Cork

Flexible Rubber cork

Nitrile rubber is synthetic rubber. it can be used to bond cork to make a flexible sheet
like Klinger NI27 Rubber Bonded Cork
Klinger rubber bonded cork is bonded with synthetic rubber, it provides the compressibility of cork with the resilience of rubber. This material has high mechanical strength.
Manufactured from high quality cork oak bonded with synthetic rubber
Rubber cork sheets are made from cork aggregate and different rubber mixes, neoprene, silicone and polyurethane. The final product is incredibly elastic, durable and resistant against grease, oil, fuels, gases and many other chemical substances. It is used as a seal material for cars, agricultural machines and industry seals. Read more.

But you can get expanded cork boards that don’t use synthetic binders.
Expanded insulation cork sheets are natural, balanced and unbeatable cork products that, with this special type of agglomerated cork, do not contain polyurethane or any other fillers or additives. Due to the high temperature processing treatment it expands (similarly to popcorn) and suberin that is releases during is a natural adhesive that binds the expanding grains. This way we produce a wonderful, natural and sustainable material that offers a perfect vibroisolation, thermal insulation and acoustic isolation.
Find them here.

Heres some more information on expanded cork

and this about using cork in the green home.

Some notes on insulation

The green van. You can see all our related posts here Thermal conductivity, often denoted by the greek symbol λ ,measures …
Read More

SaveSave

post

Some notes on insulation

The green van. You can see all our related posts here

Thermal conductivity, often denoted by the greek symbol λ ,measures of how easily heat flows through a material, independent of the thickness of the material in question.

The lower the thermal conductivity = the slower heat will move across a material= good

It is measured in Watts per Metre Kelvin (W/mK).

0.008 W/mK for vacuum insulated panels = very good = retains heat

0.061 W/mK for certain types of wood fibre = not so good looses heat

R-Values

The R-value is a measure of resistance to heat flow through a given thickness of material.

The higher the R-value the better its insulating properties.

The R-value is calculated by using the formula

R-Value

 

Where:

l is the thickness of the material in metres and

λ is the thermal conductivity in W/mK.

The R-value is measured in metres squared Kelvin per Watt (m2K/W)

“The R-value is therefore a relatively simple way to compare two insulating materials if you have the thermal conductivity for each material. It also allows you to see the impact of adding thicker layers of the same insulating material.”

But ” R-values only take into account conduction. It does not include either convection or radiation.”

so on to

U-Values

takes into account all factors and is the most reliable method of measuring but it is more difficult to calculate.

“The U value of a building element is the inverse of the total thermal resistance of that element. The U-value is a measure of how much heat is lost through a given thickness of a particular material, but includes the three major ways in which heat loss occurs – conduction, convection and radiation.”

To Conclude

  • Thermal Resistance = how fast heat passes through a material independent of thicknessshown as λ / W/mK .The higher the number the better
  •  R-Values takes the thickness of the material into account – so thermal resistance in more detail. (m2K/W) Again higher is better.
  • U-Values.
  • The U-Value is the most accurate measurement of a  material’s insulating ability, In this case THE LOWER the number the better.

Very good read HERE

Why should I insulate and where?

A useful ARTICLE HERE.

For our van, we used Elephant Bark 1/4″ rubber (also called Stall Mats) as an MLV-type layer on the floor. We isolated it from the stock wooden van floor using a layer of LowE foil-faced closed cell foam. The full stack of materials gives us a good combination of heat and sound damping.

On the walls, we used DB2-4walls. It’s a .75lb/sf. product, 1/8″ thick. We didn’t use it throughout the van, but we did put sheets of it behind the door panels before we re-applied them.

(thats 6.35mm thick!)

From a useful ARTICLE.

used rubber on the floor

  • Rubber rolls can be installed in minutes with 2-sided carpet tape, no messy adhesive needed
  • Rubberized flooring made from abrasion and wear resistant 100-Percent USA produce recycled rubber
  • Extremely durable which makes this product ideal for deck flooring or dog mats for kennels
  • This rubber flooring roll is an excellent way to turn your concrete floors into comfortable, warm, and protective rubber surfaces
  • Ideal for use as: sports flooring, garage floor covering, basement flooring, gym equipment mats, and horse trailer floor covering

First, let’s see where, on average, the most heat leaves the house, what the target insulation value should be and what measures are appropriate. This is found in Table 1.

