Water Power: Advances In Water Based Technology

 

Water, it covers 71% of the Earth's surface, the average human body is 60% water, and the most purest solvent in the world is you guessed it water! Using the most abundant resource on the planet water based technology has become a reality. Now we can use water technology powered products to help keep our water sources clean from some of the most toxic chemicals threatening our aquatic life and environment. One of the number one toxic products used in regular households and rarely disposed of properly is paint strippers. Chemical stripping products can be purchased by anyone at your local hardware store, pose serious health and environmental risks, and require special protective equipment/disposal that is often not followed. Methylene Chloride is a very common stripping chemical and the most dangerous. Its carcinogenic, over exposure can cause death, extremely flammable, not soluble in water, and completely devastating to aquatic life and the environment. It contaminates everything it touches! So what can you do? Purchase safe options, water based strippers are available and one company that has perfected and patented the best in water based removal technology is EZ Strip! Creating a full line of high performing strippers and removers that can completely replace the need for toxic stripping chemicals like Methylene Chloride is just what EZ Strip did. Remove everything from paint, varnish, lacquer, graffiti, glue, tape, stickers, decals, grease, gum, bugs, tar, tree sap, markers, crayons, wax, ink, adhesives, even painted drywall textures (yup they got something for that). EZ Strip water based removal formulas are 100% water soluble, biodegradable, skin safe, free of harsh choking fumes, and they work! You may not get the instant removal results you get with the toxic stuff but with a little patience we can help save the planet's most precious life giving resource, water. Let's face it no clean water equals no people! If you want to learn more about EZ Strip's features, benefits, and products visit EZstrip.ca today! The one thing we all have is purchase power show you care and buy environmentally friendly options the next time you shop.

 

The EZ Strip Channel: What's New On You Tube?

 You Tube as become the information hub for how to videos. Now you can teach yourself how to do just about anything with hands on visual aids just a click away! Watch step by step tutorials, engage in comment conversations, even share your findings with friends so they can learn too! EZ Strip has embraced this social sharing tool to share safer removal options when taking on tough removal or refinish projects in your home. Some of the most hazardous stripper and remover products you can buy at the hardware store can be replaced with safe and effective products from EZ Strip. Here are some short how to clips from The EZ Strip Channel on You Tube so you can see our safer options in action!  
 

EZ Strip All Purpose Remover

The Everything Remover

All Purpose Remover

EZ Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper

Safe Paint Stripping

Paint & Varnish Stripper

EZ Strip Popcorn Ceiling Remover

Painted Popcorn Ceiling Removal

Painted Drywall Texture Removal

Visit The EZ Strip Channel for more great How To Videos today!

Want to learn more about EZ Strip and where to buy EZ Strip products?

Visit The EZ Strip Website today!

What You Need To Know About Lead

 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in WASHINGTON, DC on February 18, 2014 announced enforcement actions that will require 35 home renovation contractors and training providers to take additional steps to protect communities by minimizing harmful lead dust from home renovation activities, as required by the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Standards. These standards provide important, front-line protection for children and others vulnerable to exposure to lead dust that can cause lead poisoning. Follow this link to see the list of contracting companies involved and the recorded violations committed. https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/lead-renovation-repair-and-painting-rule-february-2014

 

Lead Where Is It?

Lead is found in lead-based paints, including paint on the walls of old houses and toys. It is also found in:

• art supplies
• contaminated dust
• gasoline products sold outside of the United States and Canada

 

Who is the most at risk? 

Lead exposure affects the nervous system and can cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and younger are most at risk. If not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from:

• Damage to the brain and nervous system
• Behavior and learning problems, such as hyperactivity
• Slowed growth
• Hearing problems
• Headaches
• Anemia
• In rare cases of acute lead poisoning from ingestion of lead, seizures, coma and even death.

Lead can accumulate in our bodies over time, where it is stores in bones along with calcium. During pregnancy, lead is released from bones as maternal calcium is used to help form the bones of the fetus. This is particularly true if a woman does not have enough dietary calcium. Lead can also be easily circulated from the mother's blood stream through the placenta to the fetus. Mothers with high levels of lead in their bodies can expose their developing fetuses, resulting in serious and developmental problems including:

• Miscarriages,
• Premature births or low birth weight,
• Brain damage, decreased mental abilities and learning difficulties, and/or
• Reduced growth in young children.

 

What can I do?

