“I do think some of the eco stuff is overhyped, but there are a few gems if you’re willing to experiment (and accept a little trial and error).”
That’s been my experience too—sometimes it feels like you need a degree just to decipher the labels. I once tried a “super natural” paint that claimed to be zero-VOC and it peeled right off in my kitchen. But then, like you, I found another brand (clay-based as well) that’s been rock solid on old horsehair plaster. Prep is definitely not for the faint of heart... but I kind of enjoy the process, weirdly enough. As for saving money, yeah, not happening any time soon unless you count fewer headaches from fumes.
I hear you on the prep—my 1920s walls basically laugh at anything labeled “easy application.” Tried a “green” primer once and it smelled like salad dressing, then bubbled up under my top coat. At least the dog didn’t mind the fumes... small wins?
Green primers can be tricky, especially with older plaster. I’ve noticed a lot of eco-friendly products don’t play well with walls that have decades of paint layers or weird surface textures. Did you check if the primer was compatible with your top coat? Sometimes the bubbling happens when the formulas don’t mesh, not just because the wall’s old. I’ve had better luck with shellac-based primers, though they’re definitely not “green”—trade-offs, I guess. The salad dressing smell is a new one for me... usually it’s just weirdly sweet or earthy.
“I’ve noticed a lot of eco-friendly products don’t play well with walls that have decades of paint layers or weird surface textures.”
That’s been my experience too. I tried a low-VOC primer on our 1920s hallway and it just wouldn’t stick—peeled off in sheets after a week. Ended up sanding back to bare plaster and going with an oil-based primer, which felt like a step backwards, but at least it worked. The “green” options just don’t seem robust enough for old houses yet. Never got salad dressing, though... mine smelled like wet cardboard.
I get where you’re coming from, but I actually had a bit of luck with a clay-based paint on our 1950s living room walls. The texture was weird and I was worried it’d just flake off, but after a ton of cleaning and a special mineral primer (also low-VOC), it’s held up pretty well so far. Maybe it depends on the wall or the specific product? I’m not saying the eco stuff always works, but sometimes it surprises you. The smell was more like earth than cardboard, which I’ll take any day...