Dulux EnviroWash ES 160 (160liters) unit for hire

Ol’ Painting now offers the Dulux EnviroWash ES 160 (160liters) system for hire - the only place in Sydney that hires it.  We are painters, not a hire company. But we have few units and usually at least one is available. So we are happy to share it. Contact us to confirm availability.

Many homeowners and businesses are very environmentally aware. Clients often request painters to use an EnviroWash on their project. Many DIY renovators want to use it in their projects. This is a great and important trend. But the EnviroWash is an expensive equipment and out of reach for many painters, not to mention once off use for most of homeowners who doing painting themselves.  Many painters want to try it before committing to spend money buying one.

The cost of hire:

• 1 day - $100+GST
• 2-4 days - $70+GST per day
• Weekly hire - $200+GST per week
• Once off Administration charge - $20+GST per each hire event;
• EnviroWash unit to be picked up and returned to our office in Lane Cove empty and cleaned.
• If the unit is returned uncleaned – the cleaning charge is $50+GST
• The price does not include Dulux EnviroWash hardener. But it is available from Dulux, 3D, Inspirations shops, as well and many hardware stores.

See this post about EnviroWash system and how it works

Boomerang Reclaimed Paint

I came across Boomerang Paint when browsed the web for some recycling ideas. Cannot say enough about the work that they are doing! How I wish we had a similar product in Australia!

This Canadian company collects unused paint and stain (even the hardened stuff!), reformulates it, then sells it in a recycled plastic container, at about half a price of the new paint of the same quality.

In 2008 Boomerang Paint recycled some 4,000,000 litres of paint!

To the best of my knowledge we do not have paints like this in Australia. Here even taking your left-over paint to recycling spot would cost you few dollars per litre. We have a lot to catch up!

Source: Boomerang Paint via Natural Chic

Is your shower killing you?

I never though that something as common as a shower curtain could be harmful. But the US Centre for Health, Environment and Justice have released a report stating that new PVC shower curtains may contain and release more then 100 toxic chemicals including volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), phthalates and metals, some even 28 days after curtain was unwrapped. Hot water even further promotes the release of chemicals.

I got it – no plastic should be heated! Anything plastic that smells is bad for you.

Image source

Dulux Waste Paint Hardener

Dulux EnviroSolutions Waste Paint Hardener is a new environmental product from Dulux. It works in a similar way as a substate used in Dulux Enviro Wash System.

Simply pore a powder into any left-over water based paint or timber finish. It will turn paint into solid no-toxic waste in just 2 hours. Paint Hardener available from Dulux paint stores and hardware stores, like Bunnings or Mitre10.

As with any new and unique products the price is still quite high. It cost nearly as much to harden paint as to buy it. But we rarely throw paint away. We give left-over paint to clients for future touch ups or use it as a base for a colour matched jobs. Still, we now keep a box of the Waste Paint Hardener in every OL’PAINTING car. So it’s here when we need it.

Low VOC Paints

When you think about painting your place, most of you will get a slightly controversial picture - a renovating thrill on one hand and worry about paint odour and level of chemical it contains on other hand.

Why is Paint Toxic?
Conventional paints release petroleum based solvents, called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) as they dry and cure. These VOCs are used as solvents in the paint and include such toxic compounds as benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia, toluene, and xylene, all of which can pose a risk to your health.

Think of a petrol station on a hot day – sometimes you can see the petrol ‘haze’ or fumes coming from the nozzle. This is the petrol volatilising, becoming a gas. Petrol is toxic, and we are usually careful not to breathe it in. Paints are also toxic, but it’s difficult not to breathe it in when it’s in the building you are living in.

How VOCs affects us?
VOCs affect us in many different ways. We use aromatherapy oils to alter our mood – lavender to relax etc. Our bodies can usually tell when VOCs are good or bad for us – we recoil at the smell of methane, chlorine and car exhausts. Paint smell is not a delightful sensation either.
The VOCs in paint can trigger headaches/migraines, nausea, allergy, asthma, irritation of the eyes, nose or skin, dizziness, and even convulsions or nerve damage.

Low Toxic Paint Alternatives
Lower VOC paint do not ‘outgas’, they do not make the air in our homes toxic and they are low odour. Today all of the major paint brands (such as Dulux, Taubmans, Wattyl , and some smaller brands producing water-based acrylics and enamel paint with VOC levels of around 5-10%.

