Of course virtually any business activity has some degree of impact on the environment. At Decorating London we aim to minimise our environmental impact in the following ways:
Water-based paints over oil-based paints
Traditionally woodwork is painted with oil-based undercoat and an oil-based eggshell or gloss finish. These are durable, good quality paints but have the downside of containing higher levels of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) at 25-50% which contributes to atmospheric pollution.
In recent years improved paint technology has meant that far less polluting water-based alternatives in an eggshell or gloss finishes have become available. The VOC level for these types of paint typically range from 0-8%.
Although we do still use oil-based paints we always encourage our clients to opt for their water-based equivalent.
Good quality water-based eggshells are available from most paint manufacturers nowadays including Dulux, Leyland, Farrow and Ball and Little Greene to name but a few.
Recycling/Re-using
Our tools and equipment, from paint pots and trays, to brushes and rollers, and scrapers and dusting brushes we aim to clean and re-use as much as possible.
Again water-based paint has a big advantage over oil-based paint as trays for example are easily cleaned and re-used. Water-based paint pots can be washed and re-used again and again for mixing filler for example. Water paint pots that we don’t re-use we recycle locally.
Travel
Our staff all live in London and almost invariably travel to work by public transport. Staff responsible for delivering ladders, paints and materials will travel by van on the days delivery is required, but on other days public transport is preferred.
The “Brush Mate”
We do not use any white spirit for cleaning or storing oil-based paint brushes. Instead we store our brushes in an air-tight box called a “Brush Mate”. The Brush Mate contains a pad with a minimal amount of fluid absorbed into it. This prevents the brushes drying out so that they can be re-used again and again.
