Safecoat Paints and Stains
Indoor air pollution can be 10 times worse than LA on a bad day, no matter where you live. Yes, indoor air pollution. Thanks to the wonders of modern chemistry, you’re being poisoned as you read this. Right now, for instance, your walls are outgassing formaldehyde and 1,1,1 trichloroethane, which cause flu-like symptoms: headache, nausea, fatigue, and sore throat. Your carpet is releasing an alphabet soup of unpronounceable compounds, most of which chew away at your immune system and make you feel run-down.
Many of these pollutants are “volatile organic compounds.” Than means they are chemically unstable. They turn into Gas, or combine with other chemicals. Then, you breathe them. And they are everywhere. They’re in cabinets. Wood finishes. Paints, stains, and varnishes. Cleaning supplies. Anything made of plastic or vinyl. Why are these dangerous compounds there, you ask. Well, because they’re cheap. And because no one has the time or resources to study the long-term effects of even the 50,000 most common chemicals. So there’s no toxicity data for 4 out of 5 of them. That’s worth repeating: nothing is known about the effects of 4 out of 5 everyday chemicals.
Actually, one thing is known. Some are fatal. The EPA estimates that indoor air pollution kills 11,400 people every year.
That’s what happens when those flu-like symptoms turn into something worse. Like cancer. Kidney failure. Respiratory collapse. Fortunately, there’s preventive medicine.
It’s easy. It’s cost effective.
It’s proven.
It’s products form AFM (AFM Safe Coat Paints).
Back in the 1970’s, no one was thinking about indoor air pollution. And AFM was just another established manufacturer of paints, watersealers, solvents, and other building products.
But Nestor Noe, founder of AFM, became alarmed at what was going into his company’s products. He asked the company chemist to explore alternatives to the toxic ingredients. In 1980, AFM introduced Safe Seal. Safe Seal got its first major trial at an armed forces hospital in Nevada, which had closed because it actually made allergy patients sicker. Doctors suspected indoor air pollution from the walls, ceilings, carpets and everything else. After coating the interior of the facility with Safe Seal, it reopened successfully.
Other products followed: paints, stains, cleaners, a carpet care system, and more. Nestor and his chemists created new formulas, replacing toxic chemicals with non-toxic or less-toxic substitutes. Also they made all their products water-based, for safer handling and cleaning disposal.
Today, more than a decade later, AFM makes the world’s only full line of chemically responsible building and maintenance products.
A Clear Signal.
You might think indoor air pollution won’t affect you. But chances are it already has. Have you ever felt nauseated after painting or cleaning? Well, that’s a neurotoxin for you.
The problem is, these toxins affect you all the time. You might not feel downright sick. But maybe you’ll feel run-down and headachy as the afternoon wears on.
And it gets worse. Many of these toxins have a cumulative affect. That means you never get rid of them - they just collect until you reach your threshold. They, something inside you breaks.
In the old days, miners used caged canaries as a warning system. When the toxic gasses in a mineshaft built up enough to kill the canary, it was time to leave that shaft and move on to another.
This year, 11,400 men, women and children will die from indoor air pollution. They’re sending a clear signal: It is time to leave the old products, and move on to something better.
The growing case against toxic chemicals.
Doctors have linked indoor air pollution with ailments ranging from behavioral problems to kidney failure. In fact, a whole new medical field has evolved: “environmental medicine.” Studies in this area have already caused more stringent regulations.
These studies have also provided ammunition for litigation.
That’s why you need to make the change now. Not just before someone forces you to. But before someone gets sick.
The good news is, you have the answer right here in your hands. Replace you current products with AFM products. We make just about everything you need: paints, sealers, stains, caulk, adhesives, cleaners, and more.
All our products have been proven in use, by everyone from homeowners to hospitals. People who can’t tolerate toxic chemicals in ordinary products have used our products safely for over ten years. Others report improved productivity, fewer sick days, better concentration, and increased vigor. Quite simply, AFM products work.
Also, they work simply. You don’t have to change anything to work with them. Our paint goes on like any other paint. Our cleaners clean as well as any other cleaners. Only our products work safely.
They’re even simple to get. So tell us what you need. Then, use AFM products instead of the usual stuff. And let everyone in your building breathe easier.
–Plywood and particle board are loaded with acetone and formaldehyde. These toxins evaporate, or “outgas,” causing flu-like symptoms: runny nose, itchy eyes, headaches, nausea and sore throat.
–Polyurethane wood finishes contain 2-ethoxyethanol, a chronic toxin that builds up until you reach your limit.
–Most stains, varnishes, and sealers contain acetone, lead, methanol, and (take a deep breath) pentachlorophenol. On second thought, don’t’ take that deep breath.
–The distinctive smell of paint is actually dibutyl and diethyl phthalate, and a host of other compounds that cause nausea, dizziness, and sever headaches.
–Ahh, that new carpet smell. But what are you smelling? 1,3-butadiene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, toluene, 1,1,1 trichloroethane, and a number of other narcotics. Yes, narcotics.
–Everywhere you look, there’s formaldehyde. Even where you can’t look, there’s still formaldehyde. Besides irritating your nose, throat, and lungs, formaldehyde is known to cause cancer.
Outgassing: The Hidden Menace
Outgassing is like evaporation, only with solid materials. It happens because even the densest solid material isn’t really solid. There are spaces between the molecules. And molecules can work their way into the atmosphere, just like they do in evaporation.
All of which would be fine if the evaporating molecules were, say, water molecules. Unfortunately, they’re usually something a lot more lethal. Like formaldehyde molecules.
