For one eco-friendly paint, it's apparently not so easy being green

"We didn't consider this. More and more, you make a decision that's good for the environment, but there are results that you don't expect. The cities will have to issue a (recycling) directive on this."—Mario Clermont, General Manager, Société Laurentide Inc.

That quote—referring to a plastic-and-metal paint bucket used for Canadian paint brand Boomerang—jumped out at me from "Eco-Paint Container Isn't That Green," an engaging read by Ellen Moorhouse, who writes the Trash Talk column for The Toronto Star.

Moorhouse's story details some of the problems associated with being green (in an environmentally aware way, not as Kermit the Frog bemoaned about his color): Boomerang is made from recycled paint—does the name make sense now?— but the manufacturer recently switched to a black plastic (polypropylene) bucket with a metal handle. Problem is, according to Moorhouse, empty steel paint cans are accepted by municipal recycling programs in Ontario but plastic pails aren't yet. Read the rest of Moorhouse's article.

As for greener paints themselves, knowing which finishes have the lowest level of volatile organic compounds isn't a cinch either, as we found for our March 2009 report on interior paints. Our tests uncovered some surprising information on the VOC levels touted by paint makers and what's in the can.—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Read our coverage of the statewide recycled-paint program in Oregon and efforts to establish paint recycling in Minnesota.

EPA proposes tougher lead-paint rules

In conjunction with last week's National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed changes to the 2008 Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program.

Contractors renovating, repairing, or painting homes built before 1978 would be required to be trained and certified in and follow lead-safe practices, including minimizing dust, containing the work area, and conducting a thorough cleanup to reduce the potential exposure associated with disturbing lead-based paint. So contractors would no longer be able to opt out of these practices if a homeowner certifies that there are no children under the age of six or pregnant women living in the home.

"This proposed rule will further increase protections for children and their families from lead-based-paint hazards associated with home renovation and repair," said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, in a press release. "The administration is demonstrating its continued commitment to eliminating childhood lead poisoning and strengthening lead poisoning-prevention efforts."

While lead-based paints in homes were banned in 1978, many homes built before then probably have some lead paint. The new rule is intended to help protect older children and adults from exposure to lead, which can cause brain damage and diminished mental and physical development. It should also ensure that families with young children who purchase a recently renovated home aren't exposed to lead-dust hazards.

Another proposed change would require contractors to provide information demonstrating that they complied with lead-safe training and work practices to homeowners when a final invoice is delivered or within 30 days of completion of the renovation, whichever is earlier.

In a related action, the EPA has also proposed lowering lead-hazard standards in lead dust and modifying its definition of lead-based paint. The new standard would be 10 micrograms or less of lead per square foot for floors and 100 micrograms or less for windowsills, down from 40 micrograms 250 micrograms, respectively. Also, paint in existing structures with levels of 600 parts per million (0.06 percent by weight) would be considered lead-based paint. The current level is 5,000 ppm (0.5 percent) or 1 milligram per square centimeter.—Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: If you're concerned about the presence of lead in your home, read our report on home-use lead test kits. If you discover elevated levels of lead, hire a certified lead inspector or risk assessor. If you're planning to paint or renovate your home yourself, follow the EPA's safe-work guidelines. When you're finally ready to paint, be sure to use the best finishes, like those covered in our latest report on interior paints.

Forum Friday: Readers sound off on how to find the best mattress

As part of our latest report on mattresses, more than 17,000 Consumer Reports and ConsumerReports.org subscribers rated the best mattress brands and retailers (available to subscribers). Check out these discussions on our Home & Garden forum to share your opinions on mattresses:

• Successful mattress shopping: Read about one commenter's positive experience with the Original Mattress Factory, one of the top-rated brands and retailers in our survey.

• Caveats when comparison shopping: "It is common knowledge that virtually identical mattresses have different names at different stores," noted one commenter (our own research confirms this situation). He revealed how shopping around saved $500 off the price of a $1,899 mattress and how one manufacturer made slight changes to a model to avoid having to honor price-matching guarantees. Another required additional fees for delivery.

That message was followed by dozens of others in which people discuss common mattress myths and share their own positive and negative experiences with other mattress brands and retailers.

• Water beds? Although we did not include them in our survey, one commenter did share his experiences with a $500 model.

