No matter what type of finish you’ll be using, you should never walk on hardwood floors before the 48 hour time period has passed. Lacquer sealers contain a huge amount of solvent, making them the most dangerous sealer in our list. And all it takes to ignite is a tiny spark. Valspar Vs Olympic Paint: Which One to Choose. In addition, the finish has worn off to bare wood in high traffic areas or the homeowner has a desire to change stain color or sheen level of the floor. Moreover, the furniture in your house shouldn’t be moved back in before 4 days. That’ll only make the situation worse. Apart from solvent-based sealers, there are a lot of other sealers that use solvents in them. If this is happening to your hardwood floor, you may wonder if the solution is to completely resurface your flooring or just refinish the wood. High solvent content based sealers used in hardwood floor refinishing are highly flammable – especially lacquer sealers. HomePander - An Information Guide to Paint and Cleaning. After a while, the house is full of vapor as the windows are closed. Eventually, your investment will be worth nothing. So, the fumes are relatively harmless. You’d be surprised to know that most houses that burned before 20 to 30 years ago were because of lacquer sealed hardwood floors. In fact, most of these sealers have very strong fumes and vapors. So, you get that the fumes are really dangerous. Refinishing old, hardwood floors is a great way to give a room a fresh, new look. If you’re refinishing the hardwood floors of your house, this is what we’d recommend. Deft 37125015138 Lacquer Sanding Sealer Spray, HOPE’S 100% Pure Tung Oil Wood Finish for Furniture & Floors, Minwax Water Based Oil-Modified Polyurethane, Best Non Abrasive Cleaner You Can Find In 2021, Best Gutter Cleaning Solution – Find The One That Fits Your Need, Best Lining Paper That You Can Buy In 2020, How to Clean Up Mineral Spirits Spill: A DIY Guide, Best Paint For Porch Railings You Can Buy Right Now. So, our advice would be to stay away from these things. Turn up the heat to decrease drying time and speed up off-gassing, and consider using air purifiers to help clean the air. Many wood flooring finishes contain and release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can be harmful to our health. Federal law requires varnishes to contain less than 450 grams of VOCs per liter, with lacquers limited to 350 grams per liter. The U.S. Green Building Council reports off-gassing of oil-based finishes can last for months or even years. That way you’ll be completely prepared about what to do. Understanding how long VOCs linger in your home after refinishing may help you decide what floor finishes and refinishing techniques are best for your family. I also understand that opening the doors and letting air flow can help remove the odor faster. Bona recommends sanding and refinishing when the hardwood floor is dulling and/or has moderate to severe scratches. Products made from linseed, tung and other natural oils also contain relatively few VOCs, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. HP is our little corner on internet to share our experiences, tips, and interests. While they often provide a good look and cause no accidents, they are still dangerous. As we all know, oil-based products will take much longer to dry whereas water-based products don’t take that long. We’re a team of home enthusiasts. So, what can you do about fumes from hardwood floor refinishing? If you choose this type of finish, make sure to allow for plenty of ventilation, because the fumes are far from healthy. That’s why you should do your research first. It feels this way after 4 … Reduce the impact of VOCs while refinishing your hardwood floors by taking steps to maximize ventilation and direct VOCs outdoors. If somehow there’s an open flame or you light up a cigarette, can you imagine what’d happen? What Is Alpha Alumina Finish in Mullican Hardwood Floors? The lower the VOC content, the fewer chemicals the product contains that will off-gas into your home. There are mainly 3 types of finish or sealers for hardwood floors. Hardwood is given a finish to protect the wood from scratches or damages. As we mentioned earlier, the new VOC laws are slowly taking out all these products. If your floor is being finished by a professional and it's possible for you to leave the home, it's best to stay away long enough for the finish to cure and the odor to disperse, which usually takes about 48 hours. Although you have to check if they have the proper specifications or not. But if you want the perfect finish for your hardwood floor, you should stay away from lacquer sealers. Most importantly, you won’t have to stay extra careful about fire hazards. If he says lacquer sealer, ask him to provide another sealer. Nowadays there are a lot of great air purifiers thanks to modern technology. Curing times will vary based on the type and quantity of the product as well as the type of floor … This process will restore the floor … Well, we can’t sum it up in one sentence. For a greener alternative to traditional floor finishes, stick to water-based products, which contain around 50 to 250 grams of VOCs per liter. I think they've gone on vacation while the installers did their work (stage 1 was Monday, stage 2, yesterday). She received a bachelor's degree in economics and management from Goucher College in Towson, Maryland. Other than that, they take an awfully long time to dry and cure. In fact, you should try to cross-check everything, that way you’ll be at ease of mind. Refinishing restores shine and luster to scratched and faded hardwood floors. You’d be surprised to know that most houses that burned before 20 to 30 years ago were because of lacquer sealed hardwood floors. If you're concerned about the finish on your floor, use an encapsulating sealer designed to trap VOCs and prevent them from off-gassing into your home. Wood Floor Finishes 2.1 How Wood Floor Finishes Can Be Toxic. How Long Do Fumes from Hardwood Floor Refinishing Last? Plus, since you're re-using your existing floors instead of buying new, it's a more eco-friendly renovation choice. I understand that oil based polyurethane used to refinish hardwood floors has a strong fumes and can stay for days. We don’t know if you noticed it or not but in most parts, we tried to warn you about the dangers of VOC and solvent-based sealers. And depending on the brand, it can be more or less. Prevention Eco friendly options are always the most ideal treatment for hardwood floors, but polyurethane exposure can also be limited by allowing proper curing before re-entering the affected area.