Natural paints and plasters for a healthy home

Once, long ago, houses were made with natural products. Wood, stone, clay, straw, straw, straw, lime were the materials used to build. In the long time that followed we developed, demand grew and supply diversified, with something for everyone. Unfortunately, it all happened with the gradual abandonment of natural products and the sometimes exaggerated use of synthetics. Lately, however, there has been a return to natural products. We are starting to think more about what we eat and what we wear, as well as what furniture we buy, how we make our homes and what we finish them with. Wood and brick, natural plasters, lime, oils and natural waxes are making a comeback. Although it seemed impossible, we now find washable paints based on lime and vegetable glues. These are the natural products I want to talk about next.

What is natural, ecological or organic

Many times I have heard people say that they used environmentally friendly products to paint furniture or other items because those products were water-based. You should know that waterborne does not necessarily mean environmentally friendly. There are water-based products that are popular because they do not emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which is very good for the environment. In addition, there is no danger of fire because they are flammable.

This does not mean that they may not contain less healthy compounds. To be sure the product does not contain dangerous substances, it must be certified "eco" or "bio". The manufacturer must be as transparent as possible about the raw materials used, their source and the composition of the finished product. These requirements apply whether the product is food, washable paint or plaster.

As far as the natural 'label' is concerned, this means that the product or the raw materials from which it is made are found in nature, not created by man through a chemical process. If the material is subjected to processes such as bleaching or bleaching, these are also done using natural products and must not result in substances that endanger human health.

Why natural? What are the benefits of choosing natural finishes for homes?

I'm one of those who spent the holidays in the country and I remember the "smell" of cleaning before Easter, when the whole village was in a frenzy. It was a great shame not to paint the whole house, not to glue on the floor (where there was no floorboard), not to sweep the doormats or not to renew the house's girdle by painting it with tar dissolved in gas. The women were the women's house cleaners and the men cleared the garden of weeds, plowed or dug the yard and pruned the trunks of fruit trees.

Our grandparents knew that vining trees protected them against insect attack. The plaster on the outside wall of the house, at the base, protected the house from the dampness of the rains and possible seepage. The clay and lime let the house "breathe", allowing moisture to transfer, as we would say now. There was no condensation or mold. It was very good for your health, no breathing problems or allergies.

It's what those who use natural products to finish or insulate their walls are now looking for. Modern products may perform better (not always), but they can sometimes harm more sensitive people who suffer from asthma or various allergies. A finish with clay-based plaster (clay) and lime-based paint will allow the wall to exchange moisture naturally and condensation will not occur. For a house on wooden structure This is very important because damp can lead to wood rot and the construction can become dilapidated. And the mold that can appear is a nuisance in any house, whether it's made of wood, brick or concrete.

Natural plasters

One plaster that is making a comeback is clay-based. And we shouldn't be surprised because clay may be the oldest building material in the world. Clay plaster regulates the humidity in the rooms in which it is applied, with the permanent relative humidity remaining constant at around 45-55 %.

But it is not the only natural plaster that can be used. Lime-based plaster or lime putty are also healthy for the home. For more porous surfaces, products based on sodium silicate (the natural product from which glass is made) can be used. These act as a primer while reducing deep absorption.

All these materials are produced by companies that guarantee their quality and the fact that they contain only natural products. Mixtures of several natural products are tried so that the products perform better. As a result, some natural products perform as well or even better than synthetics.

Also natural Tadelakt, traditional Moroccan plaster used for decorating palaces and traditional oriental baths which I told you about on another occasion. The special treatment method, which produces waterproof surfaces that are highly resistant to damp, has been unchanged for hundreds of years and has been handed down from generation to generation.

A natural wall paint with very good adhesion

We said at one point that it is possible for natural materials to outperform synthetics. This is the case with the special GekkkoSol paint produced by the German company Kreidezeit. I found her at Naturalpaint and the name caught my eye. At first I thought it was a mistake, but the "mistake" kept repeating itself. That's how I found out that the name was inspired by a... lizard. The Gecko, also known as the sticky lizard, can climb on any surface, climb up walls and sit on ceilings without any problems.

Lizard-like, the paint adheres to any surface and can be used where other paints have failed. Coats mineral plasters, plaster-based plasters, lime and cement mortars, old oil paints or dispersion or washable paints, plasterboard, concrete or wood.

Other types of natural paints

GekkkoSol is not the only natural paint in the Naturalpaint portfolio. There are others based on lime or clay. They also contain other materials that give them different properties. For example, for better adhesion, vegetable cellulose glue (vegetable glue paintMarble flours are used for a whiter color (lime paintUse kaolin, chalk or talc without asbestos for a larger body and finer appearance (seeclay paint).

To color clay paints, mineral pigments, earths as they are also called, which do not contain heavy metals, are used. There are also natural colorants that contain such metals, because there are substances in nature that can cause harm. Colorants containing heavy metals (e.g. lead) have not been used for many years in the production of synthetic paints either, since the European Community has banned their use. This is why some colors are very expensive, as the raw materials from which they are made are hard to find in nature or, in the case of synthetics, even harder to manufacture.

Natural products for the home

Naturalpaint set out a few years ago to teach us all to use natural products. It wasn't easy, but she persevered despite the reticence and inertia she encountered at first. About thermal or sound insulation based on hemp, sheep's wool, jute, or wood fibers, which do not cause allergies or respiratory problems either during assembly or in operation, I have told you on various occasions. They also have oils or skies natural for finishing floors or children's furniture and toys.

What is encouraging is that, as well as people who are choosing to build or renovate their homes or apartments with natural products, there are also companies that are increasingly using such products. Manufacturers of houses on wheels Tiny Wunder House if Eco Tiny House or Dippanels, manufacturer of solid wood steps and worktops, are just a few examples. For our health we want to see more and more of them.