Q: Hi, I am 6 months pregnant. We just moved into an apartment, the floors of which were varnished two days prior to our move. It has been a week now but the smell is pretty strong. I spoke to my landlord who assured me that it is absolutely safe for me. I am not [...]
Toxic or not?
Q: We are about to have a hardwood (oak) floor laid, and also (at the same time) another room resurfaced and refinished. Both will use ‘swedish finish’. What is the appropriate amount of time for us to not be in the home (and our cats) because of toxic swedish finish fumes? We would like your [...]
May 262011
Q: I am trying to figure out how to remove some old tile that has plywood underneath. My house was built in the 1900′s and I guess later the owners wanted to update the kitchen with that awful red, tile looking brick. We discovered in a corner that there is the mortar or whatever is [...]
Q: Our landlord has applied L***** Swedish floor finish upstairs (we live in the basement). We have had headaches, earaches and difficulty sleeping last week when we came home after 24 hours (when they said it was safe). The smell and headaches continued for 5 days after the first coat. This week they put on [...]
Headaches, earaches and difficulty sleeping after Swedish finish was applied
May 24, 2011
Toxic or not? Comments Off
Q: When is it safe to be around the fumes from hardwood floor refinishing / varnish? A: A chemist tells me that generally for both solvent and water borne finishes, the solvents used are dissipated in 24 hours. Solvent based coatings can be dry enough to walk on in 8-10 hours and water borne in [...]
When is it safe to be around the fumes from a newly varnished floor?
May 23, 2011
Toxic or not? Comments Off
Q: I am removing old hardwood flooring which is stained and urethaned. Is it OK to burn the finished flooring in a fire pit outdoors? A: I think I would be cautious with burning wood flooring. You and I do not know if, for example, that coating contains lead or not. It is my understanding [...]
Q: We installed P**** flooring in our kitchen during the summer (air conditioning weather) and had no problem with fumes. When it came time to turn the heat on, the floor began to emit fumes burning nose, eyes, and throat; causing headache and dizziness for me. I must keep 2 windows open at all times. [...]
Jun 112007
I do woodworking. I want to know the best way to remove a hardwood floor coating that has tungsten in it. Some people I have talked to said they use a planner. Is this a good idea or is there a better way?
Apr 072007
I’m refinishing my son’s room and am wondering about cork. With multiple allergies, I’m concerned about the binder (is it a gluten based binder?) and the finish.
Apr 072007
The finish on my floors is peeling. They were done before we bought the house so I don’t know what kind of finish is on them. They’re shiny with a yellow tint. Is this a health hazard for my son? I try to keep him from putting things in his mouth, that have touched the floor, but I’m not always successful.
Jan 172007
Do you have any idea how prevalent that practice of coating all slab areas under wood floors with a layer of tar was in Houston in the early 50s, as opposed to tar paper or just a strip under the runners?
Oct 162006
I am searching for a manufacturer that produces wood floors with no formaldehyde, Low VOC, non-toxic preservatives, using coats like oxide/polyurethane. In summary, a natural, non-toxic, ecological/green product. I found teragreen.com, but they only sell bamboo. If it would be great if you could send me a list of brand names.
Aug 232006
I’m perplexed by the smells inhabiting my house these days. It almost smells like something is “hot” in my house. My electrician assured me that all was well. So, my question is: could my hardwood floors give off a woody/hot smell given the high heat and humidity?
Jun 112006
I am removing carpet due to asthma. What has worse fumes, Pergo or prefinished hardwood?
May 122006
Is the ceramic based coating on some pre-finished wood flooring really VOC free?
Mar 172006
We moved into to new place a little over three months ago. The wood floors were refinished before we moved in. The day we moved in we noticed a strong odour that smelled like varnish. The odour was so strong that it made us sick. I experienced a rash, chest pains, cramps, and nausea. We thought the odour would go away in time. It has been over three months and the odour is still with us. It comes and goes, but it is strong about two out of every six hours. The landlord told me that the guys who did the floors used an oil based polyurethane. Is this normal? Should floors be gassing after this long? Sometimes the floor is slick and oily? Is that normal?
Mar 082006
My builder’s wonderful flooring company installed red oak hardwood floors on the whole main floor of our house and now I hear that Europe banned the Swedish finish used on our floors almost 20 years ago. I need to know how toxic these floors are and is there a finish I can apply over the finish in order to seal in the gassing off?
Feb 262006
All of the green building references I have found say that wood floors should be finished with a low VOC water-based polyurethane, but none of these articles provide recommendations for a brand. Is there a website which provides this information or can you provide the names of some products that are on the lower end of the VOC scale?
Low VOC water-based polyurethane
February 26, 2006
Oil Vs Water Based Urethane, Wax, Etc., Toxic or not? Comments Off
Feb 232006
On the second floor much of the hardwood floors are painted very bright and vibrant colors. It is expected below the layer of paint that the previous owners painted, is lead paint ( or the hardwood floors were painted with lead paint some years ago). So it seems the floors were painted a few times at least over the years. My wife and I really like the look of the original hardwood like is on the first floor. We would like to remove the paint from the second floor. What would be the best way to do it? Also our contractor said we could put a wood laminate over top of the painted hardwood floor to cover it.
Lead-laced painted floors
February 23, 2006
Removing Gunk, Sanding & Refinishing, Toxic or not? Comments Off
Jan 282006
We want a non-yellowing non-glossy finish for our hardwood floors that will keep the wood’s natural colour as best as possible. What is the difference between our two choices “Swedish finish” and water-soluble?
