Jay Watts - VP Sales talks about the quality and safety of the zero VOC paints from AFM Safecoat.

“We focus on human health as the most important factor in the development of our products. We started with one product and now we have over 40.”

VOC Content In General

“VOC” is the acronym used for “Volatile Organic Compounds” and in this regard we mean organic chemical compounds which may affect human health and the environment. They are characteristic for containing significant vapor pressures which can be varied, many and also ubiquitous. They are naturally occurring as well as man-made and although anthropogenic (human impact on the environment) VOC’s are regulated for indoor paints, there are still paints with various levels of VOC’s which are available to the broader market.

In terms of the effects, volatile organic compounds are not massively toxic, but they can have an accumulative effect and cause symptoms which are slow to develop. More people today are spending long hours in offices or indoors working at home, and therefore the potential of prolonged exposure has been found to exist. Exposure may contribute to sick building syndrome, relative leukemia and also lymphoma. Indoor concentrations can be 2 to 5 times higher than the air out-of-doors, and in winter this is worse.

In our natural atmosphere the main VOC produced is isoprene and this derives from plants. It is also interesting to note that only 10% of the biological level of VOC emissions is man-made. You have seen what happens with a forest fire and how quickly it spreads? This is to a large extent due to terpenes, such as myrcene which is emitted exclusively from the leaves of trees. On a hot day in August in a forest during growing season, massive amounts of volatile organic compounds are released into the air. Yes, your trees produce masses of VOC’s and this is why forests are fire hazards!

In terms of man-made volatile organic compounds; in the majority these are contained in solvents - in particular protective coatings and paints! The solvent part of the equation is necessary to spread the decorative product. Due to the fact that there are environmental and health concerns regarding man-made VOC’s and strict regulations are in place to control substances such as glycol ethers, acetone, ethyl acetate and aliphatic hydrocarbons; more paint manufacturers are using aqueous or water-based solvents.

Shades of Green

Shades Of Green for example is a measurement scale used by Livingreen management, so that a customer can judge for themselves how sustainable a paint, wall coating or any other item is. There are paints which are manufactured with very low VOC content and are free of any airborne particles which may be unhealthy. Shades of green also incorporates products which are manufactured from recycled materials – these look great and we know for a fact that recycling helps divert landfill use. Find organic furnishing, both soft and hard, non-VOC finishing materials and many products designed specifically for people who are chemically sensitive. Each shade of green measurement helps to guide the customer in all of these regards. Livingreen has an established reputation for carrying a good selection of brands, products, colors, stains and finishes that are non-toxic as well as zero-VOC.

Downtown Los Angeles is becoming more and more of a bustling community with projects springing up all over town. One in particular is a residential studio loft right in the heart of the city. The small loft space was furnished and designed by Alternative Design Group for one of there clients and painted in AFM Safecoat Paints from Livingreen in Benjamin Moore colors that the skilled Livingreen paint experts matched perfectly. Due to the poor ventilation conventional paints would leave a robust odor for days. AFM Safecoat paint turned out to be the perfect paint to use. “Once it dried, I couldn’t even tell that I painted,” said Abraham, the contractor on duty, who had never used the paint before. “[Safecoat] went on smoothly and had great coverage.”

Through the month of June, Livingreen is offering a 10% discount on all AFM Safecoat exterior paints and transitional primer.  The discount applies to other AFM products including AFM Naturals clear coatings.  AFM is the original and still the best paint for chemically sensitive people and anyone concerned about their health and the health of their loved ones.  The sale lasts until the end of June, so stop by any one of the Livingreen stores today to take advantage of these savings.