They’re also constantly bubbling away, into the air you breathe. To make matters worse, today’s energy efficient buildings seal in all the toxic gasses so they accumulate.
The only way to stop the toxic outgassing is to seal the Gas in with an AFM product like Hard Seal or Safecoat Paint
250,000 new chemical substances are created each year. No agency can keep pace in documenting the harmful effects of these substances.
Chemicals in building materials and fabrics have increased 500% in 20 years. Formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds and solvents are among the most dangerous.
Paints, cleaning solutions, carpets and other materials emit toxic fumes. This process continues for months, even after installation or use.
Toxic chemicals are either inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Product aroma, even a pleasant one, can be an indicator of chemical toxicity
Health problems caused by indoor air pollution are on the rise. They range from asthma, headaches and fatigue to memory loss, cancer and death.
The EPA, in its 1989 Report to Congress on Indoor Air Quality estimated the health and productivity cost of indoor air pollution to be “tens of billions of dollars annually.”
The World of AFMHealthful Building Collaborations
· State of Pennsylvania Keystone Project
· Thoreau Center for Sustainable Development, San Francisco, CA
· Olympic Training Center, Chula Vista, CA
· The Gap Corporate Headquarters, San Bruno, CA
· Herman Miller SQA Manufacturing Center, Holland, MI
· Hyperbaric Oxygenation Health Clinics, Victoria, BC
“I am pleased to recommend AFM Safecoat paint. This paint has been used in our clinic and our patients have tolerated it very well. There is little or no smell upon application and I feel that most patients should do well with this product.”
William J. Rea, MD, Environmental Health Center
A Canadian government agency recognizes AFM Safecoat pain as the safest alternative: “The safest, low emission paints are the specially formulated types for the chemically hypersensitive.“
Healthy Housing Supplier Guide, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation
“We have had a great deal of success with all the Safecoat products which have proven not only less volatile and more tolerable to the young, but also far superior in quality to the products we have relied on in the past.”
John Robinson, Madison Children’s Museum
“My medical practice, to a large extent, is involved with individuals who are extremely environmentally sensitive. Over the years, I’ve consistently advised my patients to use your products, as I found them to be very well tolerated by even the most intolerant individuals.”
Alfred V. Zamm, MD
AFM Product Specifier
Interior walls
New drywall
Safecoat New Wallboard Primecoat HPV
Safecoat Flat, Eggshell or Semi Gloss
Previously painted (waterborne)
Safecoat Primer Undercoater or Transitional Primer
Safecoat Flat, Eggshell or Semi Gloss
Previously painted (oil base)
Safecoat Transitional Primer
Safecoat Flat, Eggshell or Semi Gloss
American Formulating and Manufacturing is dedicated to providing building and maintenance products that create the safest, most toxic-free environments. Focusing on human health and the elimination of toxicity, in addition to performance, we have virtually eliminated the use of hazardous or toxic materials, reduced offgassing to the possible levels and have developed products which are often the solution to indoor air quality problems. AFM products have an over 20-year history of safe use even by the chemically sensitive/environmentally ill.
Indoor air pollution starts through a process of surface offgassing from building and maintenance materials. It can be especially problematic in new construction. This chart gives you a quick reference to areas in your home or office where AFM products can be specified to help fight indoor air pollution and reduce exposure to toxic chemicals. Consult with your AFM dealer on exact product recommendation for particular surfaces and situations and a complete Safecoat/SafeChoice product list.
Safecoat Paints & Primers
Safecoat Transitional Primer
Safecoat Transitional Primer is a problem solving primer for previously painted or non-drywall surfaces. It helps to transition from existing oil based surfaces to water-based coatings and when properly applied, it is effective as a stain blocker for knot holes, water soluble stains and the oils, tannins and terpenes in wood which can “bleed through” to the surface upon the application of traditional water-based primers.
Safecoat New Wallboard Primecoat HPV
The drywall commercially available today is full of recycled paper, which creates serious finishing problems. It has a high level of water soluble acids which interfere with adhesion and the appearance of top coats; moreover, the wallboard is extremely and inconsistently porous. Conventional primers can’t solve these problems. That’s why we created Safecoat New Wallboard Primecoat HPV - the only primer to use for true one-coat coverage on new drywall, green board and high recycled content materials. Primecoat HPV helps eliminate decorating problems associated with new gypsum, textured sheet rock and tape joints on wall board. It equalized the absorption rate of top-coat paints over a variety of surfaces with differing porosities, providing uniform porosity and a smooth, even surface for finish coats.
AFM Safecoat Paints
Safecoat’s top-of-the-line paints offer durable, long-lasting finishes that look good for years. We use some of the highest quality, most highly refined ingredients available, which eliminate the residual toxic chemicals found in typical paints. We avoid extenders, drying agents, formaldehyde, mildewcides and fungicides. The result is a higher quality resin content - and therefore higher quality paint film than most commercial paints - with none of the unnecessary chemical additives. In addition, Safecoat cures to help seal in outgassing from hazardous chemicals contained in previously used coatings or building materials. All Safecoat paints clean up easily with water.
They are available in a variety of finishes and can be tinted to virtually any color.
Flat - Soft sheen for areas not generally exposed to high traffic. Both low and zero voc formulas available.
Eggshell - Eggshell sheen adds more durability. Both low and zero voc formulas available.
Semi-Gloss - Excellent for frequently cleaned walls. Both low and zero voc formulas available.