Building feature Heat loss (%) Target U-value (EPC Band B) Possible solutions
Table 1: heat loss through building elements, target insulation levels and insulation solutions
Walls 35 % 0.15 Cavity, internal or external wall insulation
Windows and doors 15 % 1.6 Double/triple/secondary glazing / shutters and curtains
Roof 25 % 0.10 Pitched, warm deck or cold deck roof insulation
Floor 15 % 0.15 Floor insulation
Gaps, cracks, draughts 10 %

Image (click to zoom) Material K-value (W/mK) Notes

Material Depth
Table 2: depth of insulation required to reach a U-value of 0.15W/m2K
Expanded polyurethane 130 mm
Unfaced polyurethane 160 mm
Rockwool (60 – 100kg/m3) 195 mm
Glassfibre slab 205 mm
Expanded polystyrene 215 mm
Mineral wool 225 mm
Flax 230 mm
Expanded Corkboard (110kg/m3) 240 mm
Glass fibre quilt 240 mm
Cork slab (160kg/m3) 250 mm
Woodwool board 250 mm
Cellular sheet glass 280 mm
Foam glass (140kg/m3) 305 mm
Cork slab (140kg/m3) 325 mm
Foam glass (130kg/m3) 330 mm
Material Depth
Table 2: depth of insulation required to reach a U-value of 0.15W/m2K

Table 5: Summary comparison of different insulation materials
Organic sources
These have absorbed carbon from the atmosphere and so are more climate-friendly
Sheep’s wool batts and rolls 0.038 – 0.043 Can absorb some moisture whilst remaining efficient
Wood fibre batts 0.038 – 0.043 Good for most walls, ceilings, roofs, timber joisted floors.
Cotton-based batts and rolls 0.038 – 0.043 Best for horizontal surfaces.
Cellulose (loose, batt or board) (e.g. Warmcel, Homatherm) 0.038 – 0.040 Recyclable, renewable, made from finely shredded newspaper, easy to install, best for horizontal services.
Flax batts, slabs and rolls approximately 0.042 Hard to obtain and expensive.
Hemp batts 0.043 Relatively expensive.
expanded-corkboard Expanded Corkboard (e.g. Amorim, Korktherm, Westco) 0.040 – 0.050 Commonly used as underlay under hardwood and ceramic floors.
Wood fibre board (eg. Pavatex) 0.039-0.46 Good for wall and pitched roof construction
Hempcrete (e.g. Hemcrete, Canobiote, Canosmose, and Isochanvre) 0.12 – 0.13 Made of hemp shiv with a lime matrix. High elasticity and vapour permeability. Used for external wall insulation. Typical compressive strength 20 times lower than low grade concrete. Density: 15 per cent of traditional concrete.
Naturally occurring minerals
Usually environmentally ok but some have high embodied energy – see Table 3
Aerogel (e.g. Spacetherm) 0.013 Flexible sheets and laminates, a type of glass and composite materials including plasterboard and sandwiched within PVC panels. Expensive but useful where width is limited as performance is so good. Not breathable.
Fibreglass mineral wool batts and rolls (BSI kitemarked available) (e.g. British-Gypsum Isover, Knauf, Superglass) or Fibreglass board (e.g. Isowool, Dritherm) 0.033 – 0.040 Made from molten glass, sometimes with 20 to
30 per cent recycled content. The most common residential insulant. Usually applied as batts, pressed between studs. Most include a formaldehyde-based binder – exceptions are beginning to appear.
Mineral (rock & slag) wool batts and rolls (BSI kitemarked available) (e.g. Rockwool) 0.033 – 0.040 Used for loft and cavity wall insulation.
Foamed glass slab (e.g. Foamglas) 0.042 High, durable compressive strength, non-permeable. Needs bitumen or synthetic adhesives to install.
Perlite 0.045 – 0.05 Naturally occurring volcanic glass that greatly expands and becomes porous when heated sufficiently. Must be installed in sealed spaces.
Exfoliated vermiculite 0.063 Clay-based, otherwise like perlite
Multi-foil insulation (or ‘Radiant barriers’) disputed Thinness makes it ideal for places where little width is available. Made from non-renewable petrochemicals and aluminium. Can have poor airtightness. Expensive, vulnerable to being punctured, which will render it useless.
Fossil fuels
These have emitted carbon to the atmosphere during manufacture. Avoid unless you don’t have the space or budget for natural products. All manufactured at high temperatures, derived from fossil fuels. Extremely high embodied energy. Non-breathable, so may cause damp problems.
Phenolic foam board (e.g. Kingspan Kooltherm) 0.020 – 0.25 For roofing, cavity board, external wall board, plaster board dry linings systems, floor insulation and as sarking board.
Expanded polystyrene board and beads (EPS) 0.032 – 0.040 Beads are used primarily in masonry cavities.
Extruded Polystyrene board (XPS) (e.g. Kingspan Styrozone) 0.028 – 0.036 Very high compressive strength.
Polyurethane/polyisocyanurate board and foam
(e.g. Kingspan Therma) 0.02 – 0.033 Foam or rigid board. Foam is sprayed in at high temperatures; within seconds it will expand by over 30 times giving a seamless rigid covering. Good for plugging gaps or leaks. High compressive strength.
Eco-wool (e.g. non-itch) – batts 0.039 – 0.042 Alternative to glass wool, made from 85 per cent recycled plastic. Comes in rolls or slabs. Suitable for loft and stud walls.
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) variable approximately 0.040 A building method using pre-cut expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) to erect an airtight structure quickly that eliminates thermal bridging.

