Our Green Conscience in Action

After years of working for one of the largest residential painting companies in California, we found the common industry practices of massive waste, improper disposal of toxic materials, and exposure to toxic chemicals intolerable. We decided to do better.

We use only nontoxic cleaners to prepare surfaces. Most of the industry uses cleaners containing ammonia or bleach, which are harmful to your lungs, your soil and your plants.

We never sand dry lead paint. Scraping and sanding dry lead-based paint releases toxic particles that contaminate the surrounding environment. We use a three-step process: first, we lay down thick plastic sheeting; then we use a squirt bottle to dampen surfaces that may contain lead; then we scrape and sand the surfaces while they're still wet. When we're done, we take the paint debris to a toxic waste disposal site.

We use top-quality materials to ensure a long life for the job. A longer-lasting paint job means you won't have to repaint as often, which translates to using fewer materials and generating less waste.

We use low- or no-VOC interior paints. VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are carbon compounds that evaporate at room temperature and react in sunlight. The EPA reports that they can cause respiratory, skin and eye irritation, headaches, nausea, muscle weakness, and more serious ailments and diseases; some may be carcinogens.

We use environmentally sound disposal methods. We take all toxic materials to the proper disposal site, and dispose of all waste water in the sewer system, which is best equipped to handle it.

We have worked hard to develop methods that minimize all waste materials, from paper and plastics to water. We've reduced our waste water production by several hundred percent over conventional techniques. While an average painting contractor generates 10-20 gallons of waste water per day, we've reduced ours to an average of 3-5 gallons for every job.