Living Green

Green paint, lengendary performance

ATLANTA — Freshly painted walls can make an entire room appear vibrant, fresh and healthy. But exposure to toxic fumes found in conventional paint brands such as Behr and Aura can be a health hazard, especially for household pets.

Enter Rocky Prior, president and chief scientific officer of Mythic Paint: Legendary Performance. Prior, who has spent his career in the paint industry, set out to create the world's first high-performance green paint for interior and exterior use.

And while many green hues are available in Mythic's extensive color palette, including Palo Verde and Cascade Teal, Prior's green paint is of the environmental order.

"I cannot classify myself as an environmentalist," Prior said. "Our position in the marketplace is not putting our paint in a niche 'green' market, but focusing rather on safety."

Prior presents himself as the anti-scientist: statuesque, charming, handsomely attired and impassioned about his paint products. But he holds two chemistry degrees from Baldwin Wallace College and The University of Akron, the second best polymer school in the nation.

"In 1991, I worked with Glidden Paints developing a zero VOC paint," Prior said. "But it was a low performance paint, and the product failed on the market."

Little did Prior know, only a few years later he would be involved with a groundbreaking polymer research at The University of Southern Mississippi developing what would eventually be Mythic Paint.

Mythic's line of paint boasts a zero VOC (volatile organic compound), non-toxic, zero carcinogen, low-odor, environment-conscious formula that works as well or better than traditional paints.

Conventional household paints are rife with toxins, biocides and VOCs, causing adverse health problems such as nausea, runny nose, memory loss, dizziness, heart and lung damage and, in rare cases, Sudden Sniffing Death (SDD). SDD occurs when toxic fumes are inhaled and take the place of oxygen in the lungs and brain.

Traditional lead-based paints have severe health risks for pets as well, and can even be fatal for birds, which are hypersensitive to paint fumes. Even temporary exposure to paint fumes, however, can have the following symptoms for pets: sneezing, nasal discharge, rashes, seizures, and various respiratory ailments.

In addition to perilous health effects, paint and stain coatings are responsible for 9 percent of all harmful emissions into the environment, according the Environmental Protection Agency.

And while many eco-paints are available on the green market, they cannot compete with Mythic in three areas: performance, durability and color selection.

"Our paint goes on, often with one coat and stays there," Prior said. "It lasts longer and you can scrub dirty smudges, or fingerprints off the walls and the paint is not coming off."

Another area where Mythic surpasses eco-paints is in color selection. More than 1,200 shades are available to choose from, rivaling any popular paint manufacturer.

And Mythic isn't limited to interior paint and primers alone. Ceiling paint, drywall primer, and exterior paint are available as well. In effect, Mythic's has an eco-conscious option available for every painting need.

Perhaps the most alluring aspect of Mythic Paint is the performance guarantee. Prior does not simply want his patrons to purchase Mythic because of its Earth-friendly attitude, but rather because it's a high-quality product.

Mythic's policy states, "Our product is the result of extensive research and testing. If this product fails to perform when used according to label instructions, return the unused portion with your receipt to the place of purchase. We will furnish an equivalent amount of paint at no cost or will refund the purchase price."

Mythic Paint products are available at ACE Hardware and many other independent retailers. More information can be found at www.mythicpaint.com.

"I recognized years ago that we had a huge challenge to create a quality paint, and I think we created a tremendous product," Prior said. "People are so excited about it, they are franchising on their own!"