read more here

Expanded Cork

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Thermal Conductivity: 0.036-0.38 W/mk for a declared value of EU label 0.04 W/mk

Thermal Resistance: R-3.6 to R-4.2/inch, declared value for EU label of R-4/inch

Density: 7.0-7.5 lbs/ft3 or 100-120 Kg/m3

Perpendicular Face Resistance:60 Kpa or 8.7 PSI

Compression Resistance: 10% at 100u Kpa (14.5 PSI)

Permeability:

  • 1 1/2″ thickness:2.15 US perms
  • 2″ thickness: 2.04 US perms
  • 4″ thickness:1.26 US perms

Maximum Moisture Content: 8%, with water absorption declared at 0.5 kg/m3

Longitude Tolerance: +/-0.1 to 0.2″ or +/-3 to 5 mm

Thickness Tolerance: 0.04 to 0.1″ or +/-1 to 2 mm

Fire Resistance: Euro Class “E”

Why can insulation cause damp?

As you’ll know, insulation is designed to slow down heat transfer, keeping warm air in and cold air out. However, the more airtight your house is, the less natural ventilation it gets – and airflow is key for maintaining a healthy level of humidity indoors.

What people are often not told by insulation installers is that warm air holds more moisture, and this has got to go somewhere. If insulation means this water vapour cannot escape through walls or ceilings, it sinks into the fabric of the building, or its contents. It is important therefore to counter increased humidity with increased ventilation. Make sure to use extractor fans and/or open windows – especially when you’re doing something that creates a lot of steam, such as showering or cooking.

Damp after loft insulation

So you only  “decided to insulate the floor of the space, rather than the roof. This is because there is very little point paying to heat your attic – and the nature of heat rising means that a lot of heating escapes up there!  Insulating this space effectively will keep warm air in the main body of the house below, and your loft will get pretty cold as a result. As long as it is dry up there, this shouldn’t be an issue if you’re only going up now and then to grab boxes. Potential problems can arise when damp air gets into the space and reaches its dew point in the low temperature, condensing on surfaces, (and in some cases, the insulation material itself). Damp can set in and lead to mould, which can be tricky to get rid of. This is why it’s important to have adequate ventilation in the roof, and make sure any insulation doesn’t cover the vents. Something else you should consider carefully is the material you choose, as their abilities to resist damp vary hugely. If you use an insulation material that is not breathable, it soaks up water and keeps it there. Fibreglass, for instance, is easily soiled – and once it’s wet, it stays that way. Pure sheep wool, in comparison, helps regulate humidity in the air wherever it is. It can be more easily dried out, and its thermal performance is not affected when it holds water vapour.

Swaledale 54 Carpet Underlay
Swaledale 50 Pure Wool Carpet Underlay
Never before has carpet underlay been this good.Swaledale our heavy weight pure new wool carpet underlay manufactured from 100% pure Swaledale wool. It is suitable for heavy domestic & heavy commercial use, ideal for all areas in your home especially stairs.Please Note: This product is now made with 100% Swaledale wool and has a new improved Jute scrim which is ideal for anyone wanting a totally natural product.

