That new house smell is a mix of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) coming from the building materials.
Strategies to mitigate and reduce the VOC levels range from diluting the air, absorbing the VOCs, speeding up the off-gassing, sealing in the off-gassing, and lastly chemical breakdown of VOCs.
Of course, you will need different strategies for different situations and for different materials that are off-gassing.
Only some materials can be sealed up, for example.
This article ranks the strategies from what I would start with to the last thing I would consider.
If you’re extremely sensitive to VOCs you might also want to see the article with more extreme strategies to create a “safe room” within a house.
Carl Grimes, Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant, wrote the section on bake-outs.
I recommend all of the products here, some products have affiliate programs and some do not. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission through affiliate links at no extra cost to you.
1. Diluting the Air to Reduce VOCs
The first thing you should do is to increase ventilation. You want to “turn over” the air as much as possible while keeping an eye on the temperature and humidity.
Fan In, Fan Out
The simplest way to overturn the air and ventilate (diluting the VOCs) is to put one box fan coming in and one going out – ideally on the other side of the room.
You can get these on Amazon.
Here you need to have tolerable outdoor temperatures and acceptable humidity levels.
Humidity should not be pushed over 60% for prolonged amounts of time. Both low and high humidity can damage some materials so check the warranties on your wood floors among other items.
Positive pressure will be discussed in detail in another section, this strategy is simply to move air in and out.
ERV/HRV
ERVs (energy recovery ventilators) and HRVs (heat recovery ventilators) overturn the air and ventilate a house with balanced air.
I use the Panasonic Whispercomfort ERV which provides 40, 20, or 10 CFM (cubic feet per minute), which is a high turnover of air.
(If you want to see how to mount this in a window instead of installing it in the ceiling see this article).
This one is not made for very cold climates.
The air it brings in is halfway between the temperature outdoors and indoors, which means it’s bringing in fairly cold air most of the year in Canada.
It stops working at -7 C.
When using an ERV in a small space, consider the effect on humidity as well as temperature.
Another popular one for small spaces is the Lunos which is an HRV.
You can also attach an IQ Air to an ERV to exchange the air while bringing in filtered air.
There are whole-house systems as well. Check to see if your new house has a whole house or localized ERV or HRV.
You will also want to know if it has fresh air intake or dampers to let air in to make up for air that is exhausted.
A whole-house air exchanger is ideal if the whole house is off-gassing.
2. “Baking Out” a House
This section was written with Carl Grimes (HHS CIEC) of Healthy Habitats.
Once you have ventilation in place you can begin the bake out.
This strategy heats the house to promote faster off-gassing of VOCs from building materials while moving them out.
These are general guidelines, and your results will depend on the specifics of your house including the type of off-gassing.
To “bake out” a house you want about 3-5 days of constant (24 hours a day) increased temperature of at least 85-90 F.
You also need ventilation at least 2-3 air exchanges each day. If you don’t ventilate, you could have reabsorption.
How to Bake Out a House (Bake out VOCs):
Step 1: Turn up the thermostat to max, use additional space heaters if needed.
Get the air to 85-90 F. You have to do a 2-day heat up at least. With 3-5 days for one full treatment.
Consult with your contractor about any materials that could be affected by high temperature – flooring and other wood products are affected by humidity levels which will change with the temperature change.
Step 2: Ventilate 10-20 minutes at a time to get an air exchange – one air exchange means you are replacing all the inside air with outside air, removing the VOCs outgassed so far.
Do this 2-3 times a day.
You can ventilate by opening doors and windows for 10-20 minutes. If the wind is blowing, 5-10 min will do.
Note: Most HVAC systems do not ventilate, most of them circulate the inside air.
Fans in windows can draw air in and out.
Watch your humidity so that you do not cause damage to materials.
Step 3: Repeat
Keep in mind, outgassing even with heat is a slow process.
Carl explains the most common reasons for this taking extra long or not working include:
• Not getting the temp elevated for long enough – it’s hard to stay out of the house for 3-5 days – so folks usually only heat only during the day so they can come back at night to sleep. That doesn’t work because it takes at least 24-36 hours to get the materials in the house warmed up.
• They don’t ventilate 2-3 times a day to remove the VOCs that have outgassed. If you don’t ventilate the house reaches a saturation equilibrium – no more can come out because the air is full – and – what has come out is reabsorbed back into the materials.
• They try to shorten the time by heating extra hot for a shorter time. This doesn’t work because it simply takes time for materials to outgas. And it takes time to get the inner materials warmed up.
If you have done this without sufficient success – especially with no improvement – then you either have a massive source of VOCs or the problem is something other than VOCs.
If you have SPF spray foam done wrong, don’t do this. Speak to a lawyer about spray foam that is off-gassing due to mistakes in installation.
NOTE: Watch the temperature and the humidity to make sure you are not damaging any materials or furniture in the house. Check the warranty on your floors and cabinets especially, as they have humidity requirements. Even solid wood could have problems in high or low humidity.
3. Air Filters/Air Purifiers to Reduce Off-gassing
Once you have to close up again, you want to use air purifiers with high amounts of sorbent material. The charcoal and other sorbent materials absorb VOCs.
Using these while you are aggressively ventilating is pointless. Ventilation usually has a bigger impact and these can’t battle with the outdoor air, so this comes after.
Sorbent Materials
Charcoal is the main sorbent material that absorbs VOCs. Check for how many pounds the unit contains. You will pay more the more charcoal it contains.
Potassium Permanganate (PP) is added to some filters to increase the removal of formaldehyde. Not all super-sensitive folks tolerate PP.
EnvironKlenze uses a mineral technology which can be particularly effective for formaldehyde as well.
What about PCO Air Purifiers?
I don’t recommend PCO air purifiers (like Molekule) for high off-gassing, generally. I prefer PCO for mold. I have a separate article about choosing the best PCO air purifier for mold.
These are the top three brands
NOTE! I have a more detailed post comparing all the brands that are best for people with chemical sensitivity. In that, I compare costs, pounds of carbon, how much air they move, how loud they are, and more.
AustinAir
Healthmate Plus
$885 * 250 CFM * 15 lbs of Activated Carbon Impregnated with Potassium Iodide and Zeolite * True HEPA * dB 50-66 3-5ft (they are not sure) * EST early 90s
Filter replacement: HEPA/ carbon,/prefilter 3-5 years (5-year warranty filter warranty) $360
There are different filter options with different types of carbon/absorptive material. Again, reactions often attributed to Potassium iodide. You can test out their different filter options.
Steel units, plastic on the wheels, not plastic inside.
Some with extreme MCS have picked up off-gassing, but many with MCS prefer this brand.
You can buy them at Green Design Center and Amazon.
IQAir
IQAir Multigas
$1299 * CFM 300 * 12 lbs granular activated Carbon & Alumina impregnated with Potassium Permanganate) * True HEPA * dB 35-69 – (the company will not state how many feet this test was done at). * EST 1963
Their HealthPro is (40 to 300 CFM) (2 air changes/hr in 1125 sq. ft), dB 25 to 59
Filter replacement: Multigas cartilage 2 years $400; Post Filter 2.5 years $129; HEPA about a year (on 10 hours a day on speed 3) $109; optional Filter Pads $79
This might be one of the best-known brand names in air purifiers. Some people with MCS swear by it. But, the most severely sensitive do not always tolerate it.
The unit is made of plastic and the off-gassing of the unit itself might be an issue. The potassium insert can be hard to tolerate for many (which is not a unique issue to this brand). Some people have sent back filters that smelt especially sweet or strong and received ones that were more tolerable.
Nevertheless, this is a favorite and well-trusted brand for many with MCS who want a robust top-of-the-line air purifier.
You can buy the Healhpro and Multigas directly through the IQAir website. The Multigas can also be found on Amazon.
Other contenders are reviewed in a dedicated post on air purifiers for off-gassing.
4. Passive Absorption of VOCs
This is not as effective as air purifiers that move a lot of air through the sorbent filter material, but you can also use sorbent materials placed around the house.
Targeting these to high-impact areas like inside kitchen cabinets would be wise.
Carbon
Placing carbon around the house can be quite effective to absorb off-gassing including new off-gassing.
You will need large amounts like these from Amazon.
Some of them come ready in little bags (pictured), which can make things easier.
Or, something in between the bags and an expensive air purifier, is to attach charcoal to a fan.
You can place carbon sheets or the pellets onto a basic box fan. The pellets will have more absorption capacity (you may need a barrier between the pellets and the fan if it blows dust).
You can also use activated carbon fabric to cover areas that are off-gassing.
Zeolite
You can hang up zeolite in bags where the problem exists especially if it’s an isolated odor.
Zeolite is a good absorbent material.
Or use these mineral pucks (which are very well liked by the chemically sensitive though not confirmed to be zeolite).
5. Alternative Strategies
I have heard the following anecdotal strategies from other sensitive folks who have said these have helped them to reduce off-gassing. I have not tried these myself.
- Onions chopped up and placed throughout the room (more info on how that works here).
- Plates of baking soda (another sorbent material).
