How is AFM Safecoat Low VOC Green paint related to the swine flu, the avian flu, ebola and the 1995 movie “Outbreak”? Hang with me here, folks. In Outbreak, Dustin Hoffman (along with Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, etc) star in a movie about a little monkey that goes to California and almost causes human extinction (lots of hijinks ensue in between). The most important thing to note here is that Dustin and Rene got to wear these great Haz Mat suits! Back in 1995, and especially in the decades preceding, house paint used to be a cocktail of hazardous materials. The MSDS was often several pages long, containing words like “inhalation hazard”, “respiratory damage”, “carcinogenic” and “enriched uranium.” OK, I made that last one up. Nonetheless, I felt like I had to wear one of those nifty Outbreak suits anytime I painted. See, I told you I’d tie this all together!
I thought about getting a suit for house painting, but decided it might alarm the neighbors already jumpy about the latest virus du jour. Anyway, thankfully we live in greener times, and the former lead-based, high-VOC paints have been replaced by many low and zero VOC eco-friendly, green paints. A few years ago, one of our more tree-huggy friends turned us on to AFM Safecoat. AFM has been a leader in low toxicity products since the 70’s (before it was cool). Their products are cherished by the chemically sensitive, and now, everyday people that value their health and the environment.
According to AFM, they are the only doctor recommended paint on the market. Does this mean the doctor said “I recommend you go do some painting, and use AFM for god’s sake!”. . . probably not. I think they mean doctors like the paint over more noxious alternatives. AFM also does zero animal testing, so all you bunny lovers out there can sleep easy using AFM products. I’ve used their Transitional primer, and an assortment of their paints and finishes. The paint applies well, and the very minimal fumes are gone incredibly fast (usually less than a day). Locally, their pricing tends to to be a bit higher than traditional paints, but well worth it in my opinion. Think of all the money you’ll save by not purchasing an Outbreak suit! You can use AFM Safecoat’s handy dandy dealer locator to find a dealer near you. In the meantime, beware of small, cute monkeys.
This is one of my fav. movies.
Yeah, nothing like wearing a sweaty monkey suit on a hot day. Great to see less toxic options being produced. There are some good alternatives in the stain category as well. Check out http://www.cbrproducts.com/content/about-our-products/water-borne