Thanks Austin! It's Been a "GAS"

Aloha,

I am Michael Ferweda CEO of Zinger Hardware & General Merchant. In recent years, our company has been faced with many issues that concern the well being of our customers.  One of the highest ranked contaminants found in our homes today is the "outgas" of VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) from paint products.

We at Zinger Hardware are concerned about our environment and our customers' well being.  Therefore, please offer your comments on the issue of  VOC's found in our homes and in the products that we purchase.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge on the subject of VOC's.

Please let us know what your answers are to the following:

A) Is this an issue if you are expecting a baby?

B) Is this an issue or concern for those of you who have families?  

 Below, I am including product information regarding Zinger Hardware's offerings from Mythic Paint.  I trust this will be helpful to the discussion!

1. What is Mythic Paint? 
Mythic Paint is a zero-VOC, Zero-carcinogenic, premium quality line of latex paints. Mythic provides and requires a Zero-VOC colorant system that maintains zero-VOC’s and provides bright and beautiful colors.

2. What’s a VOC? 
Volatile Organic Compounds or VOC’s are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere.

3. Should I be worried about VOCs? 
VOC’s are not your friend. Some VOC’s are greenhouse gases and therefore contribute to global warming and others are just plain bad for your health. While a few VOC’s occur naturally from cows and trees, many come from manufactured products such as paint thinners, paints and varnishes and dry cleaning solvents. These VOC’s can contribute to human illnesses and have been determined to be a cause of ‘sick building syndrome’. The EPA has found concentrations of VOC’s in indoor air to be 2 to 5 times greater than in outdoor air due to paint and other products.

4. What can VOCs and carcinogens do to me?
Carcinogens and VOC’s emitted by high solvent containing paints have been linked to a variety of health effects including eye, nose and throat irritation; dizziness; liver, kidney and central nervous system damage and even cancer.

5. What do the VOC’s in traditional paints do to the environment?

The Paint Quality Institute has estimated that the VOC’s in traditional paints make up 10% of the ozone depleting substances in the US.

6. Most paints have WARNING labels on their cans. Why doesn’t Mythic Paint have this type of label? 
That’s because our paint doesn’t contain anything that you need to be afraid of. Mythic Paint is not required by the government to place this type of warning label on their cans.

7. How do you measure VOCs in paint? 
VOC/ are typically reported as grams per liter on the side or bottom of paint containers. The average gallon of paint contains at least 150 grams per liter of VOC.

8. Why doesn’t Mythic Paint have that horrid new paint smell?
Mythic paint is based on a breakthrough technology that improves on latex paint at its core. It is scientifically formulated to offer all of the premium qualities of conventional water-based paints without the need for toxic solvents. No toxic solvents, means ZERO TOXIC smell.

9. I am chemically sensitive. Can I use your paint? 
We have had individuals with severe chemical sensitivities use our paint successfully even when they had tried other “safe” paint brands and experienced a reaction. We are happy to supply you with MSDS and VOC information if that will help in your decision. If you are still unsure, we recommend consultation with your physician.

10. Can your paints seal in off-gassing? 
Mythic Paints are formulated to minimize off-gassing yet breathe to allow for a healthy exchange of outside air. It is not prudent to completely seal the wall surface as this traps potentially harmful chemicals that off-gas from carpeting and furniture inside the room.

11. OK, so Mythic Paint is safe for me, and the environment, but is it as good as other paints?

We don’t like to brag, but Mythic paint has outstanding performance. Mythic Paint is incredibly stain resistant, easy to clean in any sheen and has increased hide for truly ‘one coat’ use.

But you don’t just need to take Mythic's word for it. In 2007 an industry leading, independent consulting and testing laboratory service, performed side-by-side comparative tests between Mythic paint and other leading paint brands – both their eco-friendly and premium lines. Tests focused on subjective performance including thickness, sheen, sag resistance, flow and leveling and gloss found Mythic Paint to be equal if not better than competitors. Then they tested for resistance and durability with the ‘Scrub Test’ – the industry’s gold standard in paint performance testing. Mythic Paint substantially outperformed in these tests by 1.5 to 8 times the durability of the competitors.

B. Michael Ferweda

CEO ZingerHardware