- Lemon oil in a diffuser (note citrus oil add aldehydes and other VOCs but also break down hydrocarbons and other chemicals, for example they can break down plug-in air freshener (the how-to for that is here). How to use it safely is covered here.
6. Using Sealants to Seal in VOCs
There are some areas of a house where using sealants could be very effective and some that are not as worthwhile.
I would seal wood products that are off-gassing formaldehyde.
This could include cabinets (the edges, the boxes, and even the faces in some cases), shelving, laminate countertops (from underneath), MDF molding, doors, and in extreme cases, flooring.
Sealants could also be used in trailers to seal in other materials like vinyl walls.
I don’t like this strategy as much for general sealing of drywall.
These products tend to create an interior vapor barrier which can cause problems where AC is used. And unless you are sealing the odor of the paint itself, new home off-gassing is mostly coming through other openings from behind the drywall.
For general sealing of what is behind your walls, it’s better to create an air barrier by sealing around outlets and baseboards.
Specialty Sealants
1. AFM Safecoat HardSeal
Hardseal is a product made by AFM to block off-gassing.
Use it in multiple coats (2-3) can be used on the wall.
Leaves a semi-gloss finish and is low VOC. To paint over this you would need to lightly sand it. This is an acrylic product.
2. AFM PolyBP
This is a polyurethane, not originally formulated to block off-gassing, but if that works on your substrate it is the best AFM sealer for blocking VOCs.
3. AFM Safecoat Transitional Primer
This low VOC primer can be used to seal in off-gassing by using 1 coat followed by Safecoat Paint.
AFM Transitional Primer plus their paint has better sealing properties than most other brands of primer/paint and it’s often used to seal in off-gassing or fragrance on walls. This is an acrylic paint.
Sealing in new drywall and drywall mud: AFM Safecoat New Wallboard Primecoat covered by AFM Paint.
4. AFM Safe Seal
Safe Seal is used almost exclusively to seal in formaldehyde in plywood, particleboard, and OSB.
Sealing in formaldehyde from wood products can be very impactful.
Engineered woods including particleboard, MDF, HDF, OSB (depending on brand), engineered lumber, and to a lesser extent plywood all off-gas formaldehyde (or isocyanates).
I tested this on multiple engineered wood products that were off-gassing formaldehyde and it works quite well. You can paint over this.
5. AFM Carpet Seal
This is used to seal in the off-gassing in new carpet if you don’t want to (or can’t) remove it. This is a three-part system.
However, please see my whole article on how to off-gas new carpet which goes through what I would do step by step.
6. Shellac
In my tests, shellac was the best sealer for sealing in odors/VOCs. Though some people report the odor returning.
The most well-known brand is Zinsser.
The company recommends BIN Shellac as its best odor-blocking primer. But not all will tolerate that. This can work well to seal fragrances on walls if you need a typical primer that you can paint over easily (and you have the time to let this off-gas).
The purest premixed shellac is Zinsser Bullseye Shellac which only lists alcohols and shellac (but does not have to disclose ingredients under 1% and I have not been able to get a clear answer on if there are any unlisted ingredients).
I used this one and was very happy with it. The alcohols need to flash off.
Their Sanding Sealer can also be used. Sanding Sealer is dewaxed so you can paint over it with AFM Transitional Primer (no sanding required) and paint.
To paint over the waxed Bullseye Shellac you can use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, or a layer of dewaxed shellac first.
Make Your Own Absolutely Pure Shellac
The absolute purest shellac formula would be to make it yourself with the flakes and alcohol.
This is just the natural resin from a beetle mixed with ethanol like Everclear.
Both dewaxed and regular shellac (with wax) have the same ability to seal in odors.
The purest version will still show high levels of VOCs but that is from alcohol. When the alcohol evaporates those are gone, all you have is the natural resin.
Pros and Cons of Shellac
One benefit of shellac is that it works on almost every surface including plastic, metal, wood, drywall, and if it’s dewaxed you can paint over it.
The downsides are that it is a very good interior vapor barrier which can cause problems with “breathable walls” when using AC. Make sure this will work for your building envelope.
7. Paint as a Sealant
ECOS Purifying Paint which uses zeolite as the absorptive ingredient can be helpful. I heard from readers that this was very helpful in stopping fragrance from coming through. It could also be used to absorb other off-gassing on walls or furniture. This paint uses zeolite to absorb VOCs.
To paint and seal over oil paint that is off-gassing, you can get the best seal with shellac (dewaxed) and then AFM Hardseal.
Painting, in general (with any brand), can help a little bit because it has a small sealing effect.
Sealing by substrate:
1. Sealing in the Odor of Terpenes in Wood
Clear Look – Shellac , or if you can tolerate AFM products, you can use Safecoat Acriglaze, HardSeal, or Acrylacq.
Painted Look – One coat dewaxed shellac, then AFM Transitional Primer, then AFM Safecoat Paint.
If you are not extremely sensitive to the natural odorants of wood you can skip the shellac and just use any acrylic paint. Use a primer like ECOS Air Purifying Primer (0-VOC, generally the most popular brand) or Safecoat Transitional Primer (low VOC, not always tolerated) (1 coat), followed by AFM Paint (2 coats).
Pearl (which is called eggshell in AFM lines) will give the best sealing properties. Many people sensitive to the odor of wood find that painting is sufficient.
2. Sealing in Fungicides in Wood
Wood windows almost always contain fungicides and should be sealed. The best products for this can be found in my book.
3. Sealing Fiberglass
For sealing fiberglass in trailers, domes, or other shelters you can use shellac. You can topcoat that with AFM Hardseal if tolerated, to add more sealing.
This is not for sealing fiberglass showers.
4. Sealing Vinyl Floors
Andy from Green Design Center recommends washing vinyl flooring with a degreaser that does not leave a residue. Then in one area, test to see if AFM Safecoat Hardseal adheres to it. If it does, this sealer will work well.
Shellac also adheres well to vinyl. Shellac is the best sealer for blocking off-gassing and plasticizers. You can put a clear coat or paint over dewaxed shellac with some special primers.
5. Sealing Laminate and Engineered Wood Flooring
Laminate flooring does not have real wood on the top. I have sealed the underside successfully with Safeseal. If you want to seal the top, Hardseal will work better. Andy Pace recommends 3 very thin coats.
Engineered wood flooring has real wood as the top layer, so you can sand or buff off the surface. Then you can apply AFM Safecoat Poly BP.
7. Should you Use Ozone?
Though some folks have successfully used ozone to help reduce off-gassing, this is the riskiest strategy so it’s last on the list and I would not use this.
Ozone can work for smoke, fragrance, and mold. But with new homes VOCs, it doesn’t act as predictably. Plus it leaves behind terrible oxidization odors in many materials.
It’s also dangerous to work with and can do damage to materials in large doses.
I have used this successfully in the past but I then had a super bad experience where it ruined a house and everything in it.
Even without that bad experience, I would not use this to break down VOCs in a new house, personally.
See my post on ozone for more details and safety precautions.
Related:
More extreme strategies to create a “safe room” within a house
How to seal in off-gassing in any material
VOC Barriers to seal in off-gassing
Barrier materials to block off-gassing
Odor blocking paints
How to get rid of new fridge off-gassing
How to get rid of new dishwasher off-gassing
How to speed up off-gassing from furniture
Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.
Did you find this post helpful? If so you can buy me a coffee to support the research behind this blog. Thank you!
Carl Grimes, Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant, wrote the section on baking out a house and consulted on the section on using positive pressure to create a safe room.
Luke Skaff, Electrical Engineer, consulted on the section on air purifiers.
Elizabeth Knapp Jarvis
Very interested by this site. I am looking for information about best product to seal a garage floor in a house where the garage was used as a repair shop and the floor seems to be impregnated with oil and other machine shop fluids. I know of some of the strategies, like bake out and ventilation, but was hoping for guidance about best floor sealants.
Not sure if the AFM products you mention are suitable.
Perhaps this would be worth a blog? I would certainly be interested. It is hard to sort through advertising on garage floor sealants and epoxies and I wonder if some of them might be more toxic than the VOCs I suspectg are lurking in the floor.
Very interesting site. Thank you.
Elizabeth jarvis
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
Hi, I help with this kind of thing in individual consultations
Angela
Hello there, preparing to do a bake out of my new co structuring home and I had a couple clarification questions:
1) So, you do a preheat of the home for 48 hours without doing any ventilation during that time? And then after the 85 to 90° heat up then you keep the temp up on days 3, 4 and 5 you go in and do ventilation 2 to 3 times per day for 20 minutes (opening all windows and doors).
2) Is it then advised to wipe down/vacuum all the surfaces to try and pick up any residue post bake out?
3) is it OK to do a bake out if you have spray foam insulation? I’m not aware that ours is done incorrectly. Everything seems good. I’m just wanting to do the bake out because I have multiple chemical sensitivities and the home was completed a few months ago.
I so appreciate your help and direction!!!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I would ask the manufacturer of the spray foam about the spray foam factor there. It could be risky.
Angela
Thank you so much for your response regarding the spray foam. I will contact the manufacturer.