KEY FEATURES OF OUR OPTIMAL SHEEP WOOL INSULATION:

  • Our Optimal insulation is 100% natural
  • Irritant free, it is easy to install and offers excellent heat and acoustic insulating properties.
  • Our Optimal insulation absorbs moisture, helping it regulate humidity in the roof space.
  • Optimal insulation has a density of 18 kg/m3
  • Available in widths of 380mm or 570mm to suit the distance between the joists in your loft
  • Available in thicknesses of 50mm or 75mm.

HOW TO CALCULATE HOW MUCH YOU NEED:

Using the thermal conductivity of this product (0.0385), you can work out either the thickness you require or the U-Value you will achieve. Simply divide the thermal conductivity by the thickness to work out the U-Value, or divide it by the U-value you want to reach to work out the thickness required.

0.0385 / Thickness = U-Value
0.0385 / U-Value = Thickness

SaveSave

Wood treatment

Building a new van and I want it to be as environmental and as plastic free as possible. Decorating is very dirty work and needs a lot of research.

You can see all our related posts here

Timber finishes include
varnishes –
paint –
oils –
waxes –
sealing

Timber finishes fall into 2 basic categories, those which provide a protective coating on the surface and those which penetrate (or soak into) the surface.
Varnishes, lacquers and paints provide protective surface coatings.
Oils provide penetrative finishes.
Waxes can be either, they can be applied to a varnished/painted surface (in which case they give a surface coating) or to bare timber (in which case they give a penetrative finish).
read more

Varnishes
Traditional varnishes and lacquers were made from resins and natural oils
Components of classic varnish would include a
Drying oil
Resin
Solvent Traditionally, natural (organic) turpentine was used as the thinner or solvent,

Most modern types  of varnish are  based on synthetic resins and thinners  although low-fume, water based acrylic varnishes are also available.
Polyurethane is the most common solvent used in modern varnishes.and mineral-based turpentine substitutes such as white spirit or “paint thinner”, also known as “mineral spirit”.
Polyeurothenes are are petrochemical-based polymers.

Common polyurethane applications include:

Building insulation
Refrigerators and freezers
Furniture and bedding
Footwear
Automotive
Coatings and adhesives
Other applications read more here.

Catalysed varnishes provide a chemically cured surface which is harder than the normal Polyurethane varnishes and which gives a robust surface.

Water based acrylic varnishes are also available which give off less fumes during application, they cure by water evaporation. These tend to have shorter dry times than solvent based varnishes so that the job can be completed quicker. The finish look tends to be less natural looking than solvent based varnishes,
Normally all varnishes are available as clear or coloured varnish, even clear varnish will tend to darken the timber and, being a surface coating, a coloured varnish tends to ‘subdue’ the wood grain of the floor – to change the colour of the timber, it is often better to first stain the timber and then use a clear varnish rather than using a coloured varnish.

Oils.

Danish oil, Linseed oil, Teak oil and Tung oil are all suitable for both hardwood and softwoods and give the wood a natural looking finish, slightly darkening the timber while enhancing the grain.

Waxes.
Wax protects and enhances the appearance of the wood but can become easily marked especially by water spills.

Wax can also be applied to a varnish finish to give it additional protection. read more

Sealing.
Sealing is not a finish in its own right, just a requirement to treat the timber before a finish is applied.

Depending on the type of timber, ‘sealing’ has one of two functions – to keep the oils of the timber in or to prevent the subsequent finish from soaking too far into the timber. Most often the first applies to tropical hardwoods while the latter to softwoods.

Softwoods can generally be sealed by applying one or two coats of thinned varnish (30 to 50% – but check what the manufacturer states), this is suitable for both varnish and wax finishes.

Hardwoods can be more difficult to seal as they must first be ‘cleaned’, it is recommended that a specific ‘wood sealer’ is used and the manufacturer’s instructions followed as appropriate to the type of hardwood involved.

read more

Shellac
This finish is actually a natural product (it’s made from combining a secretion from the female lac bug with a solvent such as alcohol) that is very safe once dried and hardened. In addition to adding a protective coat, it also can add a warm amber color to wood. It can be affected by heat (white rings will appear under a hot bowl or mug) or chemicals, so a kitchen table might not be the best place to use it. Fine furniture items can be greatly enhanced with shellac. Some shellac manufacturers recommend using it as a protective coat on non-wood items. Apply it with a natural bristle brush or with a cotton rag.

So which existing products shall I use?

Danish oil is a wood finishing oil, often made of tung oil or polymerized linseed oil, although there is no defined formulation so its composition varies among manufacturers.

