Healthy exteriors/gardens

8 Natural Wood Stains (100s of Colors)

October 28, 2022 by Corinne Leave a Comment

The perfect stain is 100% natural and is non-toxic (for people and pets) but is also durable to wear and to fading. When I looked at the other search results they were all homemade DIY stains based on foods that are not durable! There are a number of stains I love in this post that do tick all the boxes, and I have tried most of them.

The most natural options on this list use natural earth pigments to achieve the stain colors and use a 100% natural (non-toxic) carrier as well.

In terms of natural stains & finishes in one, natural oil-based stains are usually the easiest to apply and get an even tone with. Water-based stains are the most difficult to apply evenly to large areas.

I also mention pigments that can be added to an alcohol-based shellac finish.

Natural does not always equal non-toxic, however. Natural pigments are generally metallic elements and therefore not all are safe for all people or all applications. The Toy Safe certification is a huge help in discerning which pigments are truly safe for toys that could go in a child’s mouth or for food safe applications.

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Low-VOC Sealers for Log Cabin Homes (Non-Toxic & Natural Options)

March 26, 2022 by Corinne Leave a Comment

Low-VOC and non-toxic sealers (and stains) for log cabins fall into two categories: natural oil penetrating sealers and low-VOC synthetic sealants.

For the exterior, we want something as durable as possible. There are two main options here. The first is the all-natural tung oil mix made for exteriors and the second is a low-VOC synthetic from Vermont Natural Coatings.

While there are other options in both categories – other brands that make penetrating oil sealers and other brands that make water-based or oil-water hybrid sealers, these are my top brands and the best in each class.

For the interior, you can use something that is not quite as durable. This allows for more options that are lower in odor than the exterior products. We still have the same two categories, natural penetrating oils and synthetic sealers.

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Non-Toxic Sealants & Paints for Terra-Cotta Pots

November 30, 2021 by Corinne 2 Comments

There are lots of choices for non-toxic sealants and non-toxic paints for terra-cotta planters and pots in this article that are not widely known.

Almost all of the conventional recommendations out there are for products I would definitely not use. I wouldn’t want that exposure to VOCs and I want my plants to be happy and healthy too.

This article goes over all-natural and synthetic sealers for inside and outside the terra-cotta clay pot.

I also take a look at natural and synthetic paints for the exterior of the pot, and sealants for over those paints to prevent the paint from peeling off.

We want to make sure we are providing the environment that the plant needs to thrive in, so some of these sealants will be close to water-proof and others will be breathable.

We don’t need to use toxic sealants to provide any of our sealing needs.

This post contains affiliate links. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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Non-Toxic Spray Paint Buying Guide (Low-Odor & Water-Based Brands)

November 30, 2021 by Corinne 3 Comments

The search for non-toxic spray paint was not a straightforward one, it took a lot of searching through brands, looking at ingredient lists, and even testing some myself.

I started by looking at water-based aerosol paints since they are lower odor and have fewer fumes than solvent-based paints.

However, even water-based spray paints are not technically low-VOC, since the propellant is a solvent. Still, they can be fast to offgas and are certainly less toxic than solvent-based paint.

Next up, I found a lot of hybrids – water and ethanol-based paints. While those paints do aerosolize alcohol, this alcohol is very fast to evaporate and so this is still a great paint for those looking for safer options.

Then, finally, I tested the solvent paint options from major brands to see which ones become odorless when dry (and how many days exactly does it take to finish offgassing and become non-toxic).

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Non-Toxic Waterproof Sealants & Stains for Exterior Wood

November 21, 2021 by Corinne Leave a Comment

This article covers non-toxic and natural waterproofing sealants and stains that are specially formulated for exterior applications like wooden decks, fences, furniture, windows, doors, play gyms, and planters.

This post covers both water-based sealants and natural oil-based options that are either zero or very low VOC. They are safe for sensitive individuals, as well as children and pets.

Natural oil sealants can be remarkedly durable at providing protection from water and the elements, and work perfectly over oily dense woods like Ipe, Teak and Mahogany.
Synthetic penetrating sealers can provide water resistance while leaving a natural look to raw wood.
Film-forming sealants provide a durable topcoat, that can go over lightly sanded wood.

If you are working with pressure-treated wood, all stains require that the wood has time to dry out first which can take anywhere from 3 months to a year.

Technically wood sealers are not water-proof but water-resistant, certainly enough to weather the storms outside.

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Is Plywood Toxic? (Non-Toxic Alternatives)

November 9, 2021 by Corinne 13 Comments

This post provides an overview of the formaldehyde and formaldehyde-free glues used in plywood.

I look at the offgassing levels and rates of formaldehyde in various types of plywood so that you can choose the lowest VOC option and minimize offgassing in the home.

There are non-toxic plywoods as well as non-toxic alternatives to plywood listed here.

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Non-Toxic Sealants for Concrete Birdbaths

November 4, 2021 by Corinne 4 Comments

Freezing temperatures and the hot sun affect concrete birdbaths – if you leave yours in the elements without a sealant you will likely get pitting and cracking.

Sealing the surface with a non-toxic sealant helps your birdbath to be less porous so it holds water well and limits the freeze-thaw effects.

Of course, we want a sealant that is totally non-toxic to the birds and doesn’t leach any chemicals into the water. It’s also important to have a sealer that is safe for the humans who are applying it.

This article outlines the only truly non-toxic, no VOC, natural, non-leaching option that I know of that is safe for birds and humans.

While other options like epoxy paint can certainly be safe once fully cured, they are harsh at first for the people applying it and they can take some time to fully cure to get to the point of truly not leaching any chemicals.

This sealant works on most stone and terra-cotta birdbaths as well.

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Choosing a Non-Toxic Plaster

October 13, 2021 by Corinne 2 Comments

Plaster usually means a material used to coat interior walls while “render” more often refers to external coatings even if it’s the same material. Stucco is another word for an exterior wall coating.

The most common types of plasters have a base of gypsum, lime, cement, or clay.

Clay plasters are not very common anymore since they lack tensile and compressive strength. They are still used in some buildings, most commonly in natural buildings, like in adobe or cob homes. Clay plaster in conventional wood-framed homes was replaced by lime and then by gypsum plaster.

This article will look at the chemical composition of plasters and where you can use each type. Plaster is generally a healthy material no matter the base mineral, but those who are chemically sensitive will want to know which additives each type contains to choose the non-toxic options.

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Non-Toxic Wood Stains That Are Safe for Raised Garden Beds (& Are Durable)

September 8, 2021 by Corinne 3 Comments

There are two main ways to go with garden safe sealants (and stains) for raised garden beds or planters.

The first option is to use a non-toxic water-based stain on the exterior with a safe water-based painted on membrane on the interior of the box. (The water-based stains used on the exterior won’t hold up inside the bed).

The second option is the most food-safe option, which is to use a totally natural penetrating oil on the inside and outside of the garden bed or container garden.

All of the options here are non-toxic and plant safe, leaving your garden produce safe to eat.

Some of these are only wood stains/sealants and some can be used on concrete and plastic planter boxes as well.

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Healthy exteriors/gardens

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