I would love to hear your answers to the first 2 questions in that thread:
1) do you heat the house up for 48 hours (without opening it up to ventilate it) prior to starting the 3 day bake out where you ventilate the space 2-3 times a day?
2) Is it then advised to wipe down/vacuum all the surfaces to try and pick up any residue post bake out?
I so appreciate this information!
Angela
Thank you so much for this information! I was hoping for some clarification. When “cooking your home” do you use air purifiers during that process or do you not use them then and simply open the windows 2 to 3 times a day over 3 to 5 days for 10 to 20 minutes increments. And then post cooking out the house begin to use the air purifiers? I’m moving into a new construction home soon, so would love the help. Thank you!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
generally you would not use air purifier in the bake out
mary stasolla
I just had new radiators installed in my apartment, and the smell from the new radiators is
giving me a bad headache. why can I do to eliminate this problem
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
tough, you can wipe them down for factory residue, if they are painted you can’t do much unless it’s an oil paint then you could wipe it down with alcohol (alcohol could damage some other paints, labels and would have to be done when it’s off), but other than that you just have to use them to off-gas them
K
How are superstratum deodor bombs (chlorine dioxide) and their everyday cleaner (Hypotonic Electrolytic Hypochlorous Acid) for MCS and effectiveness on VOCs?
Larry
I had my preexisting kitchen cabinets sprayed with paint by a company that specializes in this type of work. My contractor who was overseeing the job did not leave the cabinets open to air them out after the application and now the cabinets (particularly the insides) smell really bad. The odor doesn’t even smell like paint. It almost smells like a body odor. Since I moved in 2 weeks ago, I’ve left the cabinet doors open, I’ve opened windows, and I have an air filter going, but these cabeints still smell horrible. What could this odor be and what can I do to eliminate it?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
Potentially a mix between the old paint and the new paint. Potentially the new paint applied incorrectly. Or maybe just that it’s a high-off gassing paint that smells weird.
Larry
Thanks! I failed to mention that the ONLY cabinets that have this horrible odor are the ones that have french glass doors where the paint was sprayed both on the outside and on the inside of the cabinet since the inside color can be seen through the glass. All of my other cabinets that do not have this horrible smell have solid doors without glass so they were only sprayed on the outside. I’m wondering if it has something to do with the paint reacting with the glass? Curious if you’ve seen any reactions like this before.
I bought the charcoal bags you recommend on your website and I’m hoping that they help mitigate the odor but I’m afraid that I’m going to need something way stronger to neutralize this odor. Are there any other products you swear by that are non toxic that I can apply to the cabinets?
Kristin
Hi there,
Thanks so much for all of your well researched information. It has been so helpful over the years.
We are in the middle of mold remediation and the company used a mold killing paint (Kilz) or something similar which I was not aware they were going to do. Part of it is on studs that will be covered by drywall and part is in the ductwork where our HVAC connects. The smell, while dissipating is giving me awful issues. we are ventilating etc, but not sure it’s enough. Would you recommend doing the AMF sealant over where they painted and would that be sufficient? or should I request that they remove all wood and duct work that they painted?
Best
Kristin
Lizette Bain
Hi, we painted a very small piece of brick wall with a brick solvent sealer in our kitchen and the off gassing is significant. I did not realize it would be this bad and the product indicated only that there needs to be sufficient ventilation when applying the sealer. We have large doors and one large window in this are but cannot leave it open at night. We opened windows in the adjacent room and put the extractor van at the stove on as well as a fan that can blow towards that area.
I am very sensitive to these odors and am no unable to enter our kitchen. I feel like such a fool for sealing the brick without considering this as a consequence.
Is there anything we can do? Can we remove the sealant? Should we cover it?
Your advice would be appreciated.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
you would have to look into which paint strippers work on that sealer and see if that is worth it, if it’s penetrating it’s harder to strip, also even if it’s not some of those VOCs are in the porous brick. So you could also re-seal over it or put a temp cover over it. the website covers all those options.
Lizette Bain
Thanks so much for the prompt response. It is penetrating sealant and definitely pulled into to the brick. I read the points about reseal of wood, but did not see anything specific to brick sealant. Could you please point me to the right resource for this? Don’t want to make things worse by following the wrong instructions.
Also, the temp cover referred to, is that the description about covering it with foil?
Lizette Bain
Maybe for further context, it is Nova Brick 1.
Tiffany
We did a bake out and it seemed to help with the house smell.
However I am still reacting to the house.
Yesterday the attic door was open all day while some worker were installing solar above the garage. I walked in and within minutes was in a full blown allergic reaction that is still lasting into today.
So the attic seems to be a clear trigger for me. Maybe all of the exposed insulation or maybe just all of the dust.
My question is- what are your thoughts on putting an air filter in the attic? And if so, would you focus more on a charcoal filter or hepa filter for the attic? I really am not sure if it’s a VOC issue or a dust issue so I am torn.
I also thought about doing your recommendation with the fans/charcoal to save money but wasn’t sure if that would stir up too much dust and create a bigger issue.
I would greatly appreciate any advice. Thank you so much for all you do!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
if there is spray foam that just takes a while to off-gas, or if done wrong can off-gas forever. if you have loose fill in the floor I would not use any air movement that would stir things up but rather but down an air barrier of some kind. also look for mold.
Tiffany
Thank you so much for your response.
No spray foam used in the attic. We did rockwool throughout the house and for the attic floor, the attic roof has Owens Corning next gen (pink stuff). So no blown in.
It is all brand new and there have not been any signs of water damage or mold.
Johannes Hatfield
Dear Corine,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GREAT SITE!
I am about to build a brand new house in Norway (woods). I have unfortunately become very sensitiv to both mold and VOCs after extreme exposure in a previous house which has turned my life up-side down…
I have two quesstions regarding sealing: Are there any good products for sealing melamin-based office furniture – and vinyl flooing in modern office (without distrying the look and surface of the floor?
In the house I will apply Isolena ships wool as insulation (also around windows and doors etc. and aspen wood, etc. I am also considdering to apply AMF hard seal on the pine/spruce wood framing of the house to avoid natural aff-gassing – do you have any experience with this (also become very sensitive to esåecially spruce for some reason..)?
I can not say how much I would appreciate your answer.
All the best from Norway!
Johannes Lunde Hatfield
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
there are a couple of articles on sealing in offgassing and one on sealing in wood odors that cover these topics
Johannes Hatfield
Great, I’ll look them up! I guess also theory needs to be applied in practice. I will most likely build a tiny house ” mini version ” of the larger house before settling on materials. Again, thanks for your work and help! Johannes
Tiffany
Hi! Thank you so much for this information.
We are about to move into a new build. Tried to choose as low voc options as possible per your recommendations. However, the house still has that “new” smell. I’m sure the VOCs are high based on the smell but don’t trust any of the air monitors for an accurate reading.
We want to try a bake out before moving in but are a little confused by the instructions. Do we heat up a full 24 hours before starting any ventilation or do we ventilate 2-3x/day from day one? We want to make sure we do it right as I have chemical sensitivities, am pregnant, and we have two little ones.
Thank you!
Nath
Hi, can I “bake” just 1 room or just 1 floor in a house, if I close the space, to be able to stay there during the process.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
yeah you can but it won’t have the same effect on the interior off the walls. if you are just offgassing something like paint that will be ok.
Nath
yes it is for paint and some parfum, and also for laminate flooring in the basement
Sam Mack
Hi Corinne, I am Australian and I’m having some issues with a new build that I can’t use due to the fumes inside it.
I’ve added a 60 sqm timber and brick room to the side of my house. We want to use it for a work space so we made the decision to have an epoxy floor laid.
The building is essentially a rectangle with double wide sliding door in front and a single back door and 2m wide window in back. The doors are glass and don’t let any air in. The room has Gyprock walls that are painted.
It seems that when the epoxy floor was laid, the back windows did not provide enough ventilation and our theory is the epoxy offgassed inside the walls and into the insulation. If we leave the room open, it’s okay to be in there but if we shut it for any length of time at all, when you enter the fumes sting your eyes and make you cough. It’s been two months since the floor was laid and it is still an unusable space.
We’ve aired it out by having the doors and windows fully open for days and days. We’ve got bowls of bicarb in there, bags of carbon all over the place. We’ve tried heating the room with two space heaters for 4-5 hrs at a time followed by opening it all up and putting a high powered fan on to blow out the fumes. We do this two to three times a day but the fan is loud and we can’t do it too late at night. It has improved it a little but its a very slow process.
Next week I am getting two eave vents on the fully insulated side and two brick vents installed on that same side to add some ventilation to that wall. We are also having a split system air conditioner installed (always planned but we put it off for ages due to our fume issue).
Is there any advice you could give on how we could further improve our situation? I’ve spent a significant sum on what will be my workplace to where I’m low on funds and have an unusable space, getting a bit desperate at this stage.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
ERV/HRV that i talk about in the article
Sam Mack
Is that like an in ceiling or in wall air purifier?
So basically I need an always running air purifier in the build? Sorry, just looking to clarify.