Danish oil is a hard drying oil, meaning it can polymerize into a solid form. It can provide a hard-wearing, often water-resistant satin finish, or serve as a primer on bare wood before applying paint or varnish. It is a “long oil” finish, a mixture of oil and varnish, typically around one-third varnish and the rest oil.[1][2]

Dapwood furniture have this to say about danish wood oil

What does Danish Oil contain?

The ingredients contained in Danish Oil is extremely varied with each manufacturer having their own proprietary mixtures and percentages. However, most Danish Oils contain many of the following:

Toxic Waste
Mineral Spirits
Aromatic Petroleum Distillates
Mineral Oil
Stoddard Solvent
Tung Oil
Linseed Oil
Man-made and/or Natural Resins
Man-made and/or Natural Varnishes
Unspecified Vegetable Oil
Dipropylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether
Naptha
Japanese Dryers
Cobalt Dryers
Heavy Metal Dryers

read more here

Some notes

Oil varnish blend

AURO NATURAL PAINTS
NATURAL WOOD HARD OIL WOODEN FLOORS – ECO FRIENDLY NON TOXIC AURO 126
£33.00 inc VAT 750ml

post

Duvet

There are lots of synthetic duvets on the market full of polyester and the like but even before I went plastic free I always preferred the cotton/feather covering. However I have become aware of other options.

Natural fillings include
Feathers
Silk
Wool
Cotton

There are all sorts of things you need to know when buying a duvet. What filling, pockets or channels, and what tog. all useful stuff and there are many good guides online which it is pointless to reproduce. I can recommend this one as covering all bases.

Duvets

Cotton Duvet John Lewis
BuyJohn Lewis Natural Light Cotton Comfort Duvet, 4.5 Tog, Single Online at johnlewis.com
£35.00 – £65.00
Country of Origin China
Cover material 100% Cotton; 190 thread count
Filling 100% Washed Cotton

Read more.

ABOUT BAAVET
We are manufacturers of wool duvets, pillows, mattress toppers and natural fibre mattresses. Made in the UK with 100% British wool.

Medium Baavet Wool Duvet Double £111.00 Online or Local stockists HERE

Everyone mentioned on this page really exists

On British farms we don’t “factory farm” sheep, they are farmed extensively. “Extensive farming” could be described as ‘free range’ farming. The sheep have the freedom to roam the fields and hills of the UK, grazing naturally.

The busiest times on the farm are lambing in the spring and shearing in the summer. Sheep farming is practiced in the same traditional way as it has been for hundreds of years.
Your Baavet originates on the hills and in the valleys of British farms and the wool for our completely natural wool Baavets comes from British Sheep farmed on British farms by farmers we know.

So our story starts here down on farms like those of :

Will Williams, and Griff Williams who farm on the grass rich fields Lleyn Peninsular up here in North Wales where the weather is mild due to the influence of the sea.

After lambing the next big event in the year is shearing which normally takes place in early summer.The shearer carefully shears the sheep with electric clippers in one continuous process which results in a big fluffy fleece. This is carefully rolled up, tied into a bundle and put into a very large wool sack which can hold around 60/80 fleeces. These sacks are then loaded up and taken to a central loading place

It’s taken to our wool merchant’s warehouse in Halifax where the wool is graded.

Once the wool has been graded it travels to Dewsbury, to one of only two scourers left in the country, to be washed. Scouring is the term used for washing the wool

The washed wool now goes to a mill in Huddersfield where it is carded and quilted.
The carded wool is enclosed in the cotton fabric so it won’t ever move around. It’s a continuous process and the quilted material is being put onto a roll which is cut about every 30 metres , which is as big as we can handle. The rolls are covered in plastic and stored ready for their journey back to Wales where it all started.

Back in Wales under the ancient walls of Harlech Castle, discreetly hidden away in a small industrial estate, is Baavet HQ. Here the quilted rolls are made into the individual Baavet products. Your Baavets are then ready for packing and dispatch, from Ewe to You.

Devon Duvets, was born. The concept of handcrafting British wool duvets and wool pillows in England was largely unthought of at that time and we are delighted that there is now a re-discovery of British wool that helps to support British farms. Devon Duvets is the only company that Handcrafts products in their own workshops in England using only British wool, providing an unequalled quality and provenance that others cannot replicate.

WOOL DUVET DOUBLE SUMMER (LIGHTWEIGHT 300GSM) (200CM X 200CM UK SIZE)
Price: £125.00

Woolroom

British wool but I don’t know where they are actually made. will check!

