Frequently Asked Questions

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THE TOP THREE QUESTIONS (The rest are here):

Q: What is in ECOS Products?

Answer: ECOS Products contain:
  • water, natural plus manufactured binders (all water-based, all non-toxic)
  • pigments (yellow ochre, red ochre, various - all non toxic)
  • mineral fillers - limestone, clays (non-toxic)
  • thickeners & builders - wood cellulose & resinous (all non-toxic)
  • white pigment - titanium dioxide (food grade - non-toxic)
  • levelers (all non-toxic)
  • waxes & texture powders (all non-toxic)

Q: What is NOT in ECOS products?

Answer: ECOS Products contain NO:
  • solvents and white spirit, turpentine, terpenes, ethereal oils, VOC'S glycols, coalescents,
  • animal products
  • heavy metals, - lead, cadmium, mercury etc ECOS is EN71 compliant
  • formaldehyde and formaldehyde donors, acrolein
  • vinyl chloride
  • phthalates
  • APEOs.
  • Acrylic Softeners

Q: Many people say "What is so special about ECOS? Surely all organic paints are solvent-free and besides, I can buy low-solvent paint from my local store".

Answer: Wrong on both counts!

  • Many "Organic" paints DO contain toxic solvents such as turpentine
  • Low-solvent does not equate with no solvent. ECOS Products contain NO Solvent!
  • Also, we ship direct to your door. Cutting out middle-men allows us to keep the price of our top quality products low

OTHER COMMON QUESTIONS

If your question is not answered here, or on our Product Application Notes pages, please email us for more information (tech.help@ecospaints.net). We will be pleased to help!

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Q: What are VOCs anyway?

A: VOC's are Volatile Organic Compounds. The EPA have written a useful short information article concerning VOC's ( www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html ) which explains what they are and where they typically come from in a home or building environment.
It may surprise you to find that the advertising rules in the US allow manufacturers to be “flexible” with the term "zero VOC" too. In particular, paint manufacturers can call their products “zero VOC” when in fact they are not. Because we believe it is important that people be able to make informed decisions concerning all aspects of the health, we wrote a short piece on that too: www.ecospaints.net/voc-in-paint
There is some miss-information being spread in the US which we strongly feel people should be aware of!

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Q: Is ECOS Paint as good as the brand leaders and traditional paints?

A: NO - it is far better because ECOS products are made up to the highest quality and not down to a price. Including Exterior products? Yes, these were tested over a six year period in all major types of weather environment: Desert, Rainforest, Arctic and Temperate, and performed at least as well, if not better, than the brand leaders when applied as directed.

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Q: Why use titanium dioxide instead of natural alternatives?

A: Firstly - it is safe, safe enough to eat. Secondly - natural opacifiers are relatively poor and often need four or five coats of paint to cover properly.

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Q: Why not just use natural binders rather than blend with the manufactured ones?

A: Some are animal products (bone, hide). Others take days to dry (oil based). Still others (rosins) need solvents (turpentine, white spirit) to function. In short, there ARE no adequate natural alternatives.

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Q: Why not use natural pigments/earth colors?

A: Some are highly toxic (e.g. vermillion). The others are limited to subdued shades - browns, reds, yellows, black, etc.

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Q: Why is solvent-free important?

A: Because not only are lingering paint smells in the home unpleasant but many paints, including most matt and silk paints, contain solvents which are positively harmful and cause Sick Building Syndrome, Danish Painters Syndrome, asthma, allergies and chemical sensitivities. Also, many "natural" paints contain ethereal oils, or terpene oil solvents which are known to generate carcinogenic microparticulates with the ozone in your home. (Univ. Ca. Berkeley).
Brand Comparisons:
Paint Brand Solvent carrier used Greenhouse Gas Health Effects
brand leaders aliphatic/aromatic yes brain/liver damage
eco brand A Terpenes/Ethreal Oils yes carcinogenic
eco brand B isoaliphatic/paraffinic yes nerve/liver damage
eco brand C dearomatized yes nerve/liver damage
ECOS water No Essential for Life

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Q: Are ECOS products suitable for use in babies rooms or for those with chemical sensitivities, asthma, allergies, M.E., etc.?

A: Yes, ideally so - no need to vacate any rooms at any time. All are entirely Non-Toxic and EN71:3 compliant - free of heavy metals.

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Q: Can I reduce my Carbon footprint by using ECOS products?

A: Yes.

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Q: Is ECOS Paints a Carbon-Neutral company?

A: No. There is no such thing as a Carbon-Neutral company/community/building, etc.
All human, animal and plant existence involves the emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Carbon offset, or trading in carbon credits, in no way equates to carbon-neutral. Low-CO2-equivalent paint products are almost always equally misleading and require the input of inordinately high energy (CO2) levels to manufacture in the first place. The best that anyone can do is to reduce their carbon footprint as much as they are able, recycle sensibly, and reduce energy consumption.

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Q: What about your Packaging and the Environment?

Answer: We use containers which are 100% post-consumer recycled, and 100% recyclable. Our shipping boxes are also recycled and recyclable. We use recycled materials wherever possible and recycle whatever we can. Energy usage is kept to a minimum and we even recycle our processing water. We strongly encourage our clients, freinds and neighbors to do the same.

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Q: Can I put ECOS products straight onto old paint finishes?

A: Yes. Please read our Hints and Tips section for general usage instructions, or look at each product's detailed instructions in the Specifiers Index.

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Q: Are ECOS products micro porous and breathable?

A: Yes.

