Brushing Up on Water-Based Paints

The paint industry is changing fast these days. As coatings manufacturers reformulate their products to adhere to stricter air pollution standards, they are altering the way paints and other finishes behave, both on the brush and on the finished surface. The move to water-based paints (often generically called “latex” paints, though latex is no longer an ingredient) is being driven by a growing body of state and city regulations that limit the amount of VOCs — volatile organic compounds — allowed in paints. When VOCs are released into the air, they react with other elements and with sunlight to form ozone. Ozone is desirable in the upper atmosphere, where it filters sunlight; at ground level, though, it’s