If your concerned about lead exposure in your home test it. The most common route of exposure to lead is damaged lead based paint in older homes. Damaged paint, chips and turns into a fine dust that can be breathed in. Test kits are available at most local hardware stores and are easy to use. If your paint tests positive for lead consider hiring a certified remediation contractor to complete safe removal and disposal. Visit here to learn more about lead in your home https://www.epa.gov/lead

Visit the EZ Strip website at  EZstrip.ca for dust free DIY paint removal options today!

If you liked this read more on the EZ Strip Blog at EZstrip Blog today! 

New EPA Chemical Review: Are These Chemicals in Your Home?

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency named the first 10 chemicals it will evaluate under the new Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, the first update since 1976 of the nation’s primary toxic substances law. The safety reviews could lead to bans or restrictions on a number of hazardous chemicals in consumer products and workplaces, including asbestos, paint strippers, flame retardants and solvents. Half of the chemicals chosen for initial review contaminate drinking water, and setting health-based standards for them has been on the EPA’s to-do list for years.

On the list are chemicals you may recognize but be surprised to know can still be found in everyday products you purchase like Asbestos! Many Americans mistakenly think asbestos was banned decades ago. Though now uncommon, U.S. industry still imports, uses and sells asbestos and asbestos products, including automobile brake pads and clutches, vinyl tile and roofing materials. In 2015, tests found asbestos fibers in imported children’s toys! Another place Asbestos can lurk is in drywall textures on your ceilings and walls in older homes. Bumping or scraping these textures can release dangerous airborne Asbestos fibers and only dust free removal methods can be used to remove these textures safely from your home.

Also on the list for safety review but maybe not as recognizable are stripping chemicals like methylene chloride and  n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). According to the CDC, from 2000 to 2013, at least 14 workers died while using methylene chloride during bathtub refinishing. In 2009 methylene chloride was detected in the drinking water of more than 20 million Americans, at concentrations that could pose a risk to human health. NMP is a solvent also used as a paint stripper, and in petrochemical processing, engineering plastics, agricultural chemicals and other applications. The EPA's 2015 risk assessment said it can cause reproductive and developmental harm, particularly during critical windows of development, from both short- and long-term exposures. The primary routes of exposure for both of these chemicals is through inhalation of the vapor and absorption of the chemicals through the skin.

 

The EPA should be commended for releasing the list ahead of schedule, but completion of the safety reviews and implementation of resulting regulations could take five years or more. Some public health and environmental groups are concerned that the new law will not provide the EPA with the resources it needs to quickly review and, if necessary, ban dangerous chemicals. One thing consumers can do is be more diligent in your research of products before you by! Look for safe alternatives for your removers, strippers, and other products. Be sure you always follow product directions they are there for your safety! For full article follow this link: New-EPA-Chemical-Review

One company helping to make safer choices for consumers and professionals available is EZ Strip. EZ Strip provides skin safe and fume free strippers designed to encapsulate the material your removing for dust free safe removal. Remove all kinds of paints, varnish, graffiti, and even painted drywall textures safely from surfaces with absolutely no dust or damage to surface. The EPA is working hard to make the choices you see for sale on the shelf safer but they are just getting started and there are literally thousands of chemicals in line for review. What can you do? Look for safer options and take your time when buying items your not sure about, EZ Strip can help! Visit the EZ Strip website at EZstrip.ca today for safe stripping alternatives because we care.

Popcorn Ceiling Removal: Test Before You Touch!

Popcorn, cottage cheese, Stucco, orange peel, swirl, and other drywall textures are not only an eyesore, they also may contain a carcinogen known as asbestos. The ceiling treatment was commonly used from the late 1950s into the 1980s in homes across the United States because of its ability to hide imperfections in handiwork and its acoustical characteristics.

The Clean Air Act of 1978 banned the use of the ceiling material containing asbestos, but manufacturers were allowed to use up their existing inventory, so popcorn ceilings continued to crop up across the country well into the mid-'80s.

How do I know if my ceiling texture has asbestos?

Your best plan of action is to test your ceilings for asbestos. You can DIY this process by purchasing a testing kit available at most hardware stores and submitting material samples to a certified testing lab.

 Here are some safety tips for DIY testing.

