The basic components of any paint are resins which form the protective coating or film that any paint gives to its surface; solvents or liquids to hold the resins and other ingredients before and as the paint is applied; chemical driers which help the drying process; and pigments to give colour. Specialist paints contain a variety of chemicals according to their use – some external wood paints may contain fungicides, for instance, or textured paints for walls and ceiling contain fibres or grains.
The principal cause of problems are solvent- or oil-based paints which give off fumes on application, and over their life. Water-based alternatives are increasingly becoming available for most applications, and should be used wherever feasible.
Other components of paint vary a great deal, according to brand and type of paint, and their acceptability to people with chemical sensitivity can also vary a great deal – sensitivity can be idiosyncratic with paint, just as with other chemicals. A choice of paints is therefore given below wherever possible.
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