t do his job well or causes you financial loss through damage or error, and if the contractor isn’t licensed or insured, there’s a big chance that the damage may not be covered. This may cause your homeowner’s insurance to increase or your insurance company to cancel the policy. You may also experience theft and other crimes which may not be covered by your insurance.

When the contractor is unlicensed, he is not liable in an injury case. Instead, the responsibility falls to the homeowner’s shoulders in the end. A licensed painting contractor should have the insurance that will cover any personal or property damage that may happen. Plus, if an unlicensed contractor experiences injury while on the job, he may sue the homeowner for medical expenses and loss of wages. Hiring a licensed professional may cost you a bit more but you can be assured that you won’t have to experience any of these issues when you embark on your house painting in Concord.

If you want to have your house painted but you are having financial concerns, hiring an unlicensed painting contractor is not the best move and will never be worth your money. You must be a little more circumspect when hiring a painting contractor, so do some research. It won’t hurt if you speak with a number of painting contractors, seeking out their references, and verifying their licenses. Hiring a licensed contractor will make your house painting in Concord easier, more convenient, and even cheaper than you may realize.

When house painting in Concord, you may think choosing color for your home exterior is difficult. However, this task will be greatly eased if you keep these very valuable tips in mind as you begin exterior home painting.

Since you are buying paint for your home’s exterior, keep in mind that it will not only look good on the walls, but more importantly it should also be durable and long-lasting. Other factors to consider for good quality paint is that it should also be mold and mildew resistant. It would also be helpful if it offered protection for your home against the sun’s unforgiving ultraviolet rays. Ideally, a good paint should also be easy to apply. You will want to keep these factors in mind when a house painting in Concord.

While it is quite a challenge to choose the proper paint color for your home, you want to choose one that is appealing and enjoyable to see. Think about what kind of color you’d like see as your house exterior. How would that color look with neighboring houses?

If you are still having a hard time deciding which color to paint your home, the following notes may aid you in choosing the right color for your home’s exterior.

1. Take a look around you. Other elements around your home such as the roof, driveway, and chimney may help you decide upon a color. These colors may not be applied with paint, but they play a large role in choosing your house exterior’s new paint color. For example, your house chimney is made of stone, so find a paint color that will match or blend with your chimney’s color including paints with a natural color. If your house has a vividly-colored roof, you may want to offset it by applying a more neutral paint color on your home’s exterior.
2. You can decide upon an exterior paint color by looking at the architectural elements of your home. For instance, a ranch-style home will look great if it’s painted with earthy browns, ivories, or off-whites. If you have a Mediterranean-inspired home, you may want to apply paint with a terra-cotta brown or orange color.
3. The overall landscape of your property can also be an inspiration in picking the right home exterior color. Your home should blend with its immediate surroundings. Perhaps you have a colorful rose garden, or a garden with lots of green foliage in the summer with different hues from apple greens to teals. This foliage may change to earthy tones such as orange, yellow, and brown during the autumn season. Consider your landscape when choosing an exterior paint.
4. You might use natural surroundings as a backdrop for your color selection. If you live near the beach, you might want to use paint colors to match — sky and ocean blue, sunny yellow, sunrise red, brown and yellow, or sea greens. If you reside near the mountains, choose natural looking colors such as greens and earth tones.
5. If you live in a neighborhood whose houses look almost identical to one another, it is best that your home’s exterior color should harmonize with them. But you can add some personal touches, like in the front door or around the windows, in order to stand out from the rest of the neighborhood.
6. The current season can also be an inspiration for your exterior home’s paint color. For instance, when the current season is autumn, choose a paint color that will remind you of the fall season – fallen leaves, seasonal flowers, and pumpkins. Spring inspirations may lead you to choose pale yellow or a light shade of green. If all else fails, choose a classic color that will be great to look at, at all times.

If you are still undecided about which paint to choose, contact the experts at Custom Painting, Inc. They will provide professional advice when it comes to house painting in Concord. Our painting contractors are fully licensed and insured, so you can be confident of the services they offer.

When you want to update the look of your home, house painting in Concord is one of the usual options. But do you that you can often save money if you buy paint with additives? If you haven’t heard of paint with additives yet, you can learn about it in this article.

There are many paints with different additives on the market today. Depending on where you live, on your home’s needs or the type of additives in the paint, you may be even able to save your home and property in case of accidental fires.

Here is a list of the commonly used additives in the paint, to help you make your paint choices a lot easier:

1. Mildew resistance additive – This type of additive is ideal for areas with moist climates. When a climate is moist, dampness can be a problem in your home. A damp house can breed mildew and mold. These can be found on secluded walls that are shaded, under the eaves, or along the bottom of the exterior where the ground is situated close to the wall. Look for mildew resistance additives, but choose the ones that are specifically formulated for the exterior. There are other additives that are designed for interior painting use such as additives for moisture-prone areas like the bathroom and kitchen. The most recommended paint additives are ADD-2TM by Zinser and M-1 Paint Additive by Jomaps. When you use a mildew additive it can save you time from repainting as well as cleaning the mildew off your home’s exterior.
2. Insulation additives – This type of additive has the ability to insulate temperature, and can save you money with cooling and heating costs. This additive usually comes in a powder, and can be added to primers, interior, and exterior paints. There are also paints available that have this additive in them; it can save money from buying a separate insulation additive. Paints with additives can also save you time – just apply a coat of paint with insulation additive and you’ll get the best coverage possible. You must be reminded though, that these additives will cause the paint to lose its sheen. If you want some sheen then it is best to mix the additive with the primer to get the sheen that you desire. Additive brands such as Hy-Tech insulating paint products or Insuladd are two recommended choices.
3. Fireproofing additive – This additive is ideal if you live in an area where wild fires occur frequently. These fireproofing additives may be able to save your home if there is a fire. Examples of fireproofing additives are the Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions which offers external paint additives that minimize the spread of fire to 25 or less on a scale of 0-200. Safety Think or Nelson Paint Company are the other recommended fireproofing additives. These kinds of additives are both available for exterior as well as interior paints.

Keep in mind, however, that these additives never quite guarantee that your house will be immune to damage, but will definitely add some amount of protection. If you want to know more about paint additives, you can also contact a licensed painter who will further explain their benefits. Additives are a great addition to when house painting in Concord as they can save you time, money and effort.