As many of you readers know, we are renovating our house, almost top to bottom. And while cost is prohibitive of being as green and sustainable as we would like, we are trying our best to have as little of an impact as possible, while keeping costs down.
At Eco-Child's Play I posted yesterday about safer paints, finishes, and primers. We'll be painting for hour and hours for the next few months, so it makes sense to limit everyone's exposure to VOCs and to lessen the amount of them in the world in general.
I've been pondering the merits of many green countertops such as Paperstone, Richlite, and Ice Stone. I was thrilled about Paperstone (a solid, tough counter made from compressed, recycled paper), but need to do more research now as I have learned that it is sealed with a non-petroleum (great!) resin made from cashew shells (not so great for a kid with a severe nut allergy!). A green business owner down in Rutland is faxing our allergist some more information about this.
These products are exciting and innovative. But as we only want to do this once for the next 20 years, we need to get something that will stand up to busy family living for year after year. And I do not live gently on things, especailly in the kitchen.
Here are some reviews and comments about Paperstone and Richlite.
They'll be more to come about these topics soon. And if you have any information or insight about green kitchen counters and renovations, I'd love to hear it!
8 comments:
Thank you for this info on VOC-free paints! Do you know of any "safe" options for wood stain, varnish, etc? Thanks!
As I said over "there," due to the lack of availability of other "green" options in my area, I went with The Freshaire Choice (Home Depot). The packaging and paint samples/chips are also green. The color palate is somewhat limited, but the paint and color is no-voc.
It's not always easy being green in Oklahoma...
Yes, check out the Safecoat line. Click on the link in the post and my article over at Eco-Child's Play. They have a line of stains, varishes and finishes.
Good luck!
What did you learn about Paperstone and nut allergies? We are about to put in a Paperstone counter and we have a son with a severe nut allergy. The Paperstone people say there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Did your allergist have an answer?
Hi Bryan,
Sorry it took me awhile to write back. I never did contact my daughter's allergist, because I already knew what she would say. I believe she would've said, "if you have any doubt, don't do it." The green company I worked with assured me it was no problem. But I was really nervous, so we didn't do it. Sorry I don't have more facts, but I went with my gut on this one.
Hi Katy ~ I know this entry is a few years old, but I was wondering what countertop you chose. We also deal with nut allergies in our home, and we'd love to find a safe, non-toxic countertop. Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks
Hi Katy ~ I know this entry is a few years old, but I was wondering what countertop you chose. We also deal with nut allergies in our home, and we'd love to find a safe, non-toxic countertop. Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Hi Jessica,
Sorry it took me a bit to get back to you! It was very challenging. Even though they tried to convince me the cashew ingredient was harmless, I wasn't convinced. We went with a Corian in a granite type style. I was NOT happy to be giving money to DuPont for this product, not one bit. But my other choices were unaffordable. I wish you better luck, and please let me know what you pick!
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