Sam Mack
G’day Corinne, I’m having a little trouble with availability of people who install such things in my area, as well as a general lack of internal roof access in our build. Would ERV/HRV be the only solution to my issue?
Carol
Hi Corinne – Thank you for all you do to support MCS people! I rented a rent subsidized apt in a building built summer 2024 through a program for people age 62+, fragile health and homeless. The building is supposedly Passive House Institute US Zero 2021 qualified and promoted as a “Green Building” yet full of VOCs as shown by my Indoor Air Quality monitor. I am highly sensitive to VOCs. I’ve been running 2 Honeywell air purifiers with special VOC filters installed, leaving windows cracked for 6 weeks and the readings still rise into the “unhealthy for all people” zone. When the 2 windows and balcony door are fully open the readings improve within 20-30 minutes. I’ve been paying rent yet haven’t been able to move in now living in a homeless shelter. Property managers claim the air quality is fine. If this building passed the Passive House tests would there be high levels of VOCs? Do you have a VOC rating scale? Do you have suggestions re experts to consult with in New York State? Thank you for any way you can help? Much gratitude, Carol
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I would do the bake out in the article. passive house is not related to VOC levels though make sure there is some type of air exchange because it does mean it’s a tight build. At home VOC monitors are not very accurate, go by how you feel and use brain retraining like Gupta program to slowly move in.
Carol
Hi Corinne – TY for your reply. My symptoms from even short visits to the apt tell me the monitor is accurate. There is an “ERV” on the HVAC system and when they changed the filter the IAQ monitor had very good readings for about 4 days then went bad again. It seems that continuous ventilation is the remedy though isn’t running continuously. Also I could do the bake out in the apartment though not the whole building. The hallways and community areas like laundry have high levels of VOCs too though had good readings also for those 4 days after the filters were changed. Even if the bake out is a success in the apartment won’t the VOCs enter from the hallways through the walls? It was my understanding that with the Passive House they were supposed to use green building materials to reduce carbon emissions and the contractor told me they didn’t use them as it would be too costly and that the owners will receive $1M from NYSERDA for supposedly using them and creating excellent air quality. Also they haven’t passed the air tightness tests so are adding spray foam insulation, won’t this add VOCs? I have less than 30 days left in the homeless shelter. Any addt’l ideas would be so appreciated, thank you so much.
Kender Prejean
Hi thank you so much for this article!
In the section about shellac, what do you mean by “the alcohol needs to flash off”? I am using shellac to seal a piece of plywood and am wondering if there’s another step that I’m missing other than just applying the shellac. Thanks!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
flash off = evaporate
Natalie
Hi Corinne
Thanks very much for this helpful article. I’ve been searching for a VOC expert for a couple of weeks, and just came across your article. I just moved into a new rental property and the bedroom I’m sleeping in (which has no furniture yet) has a plastic smell, so I suspect something is offgassing VOCs. The floor is some sort of plastic laminate l. The strange thing is other rooms have the same type of floor and walls but don’t smell as bad-the only difference is that my bedroom is the warmest in the house. I’ve been considering covering the floor with natural rubber mats (sort of like yoga mats with the rubber underneath and cork on top)-to block the VOCs-do you think that would work? The smell is worse at the edges of the room, near the skirting board. I’ve got a good air purifier but it doesn’t seem to help that much. I’ve had the windows open since I moved in.
I’d be so grateful for any tips you have!
Thank you.
Salma
Hello Corinne, thank you so much for your website and all the knowledge and help you and your team provide for the MCS community. I recently had all new ductwork (flexible ducts for the supply; metal for the return ducts) along with new HVAC air handlers and a whole house dehumidifier installed in my home. Now, I get quite sick every time the HVAC system is turned on, whether it be the AC or the heat. I presume this is due to the VOCs offgassing from the new ducts and HVAC system. In your opinion, is the whole house bake the only way to try and remediate this situation? Should I have the ducts cleaned first in the event that some of the attic insulation got into the ductwork during installation? (If I need to sign up for an email consult for these questions, please let me know.) Thank you.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
HVAC is not a topic i cover
Maura Mulcahy
We recently had the walls & sills of a never used basement in Maine that was sprayed with latex paint over a week ago. Latex paint smell is high and my home gym is going down there. I’ve worked a couple times and we are building petitions to seal off the Jim area but wondered what’s the best method to eradicate the VOCs or the latex paint smell. Right now I have an air purifier down there going night and day, but it’s not doing much. I can open the little basement windows as long as it’s 50° or so which it will be for the next week.
Any other ideas. Many thanks!
DKI
Hi Corinne, any particular brands of (activated) charcoal products that you have used? Just want to make sure I buy something from a reputable brand. If in doubt I will go with the Purina kitty litter that comes with activated charcoal (https://www.purina.com/tidy-cats/free-and-clean-cat-litter). Thank you!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
i would get any pure charcoal not cat litter made with clay that has charcoal, see article on cat litter for potential problems there.
DKI
Thank you. I had no idea cat litter could potentially be an issue. Trying to solve one problem but creating another = story of my life, it seems!
Roxanne Boelter
what can I wrap narrow flexible vinyl tubing with to stop the awful smell? It’s the condensate line for new central air which was installed 4 months ago. there’s about 30 feet of it down in my basement. Will hvac foil tape work? Nashua brand says it’s low voc.
Jesse Giffen
Hi,
Thanks for your very supportive website.
We used a zero VOC paint on baseboard heaters which was not rated for the heaters. The paint was rated for 150 deg and the radiators reach 170+ deg. The paint is Benjamine Moore Eco spec. In the process of attempting to bake out VOCs it seems that we broke down the paint on the radiators and now the space has a strong paint smell. Although it was a zero VOC paint would the paint smell be from VOCs? We have been ventilating yet the smell remains. It does reduce in the space (a cabin) after ventilating though after closing up for the night in the morning it seems to be not noticeably less than before. Perhaps total days of effective ventilating has been something like a week. It has been more days ventilating though probably other times not getting enough air exchange with an IQ air filter we put on the box fan. Maybe we need more time continuing the ventilation and perhaps can address a mattress in the space in a different way. I am wondering though that we are on track addressing this as a VOC issue from the paint breaking down or if that would have created some other issue. The radiators themselves now have only a little smell that I could detect on the one that we removed from the space.
Also, I noticed the IQ air with the ERV as a possible way to exchange air while reducing possibility of issues from introducing outdoor mold into the space. We live in an area with a lot of forest floor leaf cover. A friend suggested putting Merv 14 or 15 filters on a box fan as a makeshift filter though I wonder if that would be effective enough bringing in air from outside that way. Wondering if you had any ideas about this or another type of filter for a box fan? Right now, we have a Sure Guard mattress encasement on the mattress to protect from mold which seems would be reducing ability for the mattress to off gas (from the paint smell/issue). Also, I am wondering if that offers enough protection from mold while there is air from outside streaming through for hours. I could check in with the manufacturer. I have been very sensitive to mold recently while in the process of healing mold illness.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
make sure you remove the paint from the radiator. if paint isnt applied and cured in the conditions set out by the company weird reactions can occur.
Daphna
Hi Corinne,
I’ve gone through a number of your articles trying to find a solution to my question having to do with sealing wood frames on artwork that was previously exposed to a moldy environment. There is no visible mold on the frames.
. Paper backing on the art was changes by the framer & I would like next to seal the wood. Would you recommend shellac or another product? I’m looking for a clear product to keep the look of the original frame, but would paint over if that is a better solution.
Thank you for great info!
Daphna Epstein
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I haven’t looked into sealing in mold or mVOCs as I would generally not seal in mold. If trying to salvage furniture and other wooden items that have already been physically cleaned shellac might help with the mVOC smell.
Linda Fuller
It’s Linda Fuller again, Corinne,
We seem to be stuck with a low level of VOC’s which my daughter is still reacting to, after 3 months of off and on baking/ventilating. Please refer to my email of June 28 for back ground.
We only did a 3-5 day bake out as directed above one time. Since then, during days without rain we have been baking all day, then ventilating at night for the last three months. The level of VOC’s decreased to the point where she could move in to the house into an unfinished ground level room with cement floor.
Since then, she has begun recovery in CIRS protocol but we can’t seem to get the VOC’s
down.
The vinyl plank floors that we put in are the culprit. She wants to rip up them up and live with nothing for a while to see how she feels.
Before we do that I am looking at:
1. Applying 2 more coats of Hardseal. I applied 2 coats after floors started off-gassing, but either it wasn’t enough or it’s still off-gassing?
2. Applying a different sealer
3. Redo a strict 3-5 day bake out.
4. Create a Safe Room.
FYI:
Flooring material is LXP100 by Mathews and Parlo
AFM Hardseal
Thank you for providing the space to let it all out.
Comments, suggestions?
Linda
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I would set up an email consultation
Brooke
Hi Corinne!
I am wanting to seal some oil based white cabinets that are still emitting strong chemical odors after 7 years. They were painted with a Sherwin Williams oil based white paint. I just want to make sure I am understanding correctly, I can use the Zinsser Bullseye Shellac to seal over the oil based paint. Is that correct? No other preparation or products needed? Just simply use the Zinsser Bullseye Shellac directly on top of the oil based paint and leave as is?
