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Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What makes your paint environmentally-friendly?
  2. What is a VOC? Why are they bad?
  3. Are zero VOC and low VOC paints the same?
  4. Why choose a zero VOC paint?
  5. Why were VOCs added to paints in the first place? Why aren’t VOCs in YOLO Colorhouse paint?
  6. What is LEED? Does YOLO Colorhouse paint qualify for LEED Green Building points?
  7. Why do you put mildewcide in YOLO Colorhouse paint?
  8. What is Green Seal®?
  9. What are some of the requirements for the new strict GS 11 2008?
  10. How do I store or dispose of my leftover paint?
  11. Does the color add VOCs?

  1. What makes your paint environmentally-friendly?

    YOLO Colorhouse has Green Seal® certification GS – 11, 2008, which includes a list of 1000+ restricted chemicals that cannot be in our paint. For a complete list, click here.

    YOLO Colorhouse is proud of what is not in our paint:

    No carcinogens
    No reproductive toxins
    No mutagens
    No hazardous air pollutants
    No ozone depleting compounds
    No formaldehyde
    No phthalates
    No VOCs

    Besides being a zero VOC paint with none of the bad stuff, YOLO Colorhouse looks beyond what is in the can:

    100% recycled plastic containers
    100% post-consumer waste labels with soy based inks
    Bio-diesel and rail shipping to reduce embodied energy
    Poster-size sampling system reduces quart can waste
    Displays made from renewable and recyclable materials

    For more on the YOLO Colorhouse commitment to the environment click here.

  2. What is a VOC? Why are they bad?

    VOC is short for volatile organic compound. In plain terms, these are chemical liquids that evaporate at room temperature. Examples of these include solvents used in low VOC or traditional paints (such as ethylene and propylene glycols, paint thinner/turpentine). The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has identified paints to be a major contributor to VOCs inside our homes and in the environment. VOCs contribute to poor indoor air quality, have measurable negative effect on human health, and VOCs contribute to smog/air pollution. See link below to EPA website on VOCs.

  3. Are zero VOC and low VOC paints the same?

    No! Technically, the term “zero VOC” paint applies to paints that have < 5 g/L of VOC. The term “low VOC” paint has been applied to paints having a wide range of VOCs from 50 g/L to as much as 250 g/L.

  4. Why choose a zero VOC paint?

    It’s better for people and the environment! If everyone in the United States used zero VOC paint instead of a ‘low VOC’ or traditional paints, we would eliminate between 150 million to 1 billion pounds of chemical solvent from being released into the atmosphere. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), VOC concentrations are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher). Paint is a significant contributor to indoor air quality because walls and ceilings are roughly 70% of your interiors surface. For more information on indoor air quality go to www.epa.gov/iaq

  5. Why were VOCs added to paints in the first place? Why aren’t VOCs in YOLO Colorhouse paint?

    Traditional resins/binders (the stuff that sticks to the wall and binds the pigment) required chemical solvents to form a film as the paint dried. YOLO Colorhouse is utilizing state of the art technology that does not require chemical solvents in the paint formulating process. The only solvent that we have in our paint is water. YOLO Colorhouse worked with environmental experts and academics to perfect our formula to have a low impact on human health and the environment.

  6. What is LEED? Does YOLO Colorhouse paint qualify for LEED Green Building points?

    LEED is short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is a rating system developed by the US Green Building Council system that measures how ‘green’ a building/remodel/new construction is. For more specific information on LEED go to www.usgbc.org/leed/

    Below is the break-down for LEED points awarded for the use of GS-11 paint under LEED version 3.0:

    LEED for New Construction 2009 - v3.0 (1 point) IEQ Credit 4.2: Low-Emitting Materials—Paints and Coatings Architectural Paints Green Seal Standard GS-11, Paints, 1st Edition, May 20,1993
    LEED for Existing Building Operations &Management 2009 -v3.0 (1 point) MR Credit 3: Sustainable Purchasing—Facility Alterations and Additions Green Seal’s Standard GS-11 requirements
    LEED for Commercial Interiors 2009 -v3.0 (1 point) IEQ Credit 4.2: Low-Emitting Materials—Paints and Coatings
    Architectural Paints Green Seal Standard GS-11, Paints, 1st Edition, May 20, 1993
    LEED for Core and Shell 2009 -v3.0 (1 point) IEQ Credit 4.2: Low-Emitting Materials—Paints and Coatings Architectural Paints Green Seal Standard GS-11, Paints, 1st Edition, May 20, 1993
    LEED for Homes 2009 -v 3.0 (1/2 point) MR 2 Credit – Environmentally Preferable Products Architectural Paints Green Seal Standard GS-11, Paints, 1st Edition, May 20, 1993

    YOLO Colorhouse is Green Seal certified, which automatically qualifies it for LEED rating points.

  7. Why do you put mildewcide in YOLO Colorhouse paint?

    Mold and mildew contribute to poor indoor air quality, as well as deteriorating paint color and performance. Essential in exterior paint and preferred in interior paint, our mildewcide has been designated by the FDA and is generally recognized as safe. As a reference, this material is also used as an active ingredient in dandruff shampoo.

  8. What is Green Seal®?

    Green Seal is an independent non-profit setting standards for environmentally responsible products. Green Seal certification is based on VOC content, the absence of 1000+ chemical compounds (www.greenseal.org), performance and manufacturing practices. Green Seal certification automatically qualifies YOLO Colorhouse for LEED certified projects. YOLO Colorhouse was the first paint company to be certified for GS 11 2008, a much more stringent criteria and specification than GS 11 1993.

  9. What are some of the requirements for the new strict GS 11 2008?

    Performance testing:
    Adhesion Flow and leveling
    Hiding power
    Corrosive resistance
    Scrubbability
    Washability
    Fade resistance
    Accelerated weathering
    Flexibility
    Solar reflectance
    VOC count
    20% recovered material content and no phthalates in packaging
    No carcinogens
    No reproductive toxins
    No mutagens
    No hazardous air pollutants
    No ozone depleting compounds

  10. How do I store or dispose of my leftover paint?

    Check www.earth911.org for recycling and disposal information in your area.

  11. Does the color add VOCs?

    There are various types of colorant systems available, some are zero VOC and some have VOCs. Depending on where you buy your YOLO Colorhouse paint, you could get color which will add VOCs to the YOLO Colorhouse zero VOC paint base. Many of our dealers use our recommended zero VOC colorants, but some of our retailers use more traditional colorants. We have indicated dealers using zero VOC colorants by placing a green dot next their store name in our retail section.