ABSTRACT
This chapter covers paints and wallcoverings such as wallpaper and vinyl, plasters and tiles. The paint section covers synthetic paints grouped by their base, ie, alkyd (oil based), acrylic and vinyl
(PVA) (‘latex’ based), and also looks at natural or ‘eco’ paints, distemper, lime and whitewashes. Wallcoverings divides up into vinyl (PVC), wallpaper, and looks at textiles as an alternative. Wallpaper
pastes and adhesives are also considered. Plasters covered include gypsum, polished plaster, lime mortar and “claytech”. Ceramic tiles, their adhesives, and alternatives are covered briefly Indoor joinery paints are not covered in the product analysis, although the alternatives section does list
some ‘green’ options (p.36). See the 1998 Green Building Handbook for more detail on synthetic solvent based and water based, and ‘natural’ joinery paints.
