Q: My 20 year old parquet floor gets very heavy traffic year round. I will be refinishing it in a week (no color, 3 coats). I need to decide whether to use Moisture Cure Urethane or polyurethane (which I had before, and did not hold up as well as MCU). I’m worried about the health risks of MCU. We will stay out of the house for the entire time of applications, and an additional 4 days. Is that enough? Is there danger of exposure to the toxins in MCU even after that?
Does moisture cure urethane continue to be a health danger AFTER it is completely cured and dried? Is it a good idea to use exhaust fans and/or air purifiers during the curing stage? Have you ever heard of placing cut up onions all around the house to absorb the toxins?
A: I’ve never used moisture cured and only know one person who has from many years back. I have used Swedish acid cured and am fairly sure I’ve sanded off moisture cured, which is a tough job. However, the potential moisture cured sanding didn’t smell. I’ve sanded acid cured long after application and it still burned the eyes and throat. My conclusion is that moisture cured doesn’t off gas after it is fully cured while Swedish finish might.
Any means to ventilate the rooms and capture the odor is a good idea.
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