Thanks so much!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
Shellac is a primer, you would paint over it. If you still pick up offgassing from 7 years ago you probably wont tolerate BIN or any zinsser products.
Brooke
Thank you!
Sarah
During our reno we walked in on painters varnishing our wood ceilings. It has resulted in a terrible chemical odor, particularly in one room where it seems like possibly a different product was used. VOC readings (both from a professional company and our own monitors) are extremely high within minutes of closing windows. This was at least four months ago. We were later told the product used was Amteco Quick Dry Interior Wood Varnish but found Penofin Brazilian Rosewood Oil left in our garage. No way to know for sure that either was what was used on ceilings. We’re very concerned, especially with two very young children. What would you suggest as the best course of action for this situation? Baking out is not our favorite option as we’ve partially moved in. Also, is it possible to send samples to a lab to see what was used or is this a fool’s errand at this point? Thank you so much for all you do, we used your recommendations whenever we could.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
bake out followed by possibly sealing it
Sarah
Thank you so much for your reply! I’m assuming there should be no belongings present during a bakeout?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
belongings are generally fine you do want to look at things like floor type and furniture/cabinets to see what kind of humidity they can take, if you cant moderate the humidity to keep it in range you will have to lower the temperature
Tiffany
Hi! Thank you so much for this information.
We are about to move into a new build. Tried to choose as low voc options as possible per your recommendations. However, the house still has that “new” smell. I’m sure the VOCs are high based on the smell but don’t trust any of the air monitors for an accurate reading.
We want to try a bake out before moving in but are a little confused by the instructions. Do we heat up a full 24 hours before starting any ventilation or do we ventilate 2-3x/day from day one? We want to make sure we do it right as I have chemical sensitivities, am pregnant, and we have two little ones.
Thank you!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
2-3x a day from day one though let it get quite warm before the first air out
Mary
Thank you for this wonderful article! I have a question about baking a house With an April Aire Fresh Air system which filters in fresh air when the fresh air is turned on. Should I leave it at a high heat and let outside air filter in continuously or… Should I only run the fresh air while letting it air out in between bakings? Or should it be something completely different. Thank you for your time and your expertise on the subject!! Thank you also for educating us and helping us all to be safe and healthy!!
Mary
Also does the fresh air filter work to move the off gassing out as it bakes? Will this work instead of airing out the house and will it bake sufficiently if the outside air filter is on while the heater is running at 90? The outside air is filtered as it comes in. Thank you again!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
you should use fresh air intake while baking only if it doesnt impede your ability to keep the temp high. you also still need to do the full flush of the house to remove as much of the VOCs coming out as possible
Mary
Thank you so much!!!!
Paint sensitive nose
What would you recommend for removing smell from painted cabinets (alkyd enamel)? Can we seal it with something? My contractor used without giving me an option, and the smell is not going away after a month and a half.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
if it’s an oil based alkyd you can wipe it down with alcohol. if it’s water based alkyd don’t do that. you can use sealers over either one, I mention sealers for sealing in offgassing
Linda
Hello Corinne,
We had new metal ducts installed in our encapsulated crawlspace and the company used sprayed hydrogen peroxide (17.5%) and onslaught (unknown amount) on some mold they said they saw and now we can’t turn on our heat because of the VOC’s coming through the duct vents.
Can you recommend some type of sealer to seal up an VOC’s in the crawlspace (or would you recommend something else)?
Desperately in need of help
Linda
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
It’s too complex of a situation for me to get to in the comments. I would need quite a bit more background information.
Linda Fuller
Hello again Corinne,
I was able to apply 2 coats of Hardseal to all vinyl floors and stairs, then left windows open and fans pulling/pushing each side of rooms for 24 hours. A meter that measures VOC’s, PM 2.5 and HCHO showed good improvement from before and after. When I brought my daughter to the house we were discouraged to find she was still reacting. Is it just a matter of time? Should I bake again?
Is there anything else we can try?
Thanks, Linda
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
There is more going on in a remediation than I can cover in a comment. i first would want to know all of the materials installed when the flooring went it. luxury vinyl plank itself has almost no offgassing. hardseal also needs to offgas for more than 24 hours for some people.
Linda Fuller
Hi Corinne,
We are almost there, floor by floor repeated baking/airing for almost a month. My daughter says VOC’s are greatly improved. After it rains, we can not open windows to air as she feels the actinomycetes coming in.
She noticed a bad smell coming from the drain next to furnace.
I’m thinking vinegar and baking soda and a brush? I looked at organic cleaners, but think this combo is better?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
it depends on what’s going on in the drain if it’s connected to the sewer and gasses are coming up or it’s plugged and stuff is growing in it, I’m not able to help with that area.
Joyce Johnsen
Thank you for your article. We recently spray foamed our attic (last October) and have been remodeling that area but only have framed thus far.
Air quality was fine until the Spring when the roof deck started heating up. Now we are getting very poor air quality readings measuring using an expensive VOC monitor (on loan from AC company) and air quality sensor on our thermostat. We have bought an IQ air Hepa filter with 4 carbon filters which is only helping nominally and obviously only in the room where we are sleeping. We have contacted the spray foam company but they have been dragging their feet. I am certain it is the spray foam and the VOC’s are now in the 1100 range in the attic space and 800 or so throughout the rest of the house. We are getting terrible headaches. Once we remove the spray foam and any residual is sanded off the wood I am trying to figure out the best paint to seal any remainder spray not removed by other means. I have been advised to use Kiltz but worried about the VOC’s from the Kiltz itself. We have been Thank you for any advice.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
i would not seal framing or decking with a sealer that blocks moisture/offgassing, because these structural components need to be able to take on and let go of moisture naturally.
Linda Fuller
Thanks so much. I am thinking about using SafeCoat Hardseal to seal the vinyl planking that is still minorly off gassing, after a week of alternate baking/ventilating. Is this something I can apply (75 yr old fit woman)? or do I need to hire someone? I am near Americus in MD.
Thanks and hope you get a commission.
Linda
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
if you are chemically sensitive it’s unlikely you can apply hardseal or shellac yourself. however if you use a multigas half face respirator and you feel confident you can do it then you can do ahead.
Linda Fuller
I was soooo excited to find your site and can’t figure out why I haven’t found it before?
We just bought a 5 year old townhome for my CIRS diagnosed daughter – no moldy smell, no actinos. reaction and very low VOC reaction.
The carpeting was removed and low VOC click vinyl planking was installed with low VOC glue and nails on stairs.
However, too high level of VOC’s to move in. We have been baking (per protocol) and have reduced VOCs by more than 50 %.
Question: Can you leave a house at 90 overnight without any open windows?
I have done a 3 day bake with ventilating 2 – 3 times per day, then opening all windows with fans overnight?
What are your comments?
Thank you so much.
Linda
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
you can leave it for 8 hours without airing
Karen
Hello
Asbestos flooring has been taken up, but has exposed a bitument layer ontop of asphalt. Is there a way to seal the bitumen in order to stop it off-gassing?
Also, some structural wood in the extension seems to have been re-claimed (great!) BUT, it smells of creosote, mor something similar. If we put stud walls in, will this be enough to stop the vapours getting out, or do we need to use some of the options listed above? I’m trying not to put vapour barriers anywhere.
Thank you.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I would remove the bitumen glue, which also likely contains asbestos. But if that cant be done then it probably doesnt need sealing, if it’s old it should be offgassed.
You don’t want to seal structural wood, so your only option is to do a really good job at air sealing that wall with something like Intello plus or air sealed drywall.
Jill
If the off gassing is from the exterior paint or stucco would it be coming through the walls or air gaps
And is there a product to block it that could be used on painted exterior stucco?
( needs to breath but it’s breathing voc’s
Thanks
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I’m not sure if there is anything breathable that would also help block offgassing for the exterior. Possibly, but I’d have to look into it and I would have to know more. Yes exterior finishes odors/offgassing can make their way in in various ways, depending on the structure of your wall assembly and how leaky the building is.
Kelsey
Hello, I recently purchased an antique pine dresser and upon bringing it home noticed that it was off-gassing something. It was recently refinished and I do not know what was used so I’m struggling with figuring how to resolve this. So far we have been airing it out in the garage with charcoal and it seems to be working somewhat but I”m wondering if there’s an extra step we could take to seal in any toxic materials as we will be using it in a nursery and want to ensure safety. Is there anything you would recommend based on this info? Thank you very much.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
yes see the articles on sealing in offgassing
April
Thank you for writing this website! I’ve been reading it over the past few days and it has made me be more conscious of what I bring into my house. I have an issue I’m still not sure about though. I bought 2 sets of white peel-and-stick foam tiles (both are soft/puffy, one has a thick brick-like design and the other a thinner tin ceiling style) to try to warm up the 2 cold walls and ceiling of my small, walk-in closet a little bit until I can afford to redo it. It’s possible the drywall has asbestos, so I didn’t want to try to add the insulation myself. The tiles were supposed to be made of “nontoxic” PE foam and I didn’t notice a chemical smell at first, but now I do, especially after the door has been closed all night and I open it in the morning. It could also be from the glue that was on the back of the tiles. I would hate for that awful smell to get in my clothing so I’ve removed my clothes from the closet until I figure something out. I’m unfortunately unable to just take the tiles off without ripping the drywall off with them.
