Non-Toxic Deck Stain:

Pollution and environment care:

There is pollution around us. There are various elements within this pollution and toxic agents are one of them. The paints and varnishes that are used to finish decks also release certain amounts of toxic emissions in the atmosphere. Increased awareness about the hazards of the toxic emissions has resulted in development of the Non-Toxic stains, paints and varnishes. Most paint and varnish manufacturers offer the non-toxic versions in the low VOC category. VOC is Volatile Organic compound, which is the main source of toxic emission.

Advantages of non-toxic stains:

There is obvious health and environment related benefits of using non-toxic stains. Reduced or no toxic emissions cause no discomfort to people with allergies or any kind of sensitivity to chemicals. It keeps the surroundings healthier. Being water based, these are very easy to maintain and clean. Just a warm water and soap solution is good enough for cleaning it up.

Types of non-toxic stains and how to use them:

The term non-toxic is a generally used term here and the stains or paints, which are labeled as non-toxic, also contain small, very small proportions of VOC. While a toxic stain could contain about 300 gms per litre of VOC, a non-toxic stain must not have anything above 200 gms per litre. There are even lower compositions available into the market. There are also Zero VOC stains in the market and these contain less than 15 Gms per litre of VOC.The low or zero VOC stains have no petroleum based solvents and use water instead. This is why; the emission levels are remarkably low. However, the low VOC stains may emit some odor until the surface has not dried out. Incase someone is very sensitive to the smells; there are stains with a VOC of less than 35 gms per litre to choose from.

The costs:

The high VOC toxic stains being hazardous are also cheaper. But even though we may have to pay a higher start up price for the low or zero VOC stains, the medium and long term benefits clearly outweigh the slightly higher initial costs. It is also a small step we can take towards building a cleaner and healthier world around us.

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