• PLEASE INSPECT GOODS UPON DELIVERY!

Any damaged or missing items should be reported to us as soon as possible.
By phone: (262) 446-6702 or email us at info@thegreendesigncenter.com.

A return must be approved prior to returning the product in order to receive credit (terms of credit & returns are specified below). For some products sales are final, for example, tinted paint or special order items, flooring, custom rugs, carpeting etc… for which no returns are allowed. Please contact us prior to purchase for information if you have concerns regarding your order. LIQUID SAMPLES ARE NON-RETURNABLE.

FOR PRE-APPROVED RETURN ITEMS:

The item must be in original condition, unopened and returned within 30 days of receipt. Material returned after 30 days will be assessed a 25% restock fee provided it is in resaleable condition, excluding special order items. Customer is responsible for return shipping. Special order items included anything we do not stock, for example flooring, tile, wall coverings etc… Please inquire if you are concerned.

Due to the nature of serving the chemically sensitive, we will NOT accept returns of paints/sealers/coatings/stains after 30 days. Credit will not be issued for shipping costs. Returned merchandise will be credited on an in-store account or reissued to the original payment method.

PLEASE CONTACT US

if you have any questions about our return/cancellation policy feel free to contact us via email info@thegreendesigncenter.com or by phone 262.446.6702. Our hours are 9am – 5pm CST, Monday through Friday.

Please read our full return policy here.

Please click here for information on the color matching process and how to send in a custom match.

Much thought and consideration has gone selecting the proper methods, and we’d be happy to explain why we use the materials we do.
We use PELASPAN-PAC® RECYCLED because it’s the best combination of weight, cushioning and eco-attributes.

• 100% recycled polystyrene
• Either green in color or pink if it is US MILSPEC Anti-Static
• Meets Green Cross certification for post- and pre-consumer waste content

OTHER MATERIALS HAVE BEEN TRIED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS…HERE ARE SOME COMMENTS:

• Cornstarch peanuts will dissolve with water, therefore, shipping companies will not pay a claim for damage if the carton gets wet during transit and the product inside get damaged due to the lack of packaging. These have proven to be completely useless. They can also ruin labeling, which is extremely unsightly and frustrating for consumers.
• Shredded cardboard will add 1-4# per each package, thus increasing shipping cost as well as overall carbon footprint. Much more material is used and it is not easily recycled.
• Crumpled newspaper is not accepted by UPS or FedEx. Completely ineffective.
• Foam-in-place materials add 100% to the packaging costs and are not eco-friendly in any way.
• Styrofoam of any kind is not amenable to our company goals
• Packaging air bags do not handle the weight shift of paints cans and will cut open too easily.

Based on our extensive use of packaging material and 20 years of research, we specifically use the PELASPAN-PAC peanuts. However from time to time, we will recycle any and all packaging material sent to us by manufacturers to eliminate unnecessary waste. Be assured it meets our packaging standards, and more importantly keeps it out of our landfills. AFM Safecoat and all of our products are premium materials and we make every effort to get it into your hands in pristine condition. We want you to be completely happy with AFM from the point of purchase to the finished project, so please feel free to contact us in the future if we can offer any additional information.

We recommend purchasing samples to assist in stain color selection, performing adhesion tests and to test for personal tolerances.

One way to determine whether or not a product is considered healthy is to find out if individuals with chemical sensitivities have used it successfully. Relying on manufacturers literature and information can be very problematic, therefore we use the Degree of Green system to help us in our research.

BE ADVISED: VOC content is NOT a metric for human health. VOCs are any unreacted carbon based molecule that contributes to outdoor air pollution and the absence of VOC content is not an indicator the product is healthy. The EPA regulates the VOC list for OUTDOOR AIR POLLUTION only. 

Not all VOCs are harmful, and harmful chemicals are not always VOCs.

Contrary to what most people think, a zero VOC paint or product may be environmentally friendly, but most likely is not healthy for humans. VOCs are regulated for use in paints and coatings not because of their direct health effects on humans, but for their contribution to low-level smog. VOCs can react with UV and nitrogen to create ozone, a major component of smog. Plus, zero VOC paints, coatings, and products, often contain acetone, ammonia, formaldehyde precursors, masking agents and many more chemicals which are not regulated as VOCs and don’t necessarily have to be listed on a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

A healthy paint is one that is made with no or very low amounts of toxins and hazardous ingredients, and is free from out gassing. These paints could be low or zero VOC, but utilize ingredients that are known to be safer for humans.

VOCS are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency because of their propensity to rise to the upper atmosphere, react with nitrogen and UV and create low level smog. Some chemicals that are carbon based that will rise up actually will not react with nitrogen or UV and they won’t create smog. So the EPA has consider them exempt compounds. It’s about 37 of them that are used throughout the industry. And when these ingredients are used, they do not have to be disclosed on the safety data sheets because they don’t meet that threshold of the EPA. Acetone, ammonia and butyl acetate of the three that are most commonly used in paints and coatings. But it goes well beyond paints and coatings. It goes into things like flooring. And think of carpet, that new carpet smell that we all know that’s a combination of a lot of ingredients that make up a component called styrene butadiene rubber. But one of those ingredients is a chemical called 111-trichloroethylene that is been deemed like this specific chemical that creates that smell. That’s called zero VOC when used in building materials. So when manufacturers claim that their products are zero VOC, they’re not saying they’re zero toxin, they’re saying that their products do not contribute to outdoor air pollution as deemed by the EPA. 

A vast spectrum of severity exists related to chemical sensitivities. Symptom ranges can be as mild as an allergic reaction to pollen, ragweed, such as a slight headache or bodily irritation, to acute flu-like symptoms, skin rashes, and even anaphylactic shock. A person’s body cannot process or filter out the chemical, and reactions can be caused by a specific chemical that one is sensitive to, or any other related chemical. Formaldehyde seems to be a major trigger chemical.

Chemical sensitivity is not something one is born with. It is either developed over time due to low level exposure, or it happens quickly via a massive exposure. In either case, there is no known medically-acceptable cure. However, symptoms can be alleviated through the use of healthier building materials, safer cleaning methods, organic clothing, and a clean diet.