Water based paint
Water based paint
Water based paints contain microscopic plastic particles of binder, filler and pigment, dissolved in water. Water based paints are water soluble, but become water-resistant when dry. As a binder, different types of material are used like acrylic, vinyl, PVA or alkyd.
Water based paints have many advantages over oil paints. They offgas much less organic fumes (VOC’s) than oil paints because they don’t need an organic solvent.
Synthetic waterbased varnishes are however not free of harmful substances. They contain agents that can emit VOC’s, such as antibacterial, anti mildew, quick drying or conservant agents.
Water based paints dry more quickly and are more elastic then oil based paints. They are more suitable for application on wood because they allow the wood to shrink and expand without letting cracks occur. Generally they need more layers to be fully opaque compared to oil paints,
The life cycle |
Pro ![]() |
Con ![]() |
||||
High energy Water based paints have a high embodied energy, due to the presence of energy intensive polymers, but also pigments like TiO2, among the ingredients
Show Alternatives »
High footprint Water based paints are better than oil based ones but still quite resource intensive to produce. Extracting pigments such as TiO2 is a polluting process.
Show Alternatives »
|
||||||
Quick Dries fast. Non toxic Low VOCs and no solvents. |
||||||
Non toxic It contains low amount of VOCs. Offgassing is minor compared to oil based paints. It is always better to check the amount of VOC in the ingredients. Under 50g/l it is considered low, under 5 g/l it is considered zero. |
|
|||||
Difficult recycling Even if it is not a hazardous waste, it cannot be disposed as regular trash. If there's less than one-fourth of the paint in the can, take it outside, place it where kids and pets can't get to it, remove the lid and let the paint air dry. When the paint is hard (it is turned into solid waste) you can put the cans out with the rest of your trash (1).
Show Alternatives »
|
||||||
Links
What
Comparing paints: which one should I use? (Greenopedia)
A painter explains: what is latex paint?
Eco info
Great post about paint on GreenSpec
Details about the EU Ecolabel for paint
The most extensive environmental comparison of wood finishes was made by the Finnish.
-
Other Finishing
-
Examples on Harvestmap.org