Essential information: Our free buyer's guide to mattresses and our past comparisons of high-end mattresses from Duxiana, Select Comfort, and Tempur-Pedic and two different models from Sealy can help you find the right mattress.

Forum Friday: Consumer Reports readers debate the best paint types

Painting’s a hot project, based on projections for recession-defying sales and an ever-expanding proliferation of new colors. It’s also a hot topic, as evidenced by the many discussions in our paints and stains forum.

Our ratings of interior and exterior paints and deck stains (available to subscribers) always spark discussions over the best brand of paint (Behr has its share of backers and detractors) or a debate over two specific brands (in this case, Valspar vs. Benjamin Moore).

Whichever brand you use, follow this pro painter’s surface-preparation tips (we’ve got more of our own here and in the video at right). Keep in mind this mixing trick from forums moderator Angelo Mannino, and don’t miss his warning on painting over stain.

Other posters have added valuable warnings on VOCs paints (unfortunately, one mentioned brand did badly in our tests—see our report on safer paints here) and the need to check whether paint is suitable for spraying. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Forum Friday: Reader discussions about cookware, freezers, and paint

If you haven't visited our revamped appliances and home-and-garden forums, take a quick spin. A streamlined navigation and look seem to be spurring discussions. The following discussions center around home-related content from the September 2009 issue of Consumer Reports.

Cookware
Forums moderator Angelo Mannino offers great tips to avoid warping griddle pans and to quickly test whether cookware will work with induction cooktops.

Freezers
Chest freezers cost less than upright models, but some commenters are starting to wonder whether the time needed to defrost them is worth the savings. Our latest report on freezers includes a self-defrosting upright model for $380—close to the price of many chest freezers.

Paint
"Hue Name It: How Pink Paint Became 'Marry Me'" details how to make sense of the the names associated with paint. Check out the discussion on the reliability of paint samples and read our latest report on interior paints. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

August 2009 Showerhead Report: In test results, not all flows are a go

The recession has put a pinch on bathroom remodels, but you can still get an attractive makeover on a budget with these sub-$1,000 makeovers. (Some reports below are available to subscribers.)

Our "Top Kitchen & Bath Values" special adds another trick: Switch out your old showerhead for a new, water-efficient model. (Find out whether you should take a bath or a shower to maximize water savings.)

Ten of the 18 models in our latest report on showerheads use less than the federal maximum flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute; all meet the federal limit. But our panel of eight male and female testers, who together logged 269 showers between them, found only one model that could produce an invigorating spray. That’s an important point, as too weak a stream might result in longer, water-wasting showers.

Some tested showerheads aerate the spray to make it feel more substantial, but we found water temperatures dropped from 5° to 15°F from the time the water left the showerhead to the time it hit our bathers’ backs.

Our tested showerheads ranged from $20 to $190 in price; most are a DIY installation. We also tested three shower towers whose fixed sprays and handheld showerhead can turn a basic bath into a spa-ike retreat.

Before you buy a new showerhead, check your local ordinances for any water-use restrictions. You can also use our water-heater calculator to make sure your current heater, be it a conventional storage-tank or a tankless model, can handle the new flow requirements.

Another way to cut your water bill is to install a water-saving toilet. But as with showerheads, our latest report on toilets revealed only a few models that can save water without compromising performance.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Share your own experiences with your showerhead, shower tower, or toilet in the bathroom-fixtures topic of our newly redesigned forums. It’s worth a visit just to read these water-saving tips from a poster who claims to be an alien from a much greener planet.

By the Numbers: White House touts new lighting-efficiency standards

$1 billion to $4 billion

Annual savings U.S. consumers will reap from 2012 through 2042 as a result of new energy-efficiency rules for incandescent reflector lamps and general-service fluorescent lights introduced yesterday, according to the White House. The efficiency standards were announced just days after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act; the standards were last updated in 1992.

President Barack Obama and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu unveiled the rules, which will cut energy use for the affected bulbs by 15 to 25 percent and, from 2012 through 2042, are also designed to eliminate the emission of up to 594 million tons of greenhouse-gas emissions, about the same as taking 166 million cars off the road for a year; save enough electricity to power every home in the U.S. for up to 10 months; and eliminate the need for up to 7.3 gigawatts of new electricity generating capacity. Read more details on the updated standards.