Strata Building and VOCs
High-rise buildings and larger unit blocks often have long enclosed corridors with no natural ventilation. So the smell and air pollution of enamel paint can stay here for weeks. Low VOCs water-based enamel paints are a fantastic alternative to conventional enamel paint for all internal woodwork.


Ol’ Painting has been using low VOC paint for few years. Just recently we completed internal painting of "Paladium" - a large 279-unit strata title building at Pyrmont.

Being a relatively new section of industry VOCs paint not perfect. See this article in Pros an Cons of low VOC paints. But this sector of paints is developing and improving very quickly. I believe that in a close future most of paints will become low VOC.

Dulux Envirowash

OL’PAINTING just purchased our third Dulux EnviroWash unit. The first one is permanently located in our storage room for everyday use. This second unit we now can install at the larger projects, such as strata title, commercial or renovation projects.

Dulux EnviroWash allows an environmental way of washing painting brushes and rollers. It turns paint wash-out into clean water and inert solid waste. Treated water is clear water and can be recycled or released onto a gardens. Remaining paint sludge in non toxic and can be dried and disposed into a common waste.

We also how offer one of our EnviroWash units for hire (subject to availability).

Lead Paint Leads to...

There are over 3.5 million homes built before 1978 in Australia. Most of them have paint that contains high levels of lead – a highly toxic metal, which if not managed can endanger human health, especially young children and pregnant women.

If your house is built prior to 1978 it most likely contains lead paint, unless it was removed during previous renovations.

If you suspect that your house has lead hazards ask a professional painter trained in lead management to test the area. DIY lead test kits also are available from most paint or hardware stores.

Why Is Lead Dangerous?

Lead cannot be excreted. It stores in the body for up to 20-30 years in bone, from where it can be mobilized back into the blood. From a single exposure, lead is readily absorbed and quickly distributed to the following areas of the body: blood (1%), soft tissue (4%) and bones/teeth (95%).

Lead is especially dangerous for children under the age of 6. It can cause irreversible brain damage and can impair mental functioning. It can retard mental and physical development and reduce attention span.

In adults, lead poisoning can cause irritability, problems with reproduction, poor muscle coordination and nerve damage to the sense organs and nerves controlling the body. Lead distorts the production of red blood cells in the body.  Anaemia can occur if lead accumulates in blood and in blood-forming tissues (bone marrow).

Where is lead paint found?

Lead paint can be present on any painted surface, but it is most often found on internal woodwork, house verandas and outside walls.

Similar to asbestos, lead paint is not usually a hazard if it is in good condition and left undisturbed. It is the dust from deteriorating or damaged lead-based paint that is very dangerous.

Prior to 1978 the oxide of lead was commonly used as a whitener and drying agent in paints in Australia. Today, it has been replaced by titanium dioxide. Lead is a designated hazardous substance by the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 and its use is highly regulated.

What To Do If Your House Contains Lead?

There are some immediate actions you can take to reduce your family’s risk of lead poisoning:

• If you rent, notify your landlord of peeling or chipping paint.
• Consult your doctor. A simple blood test can detect high levels of lead in children and adults.
• Clean up paint chips immediately.
• Clean floors, window frames, window sills, and other surfaces weekly.
• Wash children’s hands often, especially before they eat and before nap or bed time.
• Keep play areas clean. Wash bottles, pacifiers, toys, and stuffed animals regularly.
• Keep children from chewing window sills or other painted surfaces.
• Make sure children eat nutritious, low-fat meals high in iron and calcium, such as spinach and dairy products. Children with good diets absorb less lead.

Removing Lead From Your House

Use a professional painter trained in lead paint management to remove lead based pant.

Do not attempt to do it yourself. In recent decades, the majority of children admitted to hospitals with lead poisoning were as a result of unsafe home renovation and maintenance activities.

Never attempt to remove lead-based paint with a belt-sander, propane torch, high temperature heat gun, dry scraper or dry sandpaper. These actions create large amounts of lead dust and fumes. Lead dust can remain in your home and around it long after the work is done.

Sasha Nadezhkin from Ol‘Paiting has over 10 years of experience in lead paint removal.

Sources: www.lead.org.au , www.housing.nsw.gov.au , www.environment.gov.au , “Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home” by EPA,
MPL Laboratories “Fact Sheet”