2.Paint – a story as old as timePerformance:Paint has always had the combinedroles of decorating and protecting.Modern paint dries to form afilm over the surface – literally aplastic film. The polymer resinsthat form this film do not howeverachieve the microporosity oftraditional materials like lime, orthe penetrative characteristics oflinseed oil.This matters because buildingmaterials, like plaster or wood, aredynamic and permit the passageof moisture vapour. If this cannothappen because the paint layerprevents it, then damp will becometrapped. There is a measure for‘breathability’ known as the Sdvalue and most acrylic paintscannot achieve a breathable valueof < 0.1m.Put simply, paint does not prevent rotPeople:Air quality is now known to be akey determinant for human health.The focus for this has shiftedto internal, as well as external,pollution. The entire planet is nowcloaked in a layer of particulateswhich is visible as a brown hazefrom any high vantage point. Lesseasy to see are the ‘fumes’ in thehome. They arise from a numberof sources, generally syntheticproducts and they can contributeto ME, asthma, eczema andMultiple Chemical Sensitivity inhumans. Probably 75% of internalsurfaces are covered in paint or‘applied coatings’ and in WesternEurope many of us spend over 80%of our time indoors.With differential temperaturespaint surfaces that are notmicroporous can form what isknown as the ‘dew point’ wherecondensation can encouragemould growth, leading to poor airquality and in some people, acutehealth problems or even death.Studies have shown that someVolatile Organic Compounds(VOCs) from paint can persist fora month after it has been appliedand that the issue with VOCs isnot solved by lowering the levelsif they remain persistent and arehazardous.Put simply, paint can cause health problemsedwardbulmerpaint.co.uk13
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