It's Summer: Time for Green Renovations

It's summer, which in Canada can only mean one thing: home renovation time. Rejuvenate your home – both indoors and out – with a new coat of paint or stain. Imagine your backyard deck gleaming with a deep redwood stain. Or your bedroom walls radiating with a relaxing shade that lulls you to sleep. Painting or staining is quick and inexpensive and can make your house look and feel like new.

Before you grab a paintbrush or roller, think about what you're dipping it into.

If you're like many health and environmentally conscious people, you want to make sure your home renovation project doesn't cost the earth – literally. That's why you want to turn to AFM's Safecoat® line of paints, stains, primers, wood finishers, and sealers which are among the safest and highest quality products in the industry.

For over 25 years, AFM has been a leader in environmentally responsible, sustainable, and non-polluting products. In keeping with its promise to be a responsible manufacturer, none of these products have been tested on animals.

Why worry about a little paint or stain?

Because paints and stains, like other products you bring into your home – everything from carpets to furniture, from plastic to household cleaners – are made with chemicals. Some of these chemicals belong to a class called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that give off fumes in a process known as off-gassing.

The compounds released range from harmless to potentially toxic, depending on the chemical composition of the product and the manufacturing process. This off-gassing can last weeks or months and is a main component of indoor air pollution.

In other words, what goes on your walls, floors, and decks can also be going into your lungs and spreading throughout your body. The more you do to limit volatile organic compounds, the healthier the air – and your body – will be.

Unlike other manufacturers who claim their products don't allow chemical fumes to pollute indoor air, AFM has gone an extra step. It has developed a revolutionary technique that literally creates a "safe coat" by sealing surfaces through its unique molecular formulation. The seal does not allow fumes to off-gas into your home and the air you breathe.

What's not in their products is as important as what's in them. AFM has formulated its paints and stains to be as healthy as possible. You won't find toxic ingredients such as formaldehyde, ammonia, acetone, solvents, or harmful preservatives. Nor will you find perfumes or odor-masking agents that have been linked to allergic reactions, asthma, headaches, and chemical sensitivities.

What you'll find is 100s of contemporary and traditional colours to choose from in an array of finishes including flat, eggshell, semi-gloss, and enamel for high traffic areas and trims. You'll also find primers that have been specially formulated for wallboard, wood, or metal, plus a transitional primer that allows you to paint over oil-based paints.

Whether you're doing the job yourself or hiring someone else, make sure the products you use come with the words AFM Safecoat® on the label.

When your project is finished, you'll be able to sit back and breathe deeply knowing you've made a healthy choice, while enjoying a more beautiful living space for years to come.

For more information about ordering AFM Safecoat® paints and stains, call Organic Lifestyle at 416.921.7317 or visit http://www.organiclifestyle.ca/public/090_OrganicLifest/222327_OrganicLifest.html