• Make sure no one else is in the room when sampling is done.
• Wear disposable gloves or wash hands after sampling.
• Shut down any heating or cooling systems to minimize the spread of any released fibers.
• Do not disturb the material any more than is needed to take a small sample.
• Place a plastic sheet on the floor below the area to be sampled.
• Wet the material using a fine mist of water containing a few drops of detergent before taking the sample. The water/detergent mist will reduce the release of asbestos fibers.
• Carefully cut a piece from the entire depth of the material using, for example, a small knife, corer, or other sharp object. Place the small piece into a clean container.
• Tightly seal the container after the sample is in it.
• Carefully dispose of the plastic sheet. Use a damp paper towel to clean up any material on the outside of the container or around the area sampled. Dispose of asbestos materials according to state and local procedures.

If you don't want to do the test yourself you can hire an asbestos testing specialist. State agencies have the most up-to-date listings of asbestos experts in your area.

 

My ceilings have asbestos. Now what?

First, don’t panic. If your ceilings are in good shape, you don’t need to worry, your ceiling likely will not release hazardous fibers. If you still want texture removed, notice damage, or abrasions, or if you are going to make changes in your home that might compromise the ceiling, you’ll need to take action.

Removing popcorn ceilings that contain asbestos yourself can be potentially dangerous job, so this option is not recommended. Instead, you’ll need a certified asbestos abatement contractor to remediate the contaminated materials using certified procedures. This will ensure the safety of everyone involved. Here are some certified asbestos abatement agencies in the USA.

 

My ceilings do not have asbestos. Now what?

If your asbestos test comes back negative there are some DIY removal options available. For ceiling textures that have not been painted just spray texture with a mixture of water and mild detergent to soften texture for easy removal.

For ceiling textures that have been painted (often the more common scenario) you can use EZ Strip Popcorn Ceiling Remover a DIY friendly dust free non-toxic remover product available for purchase at a number of locations across North America. This removal product is unique as it is the only truly DIY friendly (dust free) removal option for painted popcorn and other ceiling/wall textures that safely removes painted texture from drywall and other hard surfaces.  

Prefer to hire a contractor? The good news here is you can hire a contractor without the need for special remediation certification for often a lot less than a certified contractor. Popcorn ceiling removal has become the popular home renovation/update project of choice, and a lot of painting contractors are adding this service option to their repertoire.

For more questions or concerns on DIY popcorn ceiling removal visit the EZ Strip website how to remove page today @ How To Remove 

EZstrip.ca 

Todays Home Owner: Update Your Home On A Budget DIY Style!

Get the most bang for your buck! If you're an avid DIYer, you're already on your way to saving money. But with the right planning, you can transform the feel of a whole room with a single project that only costs you a few hundred bucks. In this article we are going to share some of our top tips on how you can increase your home's equity, update your living spaces, and do it all on a budget!

#1 Refinish Your Interior Wooden Door & Window Frames
Remember when everyone thought it was a great idea to paint all the trim in your house white? How can we forget the eye blinding, really hard to keep clean, white trim as far as the eye can see! Breathe new live into your trim and let that beautiful warm wood shine. Wood tones can give your home that warm welcoming feel and completely change the look of a room in your home. Now there is an easy way to refinish these surfaces and you don't have to be a carpenter to do it. The traditional way is to pull the trim off the wall, take it outside, very carefully strip the surface (that stuff is toxic!), neutralize stripper and let dry, sand surface, apply new finish and let dry completely, nail back in place. It was an all week project and it left your home in shambles during the process. Now there is a product that allows you to strip your interior trim safely in place skipping a bunch of time consuming steps. EZ Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper is an effective, Low VOC/skin safe stripper, that cleans up with just water! Here are the basic steps: Tape off trim, apply EZ Strip, scrape/scrub off finish, let dry, lightly sand, finish and let dry. You can complete a whole room on a weekend for half the cost and hassle! EZ Strip goes a long way a $10 jug gives you 30-50 square feet of coverage and it is sooo much easier to strip trim in place. Here is a How To Video to show the whole process:

#2 Painted Popcorn Ceiling Removal 
This was a costly project involving contractors, time, a huge mess, and a lot of hassle! Now you can tackle this type of removal job your self with a little ambition and planning for an A+ home upgrade. First get your supplies - plastic drop cloths, painters' tape, paint brush, metal container, painters' tray, pallet knife, some drywall patch, and ceiling paint. And the product that makes this removal project DIY friendly is EZ Strip Popcorn Ceiling Remover the only remover specifically designed to remove painted popcorn and other ceiling/wall textures safely from drywall and other hard surfaces. Here are the steps: Tape and plastic off areas not being treated, apply EZ Strip to surface, cover with plastic, let set overnight, scrape softened material into your painters' tray, wipe surface clean with a damp cloth, patch any imperfections and let dry (you can get fast drying drywall patch), sand and paint. You can do an average size room in a weekend with the right planning and get easy to clean smooth ceilings one room at a time. Here is a How To Video to show the whole process:

