Benefits of using mineral paints
Mineral paints are the only true non-toxic paint since they contain no VOCs, and are made from natural ingredients including water glass (potassium silicate), earth oxide pigments and natural minerals.
The main benefits of mineral paints are:
- Non-toxic - no hazardous fumes or harmful effects on health. This is important for allergy sufferers and/or chemically sensitive people who are unable to endure chemical paints.
- Environmentally Friendly - use renewable resources; are biodegradable.
- Micro-Porous - allow walls and surfaces to breathe, preventing condensation and damp problems, and reducing associated indoor allergens. They are also less likely to flake, peel, crack and blister.
Keim Mineral Paints comprise a mineral silicate binder (potassium silicate), mineral fillers (predominantly feldspar) and earth oxide colour pigments, when applied onto a mineral substrate this forms a microcrystalline bond with the substrate of an insoluble silicate structure. The pores between the crystals are large enough to allow for the free passage of vapour from the substrate but small enough to prevent the ingress of driven rain – a microporous structure. These inherent characteristics give rise to the proven longterm performance of Keim Mineral Paints for periods ranging from 15 to 30 years and with some documented examples in excess of 100 years.
All paints contain three main components: pigment (colour), a binder (holds the paint together and ensures adhesion to the substrate) and a carrier (disperses the binder). With many conventional and modern paints these ingredients are made using toxic chemicals that are harmful to both the environment and human health. Cadmium, lead and chromium are frequently used in pigments; and petrochemicals, solvents, benzene, formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are used in binders and carriers. Toxic, environmentally harmful, chemicals are also used in modern paints as preservatives, stabilisers, thickeners and driers.
VOCs are organic (carbon based) chemical compounds that readily evaporate in the atmosphere, and are known to be a key contributor to global climate change. Many of them are highly toxic and associated with numerous health problems such as respiratory disease, asthma, dizziness, headaches, nausea, fatigue, skin disorders, eye irritation, liver and kidney damage and even cancer. Modern chemical paints continue to emit VOCs many years after their application.
VOCs are a major contributor to low-level atmospheric pollution and the use of these compounds leads to global warming. In addition, the use of solvent-based paints is a major cause of Sick Building Syndrome, Danish Painter's Syndrome, Asthma, Allergies, Chemical Sensitivities and the general Flu-like symptoms reported by many people using conventional paints (including matt and silk wall paints). Most masonry paints currently on sale contain solvents and VOCs.