Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Mythic Paint Review

My affair with Mythic Paint goes back about a year and a half ago. I was pregnant with our first child and browsing through a pregnancy magazine I spotted an eye catching advertisement. Naturally I went online to find out more about them. I was excited to find non-toxic paint to say the least. In January of 2009, being nine months pregnant, I invited Mythic to host a Lunch 'n Learn in our office at Rob Bramhall Architects. I was more than impressed and decided that I will never paint with anything else in my life, period.

After our daughter was born we put off painting our living room for a long time because of finances. This past August though Mythic was kind enough to send us some paint to try and I present to you my account of the truly legendary Mythic Paint.

After

Before

The Buzz: So what makes Mythic so special and how come it stands apart from other paints? If you are new to the 'indoor air quality' scene, I'll fill you in. Your average paint contains a multitude of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Yes, they also contain known carcinogens. Why would anyone make paint that causes cancer you ask? I honestly don't know - but the same question can be applied to everything these days. Like why do they use pesticides on our food if it causes cancer? Or why are most cleaning supplies cancerous as well?

Anyhow, VOCs off-gas for years after you paint your walls. I am sure you are all familiar with that 'new paint' smell as well. It can be a trigger for asthma and other ailments. With Mythic you don't need to worry about any of that. My daughter was contently watching daddy paint in her highchair. I was nearby working on my laptop, no headaches involved. Safe for pets, save for babies, and good for the Earth as a bonus. It is a major step toward better indoor air quality - which at the moment the EPA labels as one of the top five health risks in the US.


























Before
and After

Performance:
If you don't believe me that it performs better than SW and BM paint, you can try it yourself! They now sell 4 oz sample jars to feed your curiosity. I wasn't the one painting, my husband was, but he said that it is better than other paint he used before and has much better coverage. For me though, I was sold at the non-toxic part and would have used it even if the performance was average. Not sure if you want to commit? Two words for you: sample jar.

You see, Mythic Paint doesn't just take out the toxic stuff out of regular paint, which is what other 'green paint' manufacturers do. It is the result of over six years of intensive polymer research conducted by the University of Southern Mississippi. It is completely redesigned in its makeup from the ground up, resulting in something you will not find on the market.

As a latex paint it is very easy to deal with. It washes off tools nicely (if you don't let it dry of course!). We had a drop or two on our laminate flooring, it just peeled off with no issues. Third party performance testing? Sure:
"In 2007 an industry leading independent consulting and testing laboratory service, performed side-by-side comparative tests between Mythic Paint and all other leading paint brands – both their Eco-friendly and premium lines. Tests focused on subjective performance including thickness, sheen, sag resistance, flow and leveling and gloss. Mythic Paint proved to be equal if not better than all competitors. Resistance and durability was analyzed through the industry‟s gold standard in paint performance testing – the „scrub test‟. Mythic Paint substantially outperformed by 1.5 to 8 times the durability of their competitors."

Value: I know what you are thinking, if this paint is so great, am I going to pay more for it too? Yes, it does cost more than your average toxic paint (about $50 a gallon for interior paint). Here is the deal though, in my experience and that of other people who have used it, the coverage of Mythic is superior to that of other paints. This means that you will need less to cover more. For most colors, even one coat is sufficient. You can't put a price on your health though, so this beats the value of all other paints in that aspect. They also have exterior paint. In which case you will be doing the Earth a favor by having one less house painted with toxic exterior paint.

Love their commercials, take a look!




Disclaimer:

I did not receive payment in any form for this review.

I did receive a sample of the product or service for testing and review purposes. This will in no way sway my opinion of the product or service. The review is in my own words and is my own opinion. Your results and opinion may differ.

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