#3 Remove Graffiti
Graffiti on your property can be a real eye sore and graffiti in your community can affect more then you think! Graffiti on your home, garage, or fence can make your house a target for more vandalism. Also communities with graffiti can decrease the value of your home! What can you do about it? More than you think! EZ Strip All Purpose Remover removes just about anything from just about everything with the same Low VOC, skin safe, water clean up features as other EZ Strip removal products. Remove spray paint, markers, paint pens, stickers, gum, and much more with EZ Strip All Purpose Remover. With great coverage and a low price you can fund a Graffiti community clean up day for a lot less than you think. When you remove graffiti quickly it discourages vandals, working together with your community to remove graffiti is a conscious effort to increase you and your neighbors property values. All you need is a bucket of water, EZ Strip, and a scrub brush! Here is a How To Video to show the whole removal process: 

#4 Refinish Your Staircase
Just like your interior trim now refinishing your stairs is easy and DIY friendly! Low VOC, skin safe strippers that really work and clean up with water just didn't exist before EZ Strip. EZ Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper can strip your wood stairs for a fresh new look. No matter if your looking for a cool splash of color or want that warm wood feel stripping the surface first will guarantee a long lasting updated look the whole family can enjoy. Here are some simple steps for this project: Tape off, apply EZ Strip, let set, scrape, scrub with water, let dry, lightly sand, and just like that your ready for a fresh new coating or finish you'll love for years to come! Here is a How To Video to show the whole process:

 #5 Furniture Refinishing
Every room in your home needs that special little something that brings everything together. An easy way to do this is picking just the right piece of furniture. But what if you could update the existing furniture in your home? Or don't have an existing piece with potential? Don't go to the over priced, some assembly required store! Now yard sale, thrift store, or antique furniture can be refinished into your style for half the cost and last sooo much longer. These days most of the furniture you buy new isn't even made from real wood! EZ Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper does the work for you and is completely safe to use indoors so you don't have to rely on good weather for a successful refinish project. The steps are easy: Pick your piece, put down plastic, remove your hardware, apply EZ Strip, let set, scrape, scrub with water, let dry, and lightly sand. Now the finishing possibilities are endless try your hand at distressed chalk paint sheik, warm satin finish stain, fun stencil painting, or a high gloss black what ever floats your boat of creativity. Here is a How To Video to show the whole process:

Did you like our top 5 tips to update date your home with EZ Strip? DIY home improvement projects can be cost saving and easy with a little planning and the right removal product. Visit the EZ Strip website for more great removal ideas, how to videos, and where to buy today at EZstrip.ca

Popcorn Ceiling Remover: DIY Friendly & Dust Free!

Let's face it we all hate this ugly, impossible to clean, out of date textures on our ceilings and walls! And once that stuff has been painted a simple water solution will not work to soften the texture for removal. Painted popcorn/swirl/orange peel textures on drywall only have a few removal options and they are not all DIY friendly. You'll need to hire a contractor if you want to skim coat which is basically covering the existing texture in place with a smooth finish. This option can be expensive and messy! The same goes for drywall replacement where a contractor will come in and rip out the old drywall, replace, tape, and paint. Dry scraping can be done by yourself but it is grueling labor and very messy the dust gets everywhere!

So what can you do other than paying a fortune or avoid looking up? Easy there is a new removal product in Canada and the USA called EZ Strip Popcorn Ceiling Remover and yes this is the most DIY friendly removal option out there! Here is how it works:

Apply

Cover & Let Set

Scrape

Wipe Clean with Damp Cloth

Once the surface is wiped clean let drywall completely dry before you patch and paint! It's just that easy all softened material comes off moist so there is not dust created during scraping process. EZ Strip Popcorn Ceiling Remover is a specially formulated 100% cling gel that will not damage drywall and other hard surfaces. All EZ Strip removal products are skin safe and free of harsh fumes. Here is a great how to remove popcorn ceiling video so you can see it in action and get all the tips and tricks you need to get the job done!

 

 

Visit the EZ Strip website for more great removal tips and where to buy today!

EZstrip.ca