My question is: Would either shellac or AFM safecoat work to seal the smell and chemicals in? The surface of the foam tiles is soft/plush rather than rigid and I don’t know what is in the glue behind them.
The smell is only strong when the door has been closed, but the door is right by my bed, so I’m afraid if I just let it go and leave it open, I’ll be sleeping in those chemicals every night, and I’m not sure how long a product like that would offgas. I’m extremely sensitive to chemicals and smells (causes shortness of breath). I do have a mask to use while painting and have fans I could use for air movement so I think I could handle the smell of shellac if that would be best and would go away fairly quickly. Any advice you can give me on how to handle this would be appreciated so much!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
im not positive that shellac would stick to that youd have to do a sample and see. it also might not be a perfect seal on the seams but you could try it.
April
Thank you! I have some extra pieces of it so I think I’ll get some shellac and try it. Maybe if I put a little bit thicker of a coat (or a few thin coats) in the seams that would help. I’ll report back later! If you happen to think of any other things that might work better, please let me know. I appreciate your response!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
i think that’s a good idea. give it some time in the test, since my test of shellac on rubber did’t take but it took a few days or longer i cant remember to see that it wasn’t sticking
Emma
Hi, I have recently purchased a lovely new timber buffet. The top has a natural look timber finish. It definitely smells like it is offgassing. I am concerned about discolouration of the finish and have heard that furniture wax is great as it won’t discolour the furniture. Do you think that a furniture wax would seal in VOC’s?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
No a wax product will not seal in VOCs
Emma
Ok, thanks for the response!
Sam
I’ve been searching for articles on how to offgas VOC and formaldehyde since just purchasing a house that was just finished earlier this year (but construction started before June 2022) and this was the most informative one! I only smelled some subtle offgassing when I went in, but was wondering how many bake out treatments you still think it might require and how to tell when it’s okay to move in. If more than 1 is needed, is it okay to do multiple treatments in a row if I’m ventilating 2-3 times/day or leave some days in between treatments? Thank you!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
you can do multiples, until you don’t notice the VOCs or if you dont have that kind of perception you could test it you want
Jay Taussig
Hello Corrine, Spoke to you years ago. Hope you are doing well. Would really appreciate your advice on a current problem and solution decisions we are trying to make. A phone conversation would be so appreciated and happy to pay you for your help. Jay 303-525-7600. Maybe texting to set up a time convenient for you would be easiest. Thank you !!!
Chris Gomez
Hi, thanks for your dedication to helping others.
When you wrote “The most well-known brand is Zinsser. The company recommends BIN Shellac as its best odor-blocking primer. But not all will tolerate that.”…
What specifically will some people not tolerate about the BIN Shellac, please?
I called Zinsser and a gentleman told me that the Bull Eye Shellac will actually have a lasting smell even after dried well, whereas he said the BIN Shellac will not have any lasting smell.
My use is for sealing in the odd smell of new unfinished wooden bed slats, and I’m having trouble choosing which shellac to use.
Thank you!
Chris G
Corinne Segura
Pure shellac that you mix yourself does not have a lasting smell so that is really the best option, make it with everclaer. the bullseye is also fast to offgas, though those extremely sensitive might pick up some of the offgassing for longer most people don’t. BIN shellac come in alcohol or water-based formula and both need some time to offgas.
Shawnie
Thank you so much for your time and detailed information provided! My question is about the Zinsser shellac you posted. I bought the one in a can you pictured in clear. I expected it to be clear, but it is milky brownish when stirred. Is that normal? I can’t find any online info about it’s color in the can. I am planning on using it on the edges of an MDF laminate installed on a cabinet indoors to block any off gassing of the MDF ( I’m pretty sure the MDF is NAF and MDI adhesive instead). Will there be off gassing of the shellac itself and are precautions needed for that?
Is the AFM Safe Seal a less toxic product or not necessarily?
Corinne Segura
The brown color is normal, all shellac will be between yellow and amber in color. It’s mainly alcohol that has to evaporate from shellac – only alcohol if you mix it up yourself. So that is high VOC but for a very short time. Whereas SafeSeal is waterbased, it’s basically only for formaldehyde, and there isn’t much to offgas there but I don’t believe it’s technically 0-VOC.
Shawnie
Thank you so much for the help. Doing a test run on an edge and have another question. I was hoping the shellac would also act as a water barrier (in addition to VOC blocking) in case of water getting on the laminate edges where it is cut around the plumbing. I’m reading on line Shellac is not good for that. If using the dewaxed pictured in your post, do you have suggestions as to what I could put over it that would then act as a decent water barrier on top of the VOC blocking? Is there something you suggest that is low VOC for that purpose? I’m grateful for your help!!
Corinne Segura
I have found shellac is good against water soaking in
Shawnie
Oops. Misunderstanding above. Sorry! I did not use the dewaxed sanding sealer, I used the regular Bullseye Shellac with the wax. What can go on top of the waxed shellac that would act as water sealer?
Corinne Segura
the shellac will block water
Michelle
Hi. Thank you for your dedication to healthy living! I am getting a reclaimed piece of wood mounted over my fireplace. It’s a great look, but I don’t have the wood’s history and feel as if it should be sealed for potential toxins. I would also like to stain it, but I’m not sure of the safest (and most affordable) options. Suggestions? Thank you for your help!
Michelle
Corinne Segura
There are lots of sealer options, see the main article on sealers to start
Cc
Hello,
What is the most affordable yet effective VOC measurement device with the broadest detection spectrum of chemicals? I don’t have thousands of dollars, maybe a few hundred, and I need the nose blind to have visual proof of the air quality issues.
Corinne Segura
the ones that are accurate are thousands of dollars
Evie
Hi Corrine, house is built 2015. It still has a new wood finish smell throughout the house. It’s not the flooring or the subfloor. Could it be coming from behind the walls? Perhaps the wood frame/ manufactured wood? Opening windows and airing out/ baking has not worked. Would sealing all the openings work?
Corinne Segura
i can’t really say without seeing that in person to know whats going on
Terri Ruck
thank you for this website..took many days research to find you! I am having new hardwood flooring (white oak) placed where there was carpet in a 20 year old home we just bought. I have asked for water based, low to 0 VOC finishing products (stain and topcoat)but my installer (who has already installed and sanded the wood) says he doesn’t feel comfortable using a water based stain but he will use a water based topcoat the products he wants to use are
1. Duraseal for the stain and
2. Procoat for the water based topcoat
my question is …will the water based sealant (topcoat) seal in the VOC’s from the stain? My flooring guy thinks most of the VOC’s will be evaporated by the time he puts the topcoat on. Your comments?
I have begun to think I should just not use a stain, but dont want the amber color I get from just the topcoat
Corinne Segura
no that is not enough to seal in the offgassing of duraseal
Abby
Please help! My kids play on and around railroad ties in our yard. I can’t really get rid of the ties, but I can paint them and that kind of thing. Is there a way to seal them in? Would shellac work?
Corinne
The EPA recommends not using railroad ties with creosote in residential settings. Shellac is not for outdoors. It’s possible that a thick coating of polyurethane, epoxy or AFM Dynoseal could block it but I’m not sure you would need to get an expert opinion.
Winona
Hi Corinne,
Is shellac a good sealant for concrete which has been treated with RadonSeal ?
Carpeting from a 1-yr old house was recently removed from the room, then the concrete foundation treated with RadonSeal to hopefully form a suitable floor, and there are stinging sensations, migraines and other reactions post-removal from a sensitive person.
There is a strong chemical-ish odour in the room which was not there before. (along with a concrete-ish odour)
Using a HypoAir ioniser + AHPCO unit in the room for 10+ hours has helped but not fixed the problem.
(It’s not tolerable and still has a chemically and concrete odour, though less)
We are wondering whether the removal of the carpet stirred anything up, or whether they may be residue of chemicals, etc. from the carpet on the concrete beneath, and so are considering sealing it in.
Would this be suitable for silicate liquid glass treated concrete, or might there be other considerations/better tactics to try to make the room tolerable in the short term?
(shellac, beeswax, carnauba wax, other sealants, positive pressure, ERV, other filtration techniques?)
Thanks!
Winona
Corinne
I would not use shellac, but you can use one of the concrete sealers on the post on that topic.
Winona
Thanks!
How about for sealing pre-existing caulks showing through (between the baseboard and wall in the gap where the carpeting was), if that is part of the issue causing chemicals to intrude, or if the gap left over by the baseboard after carpet removal isn’t caulked fully?
(maybe air coming in from the walls, or the existing caulks/sealers causing the chemically irritants in the air?)
Is it better to seal it with something, re-caulk it with a mildewcide, etc. free caulk first, or something else perhaps?
Winona
* without a mildewcide; etc.
