Making your home renovations green

Time was, it was tough to find a paint that didn’t make your eyes water after three hours with the roller. Now every major national brand makes a line of low-VOC paints — so named because they contain only minuscule quantities of the volatile organic compounds that degrade regional air quality. The trick has been finding a good one; many earth-friendly coatings don’t stand up to wear and tear, or require several coats to get the coverage we’re used to. The non-profit GreenSeal program certifies paints to a tough standard called GS-11, and offers a list of products that cut the mustard.

Note that paints labeled low-VOC don’t always stay that way when the clerk adds the colorants to the can at the counter, especially if you’re partial to screaming red. Generally speaking, the brighter and richer the hue, the higher the nasties potential. GreenSeal’s new, tougher GS-11 standard — introduced in 2008 — requires paint companies to slash the VOC levels in their colorants.

If you’re DIY-ing a green renovation of your kitchen or bathroom, remember that truly green products are often reclaimed. We recently found a small stainless-steel sink — complete with cool low-flow gooseneck faucet — at a salvage yard. (Note: Contractors shirk from reclaimed fixtures, because they muddy the waters of liability.) For windows, skip the vinyl — one of the more toxic consumer products on earth — and consider Low-e argon-purged fiberglass panes, which require next-to-no maintenance and offer excellent energy performance. And yes, like many things green, they’re a little more expensive at the front end.

Remember to start any green renovation with an energy audit. In many states, the assessment opens the door to rebates and incentives on new windows and doors, heating and cooling equipment, and more. Find a certified auditor through RESNET.

Yolo Colorhouse, an independent company based in Portland, Ore., offers a line of excellent zero-VOC paints for interior, exterior and kids’ rooms. Started five years back by a pair of artisan contractors who were sick of breathing fumes every day, the company offers a stock palette of 49 interior colors ($45 a gallon) that all meet the tough new GreenSeal standard.