"The first step we're taking sets new efficiency standards on fluorescent and incandescent lighting. Now I know lightbulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise because 7 percent of all the energy consumed in America is used to light our homes and our businesses," said President Obama.

The news was well received by groups advocating for energy efficiency. "We believe this will be the biggest efficiency savings from any appliance standard ever," Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, told The New York Times.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs are not affected by the new rules. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Look for our testing update on CFLs in the October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports, online and on newsstands in September.

Product Preview: Behr Premium Plus Ultra interior paints

A self-priming paint can save you time and money, especially when you're painting surfaces that require a primer coat for optimal coverage and adhesion, including drywall and glossy cabinets. Behr recently debuted the self-priming Premium Plus Ultra line of interior paints, which should be in Home Depot stores by mid-July. Available in low-luster (satin/eggshell), flat (interior/exterior), and semigloss finishes, the paints will sell for $31 to $34 per gallon.

We haven't tested the Premium Plus Ultra products, but in our latest report on interior paints (ratings available to subscribers) Behr's Premium Plus Enamel was the top-rated low-luster and flat finish and the number four semigloss.

Behr claims the Premium Plus Ultra paints are all low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with fewer than 50 grams per liter. Our tests have shown that some paints with lower claimed levels of VOCs don't perform as well, which is why Behr took longer than other manufacturers to roll out a low-VOC product. "We wanted to make sure the technology was there," says Tom Lee, vice president of marketing for Behr.

Behr says the Premium Plus Ultra paints provide superior hiding thanks to advanced colorant technology. The finishes are also supposed to resist moisture, stains, dirt, and mildew. We'll test those claims as part of our next report on interior paints.

We have tested the self-priming Benjamin Moore Aura in a low-luster finish. This claimed-low-VOC product scored very good to excellent in most test categories. At $57 per gallon, it also has a top-tier price to go with its strong performance in our tests.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: No paint, no matter how good, can make up for poor prep work or sloppy application. Ensure a smooth finish by avoiding these common painting mistakes.

By the Numbers: Americans spending less on extras for the home, according to Tchotchke Index

33 percent

Decline in the Tchotchke Index from 2000 to 2007 after adjusting for inflation, according to the DemoMemo blog from New Strategist Publications, a publisher of  aggregated government and industry consumer data.

What are tchotchkes and why does decreased spending on them matter to the economy? From Yiddish, tchotchkes are, simply put, trinkets or knickknacks. DemoMemo says spending on tchotchkes for the home—things to enhance a space, like wall hangings, mirrors, vases, or the odd floor piece picked up at yard sales or in stores—is a good indicator of the health of the American economy.

When consumers are flush, they buy a lot of tchotchkes. When money is tight, people focus on the necessities, and the tchotchke sales decline. "The Tchotchke Index is a measure of the fluff in America's household budgets. It is pure impulse spending, and the first item cut when times get tough," wrote blogger Cheryl Russell, a demographer and the editorial director of New Strategist Publications.

Has your tchotchke spending declined? What erstwhile essentials have you abandoned in these tough times? Share your thoughts with other readers by posting a comment below.—Cyndi Schoenbrun | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Q&A: Are kitchen and bath paints better than regular paints?

I'm going to be painting my kitchen and a bathroom. Is it really necessary to use paints designed for these rooms?

Probably not. We tested Behr, Olympic, and Valspar paints specifically designed for use in the kitchen and bathroom as well as standard semigloss finishes from the same manufacturers. (Semigloss is the closest sheen to the kitchen and bath paints.)

While all three kitchen and bathroom paints performed well in our tests, they weren't better at resisting stains or holding up to scrubbing than our top-performing interior paints. Plus, the satin version of the regular Behr paint was better at hiding in one-coat and didn't show signs of gloss change when cleaned as much as its kitchen and bath version.

Kitchen and bathroom paints did an excellent job resisting mildew, but the regular paints proved very good at mildew resistance. So unless your kitchen or bathroom is particularly humid, stick with the standard paint and save yourself a couple of bucks per gallon.

Essential information: Use the right paint roller, brushes, and tools to get a professional-looking job on your next painting project. If you're feeling a bit more artistic, learn about specialty paints, including chalkboard, metallic, and faux finishes.