CLASSIC WOOL DUVET – LIGHT
( was £49.99 )
£34.99
Our Classic Light Duvets are made with 100% British wool & medium thread count cotton. Suited to hot sleepers or night sweat sufferers.
SINGLE (137X200 CM)£34.99
DOUBLE (200X200 CM)£47.59
Our Light Classic duvet contains 250 gsm (3-6 tog) of 100% British wool filling and covered in a 200 thread count cotton outer to enhance breathability and aid thermoregulation.

Company info

From the

Feather/Down

The only choice I will talk about is cruelty free. Please do check that you feathers have been humanely harvested. There is a lot of abuse out there in the feather farms.

Down
Harvesting from goose down from live birds is an old practise. The harvesting of feathers and down from the breast of live geese is possible because between 9-10 weeks of age their mature down feathers, together with the other soft feathers, moult naturally. By timing the plucking process to coincide with the natural moult, the breast feathers and down can be harvested. Growing geese can then be plucked approximately every six weeks as this will coincide with each successive moult. The yield of feathers and down from the first plucking is approximately 80 g and for each subsequent plucking between 100-120g 

The best feathers are those that have been harvested at times of moult. However in large scale factory units the feathers may torn out before the birds are ready. The kindest feathers are considered to be those those obtained post slaughter though the feather quality is not s good.

You might want to read this before you decide. Having read that you might not want a feather duvet at all  That is the worst case as put by a vegan but it needs to be considered.

A good feather duvet and it will last you life time cutting down on consumption and petroleum / plastic related pollution, it is completely natural and can be composted when it finally does what ever old feather duvets do when they die. We are still using the duvet that we got given to us over 10 years ago and will be

Buy Ethical Feathers

So you want a supplier who can be trusted to source cruelty free feathers and provide quality goods. It’s off to John Lewis with their animal cruelty policy http://www.johnlewis.com/inspiration-and-advice/john-lewis-policy-on-feather-and-down-products
As ever, the kinder the farmer the higher the cost but imagine that cost spread over years.
If you cant afford JL you can buy second hand from for example Ebay. Down doesnt loose much over time so you will still be getting a good cover for half the price and you can let the original purchaser deal with the guilt.

Ikea

Ikea do lightweight feather double duvets for 25.00

Washing

you can wash feather duvets. The thinner the duvet the easier it is. http://www.heirloomlinens.com/duvetcleaning.htlm

Two thin douvets might be better then 1 thick one especially if you live in a seasonal climate.

My Fair Share

In 1994 the international trade reached more than 67 000 tons of raw feathers and down.

N.B.

lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x

And before you go…

If you have found the #plasticfree information useful, please consider supporting us. It all goes to financing the project (read more here) or

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

VOCs

Volatile organic compounds or VOCs are a class of chemicals that are volatile.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds which means they contain carbon atoms. That easily become vapors or gases.

Which makes them great as a base for paints And ink. Anything that needs to dry quickly.

VOCs are released from burning fuel such as gasoline, wood, coal, or natural gas.

They are also released from many consumer products as they evaporate.

They can contain fluorine, bromine, sulfur, nitrogen and other elements.

Cigarettes
Solvents
Paints and thinners
Inks
Adhesives
Hobby and craft supplies
Dry cleaning fluids
Glues
Wood preservatives
Cleaners and disinfectants
Moth repellants
Air fresheners
Building materials and furnishings
Copy machines and printers
Pesticides

paint thinners
degreasers
aerosol cans
dry-cleaning products
paints
photographic supplies
printers and photocopying machines and supplies

Toxicity

Whenever the weather is hot, VOCs are more likely to be present in the air we breathe, and therefore more dangerous to human health. Not all VOC are known to be toxic, however in some cases there are clear negative effects, depending on the compound, the length and intensity of the exposure. Formaldehyde, diesel exhaust, styrene, benzene and perchloroethylene are known or suspected carcinogens, and heavy traffic, smoking and various types of workplace exposure can pose serious health risks. Known health effects include:
respiratory tract problems
headaches
fatigue
dizziness
nausea
liver and/or kidney damage
problems of the central nervous system
Read more here
When VOCs combine with nitrogen oxides in the air, they form smog.