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Q: Are ECOS products as good as the brand leaders?

A: NO - they are far better because ECOS is made up to the highest quality and not down to a price.

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Q: Do ECOS paints contain any animal products?

A: None of our products contain any animal product of any kind and they are therefore suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. None are tested on animals.

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Q: How long will an ECOS product last if I keep it?

A: Most consumer products have a finite shelf life and this includes all types and brands of wet paint. If kept frost-free, we will guarantee any unopened products for 12 months from the date of purchase. Many of of our customers report using ECOS products up to 5 years after purchase, but we could not guarantee the quality after such time.
Once opened, and to avoid spoilage of any wet paint by bacteria, it is best to decant as much paint as required into a suitable receptacle (pot or tray) and not to place the brush, roller, etc. into the main container of paint unless you intend to use all of it at one time. Avoid putting any unused paint back into the main container, as this will introduce surface and airborne bacteria which will often cause spoilage with any brand of paint.

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Q: Ordinary Distempers, Limewashes and ClayPaints are often solvent-free, and sometimes even cheaper, so why would I buy ECOS?

A: The widely available ordinary Distempers, Limewashes and ClayPaints are reversible coatings which re-dissolve in water. They normally take 3 - 5 coats to cover, will wash off easily with a damp cloth and often rub off onto your clothes. Worse still, when the time comes to redecorate, the product already on the walls commonly redissolves in the fresh paint or distemper and turns into a pasty mess - the only answer being a complete removal of the original layers down to bare plaster, and to start from fresh. All such ECOS products are high quality, fully wipeable, and easily recoatable.

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Q: Why should I buy ECOS products rather than the "low odor" products widely available?

A: For your health, for your peace of mind and for your environment.

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Q: How pure is pure?

A: About 7000 times purer than our closest competitor! In the USA, EPA rules allow any paint with less than 5gm per liter (0.5%) VOCs to call itself "Zero VOC". In contrast to this, all ECOS Products are truly free of all VOCs and are approximately 12,500x purer than this (yes, more than twelve thousand times better!).

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Q: Why Organic?

A: All ECOS products are free of pesticides, free of herbicides and entirely non-toxic. As confirmation we demonstrated this to the HSE (United Kingdom Health and Safety Executive) when our UK business owner consumed a spoonful of ECOS paint, chosen at random by them from any container in the factory. Needless to say, he is still around to tell the tale!


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Q: Does the use of VOC-free paint help to counter climate change?

A: Yes, it really does, and in no small measure.
The use of paints worldwide emitted something in the order of 20 - 25 million tonnes of VOCs into the atmosphere last year* and despite measures and legislation to reduce this problem, will continue to do so for the forseeable future, year on year. By using VOC-free paints, you are helping to do your bit to save the planet, reduce air pollution, and reduce this needless waste of our valuable finite resources.
*UN/WHO documents ehc 187 et al.

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Q: Why do ECOS paints not carry the EU - Defra Ecolabel flower symbol?

A: Firstly, because all ECOS products are better (purer) than the lowest Ecolabel category by a factor of about x 7000! Secondly, because this system, whilst well-intentioned, is pointless because it allows the manufacturer to use the EU Flower Symbol on their paints whilst still containing very high solvent levels. This is because, if the boiling point is high (i.e. 250°C or above), the EU does not consider this to be a solvent at all. This is quite surprising as the boiling point of the world's #1 paint solvent is 251°C!

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Q: Everyone seems to be "going green". Isn't the whole current eco-movement just a fad?

A: Eco-awareness and taking care of our planet and it's resources, is vital for all of us and for future generations. Going green is here to stay and many companies are going greener whether they like it or not - driven by legislation and carbon levies - and so will seek to maximise their eco-credentials.
ECOS Paints pre-dates the current popular surge of interest (2007) by about twenty years - we started in 1988. ECOS specializes in paint and varnish products only - we dont sell mortars, plasters, putties or other eco-products as we feel that it is better to do one thing and to do it well.

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Q: In what ways are ECOS Paints and varnishes different to their "natural" competitors?

A: there ARE no such entirely Natural competitors - even worldwide. If one searches carefully the data of such producers, you will find that they all DO include synthetic materials. There is, in our opinion, nothing wrong with this, as long as this fact is stated openly, but that to hide this fact in the "small print" is simply misleading to the customer. *Also, all ECOS Paints are specially formulated to be Ultra Low Spatter.

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Q: How much paint or varnish do I need?

A: Use our Paint calculator (opens in a new window/tab) to find out. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how economical ECOS Paints are.

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Q: Aren't ECOS Organic Paints, even given their added benefits, overly expensive?

A: Not at all - even compared to mainstream paints, they remain very competitive.  However, we have to be careful to compare with simlar products.  For example we are often asked why we are more expensive than the paints available in the my local big warehouse hardware store or home improvement retailer. In this case, there are two big differences: The paints you will buy there are not manufactured up to the quality standards that ECOS products are. They also do not have products which are completey odor-free, VOC-free, solvent-free and entirely non-toxic.  Even so, we are confident that you will find our products competitive with even products that claim to be similar to ours.

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The advice on this page is offered in good faith but does not constitute a specification and, as the conditions and techniques of application and use are beyond our control, no liability whatsoever will be accepted on our part for its use in full or in part. Always follow the instructions on the can. Follow preparation guidelines thoroughly - surfaces should always be clean, dry, sound and free of dust, efflorescence, grease, oil, rust, etc. The number of coats stated may sometimes seem to be onerous, but these are the ideal for best overall performance.




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