GEORGE BUSINESS NEWS - Indoor air quality is more important than people realise. In many cities, indoor air is even more polluted than the air outside as a result of chemicals, glues, building materials, varnishes and paints.

When Mark Rethman opened his new Paint&Place concept store in George early October, one of his proudest offerings was Midas Envirolite.

This range of homegrown paints includes ZERO VOC topcoats as well as LOW VOC (volatile organic compound) primers, formulated using better alternatives to the traditional base materials used in paint.

"I’m passionate about the environment and as a retailer I feel it my responsibility to give the community access to better, healthier, more responsible products.
"I also enjoy helping people to rethink their paint needs to reduce the impact on the environment," says Mark. "An idea I like to share is that a white roof or any roof in a pale colour will reduce heat emission by about 40%, compared with a charcoal or darker shade. That makes a big difference and it’s a choice to consider if we’re keen to do a good thing for the environment."
Midas Envirolite falls within EU stipu-lations for environmentally aware paint and is priced on a par with standard paints, which makes it a compelling option.

Mark is using the product extensively, including the refurbishment of Fancourt Manor House.
Volatile Organic Compounds give off a fresh paint smell and emit fumes which can be irritating to the eyes, nose and throat and could possibly be harmful in other ways. They pollute the air and can contribute to global warming and poor air quality.

"Midas is shifting to Glycol-free colourants across the board," says Mark. "Glycol is very high in VOC. In the near future we anticipate that our store will only sell Glycol-free paints - plus we’ll have our special Green Filter system, clearly labelling every tin of paint with a VOC rating."

NEW AT PAINT&PLACE
100% green - Midas Envirolite, a new range of Zero VOC topcoats
Glycol-free colourants
Earthcote Granite Paint - trendy new paint-on texture
Quartz Carpet - contemporary stone flooring
Alabaster Flooring - a robust, utili-tarian ‘cement-look’ product
Bespoke Colour - match virtually: If it’s not on the charts, they’ll mix it
Midas Steracon - coatings with power-ful anti-bacterial and mould-resistant additives
Midas Triplon - a super-long lasting paint with a guarantee of up to 15 years.

Win a ‘Lucky Break’ worth R5 000 at The Grand Café And Rooms. Until 15 December, Paint&Place customers can win a luxury stay in Plettenburg Bay. Details instore.

Paint&Place, Commercial Close, George. Tel: 044 871 1111, e-mail midamark@mweb.co.za or phone Mark Rethman on 082 440 5844 www.paintandplace.com


The Paint&Place team that’s ready to be of service, from left (back) Gerrit, James, Ruwayne, Margaret, Graham, Hermanus, Annie, (middle row) Synthia, Amien, Joey, Sylvia, (front) Mark, Des and Dempsey, their mascot.