Substances Toxic VOCs Listing
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane
1,1,2-Trichloroethane
1,1-Dichloroethane
1,1-Dichloroethene
1,2,3 Trichloropropane
1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane
1,2-Dibromoethane
1,2-Dichloroethane
1,2-Dichloroethene
1,2-Dichloropropane
1,3-Butadiene
2-Butanone
2-Hexanone
Acetone
Acrolein
Benzene
Bromodichloromethane
Bromoform & Dibromochloromethane
Bromomethane
Carbon Disulfide
Carbon Tetrachloride
Chlorobenzene
Chloroethane
Chloroform
Chloromethane
Dichlorobenzenes
Dichloropropenes
Ethylbenzene
Formaldehyde
Gasoline, Automotive
Hexachlorobutadiene
Hexachloroethane
Hydrazines
Methyl Mercaptan
n-Hexane
Nitrobenzene
Stoddard Solvent
Styrene
Tetrachloroethylene (PERC)
Toluene
Trichloroethylene (TCE)
Vinyl Chloride
Xylenes

Limewash & Paint

Building a new van and I want it to be as environmental and as plastic free as possible. Decorating is very dirty work and needs a lot of research.

You can see all our related posts here

Lime is a calcium-containing inorganic mineral in which oxides, and hydroxides predominate. In the strict sense of the term, lime is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide. It is also the name of the natural mineral (native lime) CaO which occurs as a product of coal seam fires and in altered limestone xenoliths in volcanic ejecta.[1] The word lime originates with its earliest use as building mortar and has the sense of sticking or adhering.Wikkipedia

Lime is derived from limestone or Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), which has been burnt in a lime kiln at over 800 degrees centigrade to produce quicklime or Calcium Oxide (CaO).
In this process carbon dioxide and any water is driven off.
Quicklime is potentially dangerous having an avid thirst for water. This process creates a lot of heat and produces Slaked lime or Calcium Hydroxide (Ca(OH)2).
Builders merchants stock this material having been reground to a fine powder and called Hydrated Lime.

read more about making and using lime mortars here.

Whitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime (calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2) and chalk (calcium carbonate, (CaCO3), sometimes known as “whiting”. Various other additives are also used.

Lime Wash

Making
Limewash is made from lime putty, just dilute the putty 50/50 with water.

Lime putty can either be bought or made from bagged lime.

From Bagged Lime
Take bagged lime from any builders merchant, B&Q etc, (this is hydrated non-hydraulic lime) and mix with water to form a putty. Leaving the putty in a sealed container or under water for a couple of days is optional, some say it improves the texture.

Dilute it 50/50 to make limewash.

From Putty
Dilute the putty 50/50 with water. You now have limewash.

Recycling Cans

If I did a lot of decorating I would, if possible,  buy paint in tins then recycle it through the Dulux can recycling scheme. The following was copied from their website

It’s easy to recycle with Dulux Decorator Centres
We’re all aware of the need to recycle cans – there’s no sense in waste and landfill just isn’t an option with a future.
The pressing need to providing a viable, sustainable alternative for UK industry has led directly to Dulux Decorator Centres’ Can Recycling Service. And crucially, it’ms a scheme that also adds up in business terms. Many large decorating contracts now specify that cans must be recycled, so being able to offer a proven, professional recycling policy has the benefits to be a genuine business winner

Everything is reused or recycled – nothing will go to landfill
The most comprehensive can recycling service in the UK
Handles solvent and water-based paints
The only service that can process wet cans as well as dry
The only service able to recycle woodcare product cans

Bring us your cans or have them collected
You can choose to bring your used Dulux Trade, Glidden, Dulux Trade Woodcare, Cuprinol and Sikkens cans to Dulux Decorator Centres, or we’ll pick them up on site if we’re delivering an order to your team. The vast majority of cans and residues can be handled, as shown below.
The cans we CAN recycle
Decorative paint cans
Security sealed wet cans
Dulux Trade or Glidden paint cans
Up to an inch or paint residue
Woodcare – Dulux Trade, Cuprinol and Sikkens
Water or solvent-based paint
Dry open cans (water-based)
The paints we CAN recycle
Emulsion
Satin
Floor paint
Gloss
Undercoat
Masonry paint
Eggshell
Primer
Exterior paint
The cans we CAN’T recycle*
Leaking cans
Nasty contents e.g. paint thinners/paint stripper
Wet paint with no lid
Cuprinol Sprayer and Sprayable Plus
Specialist or industrial paints
Aerosol
Paintpod & attached can
* Dulux Decorator Centre decision to reject cans is final and cannot be disputed.