Kunal
we had solid wood bed delivered and even after two weeks it smelled crazy. After trying baking soda and vinegar invain, i took my steamer and steam cleaned it with a cloth on. steamed it and right away wiped it. I got a dyson formaldehyde purifier and ran it all night. it smells way better now but be careful when steaming wood. mine was solid otherwise would have curled. Dyson detected HCHO to .17 level. morning it was .007. way better.
rachel malsin
Hi there- are you still doing consulting
Kate
To reduce off-gassing in an Airbnb that we could not cancel, we bought unscented kitty litter with activated charcoal a stack of paper plates and spread the entire 20 lb. of little around the apartment. We also opened every window just barely so it wasn’t noticeable from outdoors, rolled up the nasty carpets and wrapped in plastic tarps from the dollar store, taped closed with painter’s tape. We used exhaust fans only after sealing off the door to the rest of the building and asked the resident owner to use an exhaust fan when they cooked. This was a horrible place they used Febreeze in to cover up the nastiness of their garbage dump furniture and a bedroom used for the owner to smoke pot an claim it wasn’t him. Yes, the things we used were not perfect. We also used heavy duty chemical air cleaners and it would have been cheaper if we’d just rented another place and paid double rent, but we had carbon monoxide poisoning from the gas leak they said they fixed but didn’t. So, we felt too weak. Airbnb is not good about taking care of such issues, and I wish I’d known they didn’t take care of the leak as they would have moved us.
Just wanted to throw out those tips of using the unscented kitty litter with activated charcoal and barely opening all the windows and using exhaust fans to suck in fresh air. It was a nigh
What a nightmare. Airbnb can be treacherous as most hosts care a lot more about their utilities than your health.
kate
Hi there,
Would you trust O-Zone to help off gas plywood? If I didn’t use the O-Zone for too long only one hour per day at 42 mg an hour
Corinne
I wouldn’t use it for that but some people have. You get weird byproducts with wood plus plywood off gasses quickly on its own if it’s made with phenol formaldehyde.
kate neilsen
Thanks Corrine,
I have used O-Zone in my bedroom and never had a problem with it affecting timber products but that was on a low level.at the most I’ve used it at about 15 mg an hour for just over an hour. I’m wondering how long after you O-Zoned your property did you ventilate? Do you think maybe the problem was that the timber reabsorbed VOCs? I can’t understand how the byproducts couldn’t just be ventilated
Corinne
materials are oxidized so the materials themselves are changed. Also pours materials can soack up byproducts that have been produced. another reason why its a bad idea is there are some molds that react very poorly with ozone and for many people this has made things unbearably worse.
Kate
We have found that weird by-products can be dangerous, so we avoid using chemicals that will interact with what we’re trying to get rid of.
Natalia
Hi, Please help! But firstly, thank you so much for this information! Ive been scouring the internet and this is the most in depth article I’ve found so far.
I’ve been renting (1 yr) a new apartment with flimsy PVC ceilings in a very humid tropical climate (Brazil) and the noxious chlorine smell from the ceiling panels will not go away, especially during hot summers. No A/C, just regular fan and minimal winds around the house. What method would you suggest to create a “barrier” between the ceiling and indoors?
Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
Corinne
foil or shellac
Jaclyn
Please help! Has anyone else heard of this issue? We’re in a new build home and new to TX weather. We went away on vacation for one week 1st of July and forgot to turn on our AC. Also had a sewer backup problem (grinder malfunction) that was resolved. No sewer leakage or smells in the house. When we came back, we didn’t smell anything just the new house smell. Turned on the AC. After a day, began to cough, runny nose, irritated throat, red eyes. Later that night woke up choking feeling, chest pain, headache/dizzy, bloody nose, and like we couldn’t breathe. Negative for gas leaks, mold, HVAC issues, and sewer issues. Purchased air quality monitor and formaldehyde and VOC levels tested high. Opened the windows to ventilate for a week+. Problem got worse. Turned on AC for a week. VOC levels down in the green now but reactions even worse. Bought air scrubbers and ran those for days, brought in another nose to see if it’s just us, and they immediately (<10 mins) felt chest pain like us. Consulted with every type of inspector, remediation company, certified industrial hygienists, etc. in Austin/San Antonio/Dallas areas. We're really at a loss here and would appreciate any ideas or advice. Any recommendations on what to do next?!
We suspect it’s off gassing of any and everything in the building materials, LVP flooring, and new furniture that accelerated due to the heat. However, with the TX temps and humidity it’s been difficult to ventilate the home without baking it further. How do we fix this?
Corinne
I cannot do a better job than what people in person can do, especially in a short comment. But two things I would check for is if there is 2 part spray foam that was done wrong, that’s a smell everyone can pick up and its worsened by heating. Also check the duct work for drywall dust and other fine construction dust.
Jaclyn
The house is odorless. You actually walk in and wouldn’t know anything was wrong but within minutes you feel chest pain and that you can’t breathe, as if inhaling a chemical or micro plastic or something. Do you know more about pthalates or other types of chemicals in addition to VOCS that could be released?
Anna
Thank you for this article. I want to try this to get rid of a chemical smell that makes me sick. Mold test confirmed no mold. It smelled before moving in and now worse due to my own renovation despite using non toxic paint and floors. Workers created other toxic smells though and its not going away.
I have 3 bedrooms and a large kitchen/living room and a long hallway (total 1150 sqft 1 level).
In #1 “Dilute the Air” do I need 10 fans? Do I run fans and keep door and windows open consistently or how do I do it? For how many days?
In #2 “Bake Out” do I stop running the fans?
Greatful for a reply
Corinne
with bake out you need ventilation but unless you’re in a heat wave you can not keep the temp really high with lots of fans so you have to sort that out based on what you can do. If it’s two part spray foam that has gone wrong you don’t want to bake that.
Anna
Thank you Corinne. How can I know if I have two part spray foam and if it’s gone wrong? What happens if I do a bake out or heat treatment is such situation?
Thank you
Corinne
Have an inspector look into that. It would not improve the situation but risks making things worse.
Paige
Thanks very much for this article! We are considering doing this for our new home.
I’m concerned, however, reading this article on NonToxU that says Bake-Outs can actually cause more harm than good.
nontoxu.com /air-quality-indoor/why-i-dont-recommend-bake-outs
Do you have any responses to the issues she raises here? Do you still think Bake-Outs are a good idea?
Corinne
Yes I think it’s a good idea, and Carl Grimes who has decades of experience in the air quality industry (and it sensitive himself so he gets its) made the recommendations in this post. There needs to be a lot of ventilation. I have not heard from a reader or client of this going wrong.
RA
HI Corinne,
Is primed finger jointed pine crown moulding and board ok to use?
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Alexandria-Moulding-LWM-49-9-16-in-x-3-5-8-in-x-12-ft-Primed-Finger-Jointed-Pine-Crown-Moulding-Pro-Pack-5-Piece-0L049-93144CPKAD/301977450
https://www.homedepot.com/p/PrimeLinx-1-in-x-4-in-x-8-ft-Radiata-Pine-Finger-Joint-Primed-Board-252978/304819679‘
Jason Howard
Hi Corinne,
We need to buy a trailer in a hurry for someone highly sensitive to mold and chemicals.. We don’t have time to self build or customise in this case.
We’re relieved to find we have a Hero stockist in the country.. There are a couple of things I’d appreciate your opinion on if you don’t mind.
Do you know if there are any materials in the interior that aren’t metal, aside from the provided fitted foam bed?
I’m assuming for someone extremely sensitive, the bed/foam/fabrics would need to be stripped out. Would you agree with this?
Thank you for providing such an in depth and valuable resource!
Jason
Corinne
I haven’t seen the interior.
Jason
Thank you Corinne. We’re in communication with the company to see if we can get one stripped out.
Can baking off be used for trailers as well as houses, interior materials dependant?
Corinne
I haven’t tried it but it should work just the same as in a house.
Jason
Thank you. The Hero company has agreed to sell
one without any interior furnishings so it is basically a metal shell, but they can only do so with a new model, so investigating what we could do to accelerate offgassing. Company has been very helpful and
understanding about mold/chemical intolerance so far.
Shawn Willie
I’ve had good experiences with the thermal heating typically used as an eco friendly option in termite control. I believe the temperatures reach 130-135 F for approximately 4-5 hours. This has seemed to purify the air and supported in off gassing after interior painting. (We found this out by default after a bout with termites) Although it’s a costly option here in California (approximately $1.800), do you think that the higher sustained temperature is more effective than the bake out process you outlined? I’m currently deciding which method to use for a newly remodeled home (painted, new floors and cabinets) Thank you for any recommendations!
Corinne
I very much doubt anyone has studied that and taken measurements so I don’t know. I would think they both would work but lower temps could take longer. With both you need air movement during the heat ideally (esp with longer treatments or when many things offgassing inside).
Shawn Willie
I appreciate your reply! I’m going to perform two bake outs in the steps you have outlined with ventilation and see the outcome before going to the higher temperature thermal treatment. I’ll let the group know how it goes. First study underway!!
