Ecological paint: how to make it, types and advantages

The ecological paints are much better than synthetics in many ways and its main advantage lies in its composition. While the ecological one is made using natural products that do not harm the environment , such as raw materials of vegetable and mineral origin, such as silicates, clay and lime, the synthetics use powerful chemicals, such as mercury, cadmium or lead, and volatile organic compounds , like acetone, which harm the environment.

Being composed of simple and natural raw materials based on biodegradable products , ecological paints do not generate toxic waste for the environment. In this way, these paints comply with a series of standards during their manufacture and packaging to achieve respect for nature and sustainability .

In addition to being friendly to the environment, the components of ecological paint are not harmful to human health , while the synthetic ones are harmful to the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. In fact, there are people who suffer from sensitivity or allergies to synthetic paints, not being able to stay in a place decorated with these paints nor, of course, use them. It is also highly dangerous for pregnant women and children, since the latter can develop allergies or respiratory problems in the future.

More advantages of ecological paint are:

• Easy application.
• High performance and maintenance.
• Great durability.
• It does not smell.
• Being free of toxic products, this paint is flame retardant and does not give off toxic gases.
• Endorsed with a European label that ensures the absence of toxic substances
• The walls covered with these paints are not charged with electrostatic energy, so they more easily inhibit dust, keeping them cleaner.

At present we can differentiate two types of ecological paint according to the natural components used for its manufacture:

• Natural paints : these paints can be of animal or vegetable origin, although the latter are better known, and fall within the group of eco-paints.
• Mineral paints : These eco-friendly paints can be made from silicate, lime, clay, and chalk.

It should be noted that mineral paints are somewhat more expensive than natural paints, both being ecological paints more expensive than synthetic paints. However, the initial investment is well worth it, as both eco-friendly paints can be cleaned and are more resistant to time than synthetic paints, plus many other advantages mentioned above.

Although you can already buy ecological paints on the market , below, we are going to present some ideas on how to make ecological paint at home .

Ecological oil paint

To make this painting you will only need oil as a binder and some mineral pigments to add color. You can use flax or linseed oil and mix it well with the chosen color until completely dissolved. Later, you can use this paint mainly on untreated wooden surfaces.

Homemade paint made with milk

On this occasion, casein from milk is the ingredient used as a binder. To obtain it, we just have to follow these steps:

1. Put a liter of milk on the fire and set it aside just before it starts to boil.
2. Add 50 cc of white vinegar and stir it.
3. Next, separate the buttermilk from the rennet using a strainer and keep the rennet for making the organic paint.
4. Dissolve 50 grams of chalk, lime or marble dust with a little water and add it to the rennet.
5. When you have a homogeneous mixture, add water until you get the right consistency to paint.
6. Now you can apply this eco-paint on absorbent surfaces such as cement, plaster or natural wood. However, it is not useful for plastic, metallic, synthetic enamels, or gloss finish paints.

Eco-starch paint

To make this painting you need 150 grams of potatoes or rice, plaster, pigment and water. The starch will be the binder ingredient and you will get it from potatoes or rice. When you have it, follow these instructions to make ecological paint at home with starch:

1. After cooking one of these two ingredients and mashing it, add 400 ml of boiling water.
2. Mix everything well and filter it with a cloth or cotton cloth.
3. Dilute the plaster and pigment in cold water and add them to the previous mix.
4. Once everything is mixed well, you can use this ecological paint on wood, cardboard and interior walls.

Ecological lime painting

Lime paint is very easy to do. This time you will need about 3 kilos of hydrated or building lime, 1 kilo of salt and about 250 cc of vinyl glue or powdered milk with water. When you gather all the ingredients, mix them all well and you will have your ecological lime paint ready to paint rustic exteriors or interiors.

Remember that you can add organic food or natural colorants to create a variety of colors in all these recipes.

In this other AgroCorrn article we give you more ecological decoration ideas .

If you want to read more articles similar to Ecological paint: how to make it, types and advantages , we recommend that you enter our category of Ecological Products .