Corinne
please do!
S
Hi this article is a god send! My husband has been suffering terribly since moving into our new renovated house. Quick question, during the warm up two day period, should I be ventilating the house or only ventilate after the two day warm up period?
Thanks in advance for the advise
Corinne
during
Elaine
My subfloor stinks. It’s not moldy and zero signs of water damage. It has a gasoline like smell to me. The previous owners did have four dogs. If I want to seal the subfloor before installing wood vs replacing subfloor how do I layer the shellac and the amf sealer? Which one goes on first ? Could we also lay foil down or some kind of thin underlayment between subfloor and wood? We can’t use the normal wood underlayment because of how thick the subfloor is. Thank you!!!
Ben
I used an ozone generator 7 weeks ago (1-7-23) to eliminate VOC off-gassing from an online, mattress-in-a-box. I was guided to run it way too long & now, after 2 air quality tests, I have a “Severe” level of ultrafine particles throughout my house. I haven’t been able to return to my home for more than 5 minutes w/o getting throat tightness & burning lungs. For the last 2 weeks I have been running 2 Beyond Guardian Airs ($2K/each…ouch) & am having my 3rd air text tomorrow (2-27-23). Since I’m in New England w/ < 32 degree temps, I haven't been able to ventilate much at all. I read about creative a positive air pressure in the house but I feel like negative air pressure may be better in my case. My thought is venting a single window in the back of my house & using a high-volume fan w/ a tube fed outside my window in the front of the house. It'll essentially force fresh air to come in…negative since less air is coming in than going out. What do you all think? Passive ventilation in warm weather sounds good, but I'd like to really speed this up b/c my air purifiers aren't cutting it.
Corinne
you can just use your kitchen and bath exhausts and crack a window a little for each one.
Ben
Thanks Corinne, makes sense. Since the odor is so strong throughout the house, I may try a little more aggressive option but I’m very happy to hear that this process should do a good job changing (not re-circulating) the air.
Cheryl Turner
I recently renovated a new house and tried to be careful about the paint the contractors used. I even went so far as to buy the paint myself. After they finished, I discovered that the painter brought the trim and door paint with them, and it contained latex and oil based paint. (I kept wondering what I was smelling.) Now I have to accelerate the off-gassing so I can move in. I am going to start with ventilation as you suggest, but I was wondering if you thought it would be helpful to run a VOC air purifier while doing a bake-out? I am also open to painting the trim with shellac and AMF Hardseal, but am a little concerned it will cause some discoloration. Thank you for your thoughts and your wonderful website.
Corinne
focus on the Bakeout with ventilation no air purifiers. you can use an air purifer once you are done. shellac always is a little yellow.
Diane Zerega
Been reading and hope you can help. I unknowingly purchased a home that was owned by a smoker for about 20 years it looked pristine, newly painted and we saw it on a cool well ventilated day in Florida. After replacing HVAC, new air ducts replaced and cleaned, Walls , doors, woodwork cleaned with ammonia still off gassing stale cigarette smell. Have been told to remove popcorn ceilings and seal and repaint walls. We have even replaced plugs and light switches. Can’t get behind walls but really want to get rid of cigarette residue smell. Would appreciate your expert advice.
Corinne
There is a post on fragrance and smoke remediation which will help.
James Pratt
When using Bullseye Shellac on walls, did you cut it with alcohol or did you use it straight out of the can? Most articles I read online about using shellac in its normal uses (furniture, wood, etc) says to cut it 50% or more with alcohol before applying. Thanks!
Corinne
I would not dilute it on walls and only use if you don’t use AC.
Gary
Hello.
Why does sealing dry wall with shellac cause problems when AC is used. I want to seal an odor (a VOC) out of my dry wall ceiling, but live in Florida, lots of AC needed.
Corinne
it creates an interior vapor barrier which can cause condensation at that point when AC is used
FirstTImeHomeOwners
Hi!
Thank you for the time and attention given to each of your blog post. They have been very helpful for our family with chemical sensitivities and lyme.
Our family is looking to use products that we can afford while going as “clean” as possible. Have you heard of the product call Roman PRO-999 RX-35 Wallcovering Sealer and Primer for Porous Surfaces. this is the VOC information (VOC (Regulatory): < 25 grams/liter). We do not desire to use this but we are having a hard time finding a low VOC or no VOC primer to go on a lot of SKIM COATED walls. We are hoping to use Promar (ZERO VOC Sherwin Williams primer) for the other drywall walls. My question is if we use the Roman PRO-999 RX-35 for primer and the paint over with Sherwin Williams super paint air purifying or Promar (which both are ZERO VOC) would that seal up the VOC off gassing from the Roman PRO-999 RX-35. If you could offer any wisdom it would be GREATLY appreciated!! We are trying to make wise choices financially while trying our best to use chemical free alternatives for a safer first home for our little family. Thank you!!
Roman PRO-999 RX-35 Wallcovering Sealer and Primer for Porous Surfaces:
Seals drywall, contractor’s flat paint and old wallpaper paste residue
Seals and locks down textured walls and popcorn ceilings
Use as primer over skim coats, spackling or mud joints
Dries with slight residual tack, enhancing adhesion of wallpaper
Dries clear-matte finish
Low odor, no spatter
Water-based
VOC (Regulatory): < 25 grams/liter
Corinne
Check the post on primers, there are 0 VOC primers there.
Nathalie
Hi Corinne,
While my house is off gassing I want to make a room within a room in my house using clear polyethylene plastic. Would I still need this to be raised off the floor to prevent mold? I figured if anything were growing I’d see it and am already planning on having the bed raised off the floor.
Corinne
Don’t put that on a ground level floor but you can put it on an upper level floor if the level below is also conditioned the same way as upstairs.
ESCO
Thank you for sharing such comprehensive and helpful article! Another thing I want to suggest is staying aware of the products you buy by aiming for non-VOC items. When you must use a product that contains VOCs, make sure you ventilate the area well, and if possible, do the task outdoors. Many household cleaners, paints, and aerosols contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which cause a host of health issues.
Brianna
Hi Corinne,
Great article, thank you for the information. We are moving into a townhome that has just been painted this week. We want to get the fumes and everything out of there. Would a bake-out be good for this? That is what we are planning to do but I wanted to double check with you. Are things like the fridge and other electronics okay in temperatures of 90 degrees? It seems there are resources now saying not to bake-out the home, your thoughts?
Thank you so much in advanced!
Lisa
Hi Corinie,
Thanks for all the info and we have recently moved into an old house and put in a new laminate floor downstairs. My husband has a bad reaction when’s he’s downstairs. Now wearing a mask when he is downstairs and windows all open.
The Dr thinks it’s off gassing from flooring can we do anything to reduce VOC’s from the flooring.
We have a carbon air filter and I will use baking soda to capture with plants gasses and odours.
Would washing the floors with vinegar or bicarbonate soda help off gassing in any way?
Thanks Lisa
Corinne
You will want to find out exactly what kind of floor it is first. The term laminate is very often used incorrectly to refer to a number of floors. You also want to find out about any glues and underlayments used to install it.
Jasmine
Hi Corinne, thank you for such an informative article! I have a storage dining bench made bespoke. It is still offgassing like it was 6 months ago even though we’ve tried fanning it, placing our Austin Healthmate plus next to it, placing carbon packets all over it. The drawers boxes in cabinets are even worse..the meter is coming out with hazardous warnings and off the charts toxic readings! I’m sure the glue they used to stick the veneer on the mdf wood was fishy. Upon reading your article, we would now like to seal in the offgassing bench,
What is the best product to use?
Can the “AFM Safe Seal” be used on MDF that already has wood veneer stuck on it? If not, what is the best product to use for this offgassing factory finished storage bench (mdf wood with a wood veneer coating)?
Thank you so much for your professional recommendations. It is higher appreciated!
Jasmine
Allie
Hi Corinne! Thanks for all the helpful recommendations. We are purchasing a new home and the new paint smell is pretty overwhelming. I know you mentioned concerns about sealing walls because it would serve as a vapour barrier. What do you think about sealing only the interior walls? Not sure how much that would help but I would like to reduce the paint smell as much as possible.
Corinne
You can seal interior walls with shellac/shellac based primers, no problem.
Phil Heyland
Hi Corinne
We are trying to decide between Schluter SET and Schuter ALL SET. In general, the chemically sensitive client can test materials.
But we feel that the chemicals in ALL SET are the sort that might build up slowly in the human body. If this is true, then even if the first few exposures to ALL SET go well, this may not be a true indicator of how the client will react after living in the building for a few months.So maybe testing is not useful?
In your opinion, how bad are the chemicals in ALL SET compared to those in regular Schluter SET? Would you say they are the sort of chemicals that will slowly build up in the himan body, or do you feel that testing ALl SET a few times (ie, sniffing and holding in on the skin) will give a good indication of how the client will tolerate the product in the long run.
I realize these questions are almost impossible to answer, but please give us the best indication that you can. We are trying to arrange the design so that we can use regular SET but this just may not be possible.
Phil Heyland
Hi Corinne
I have been looking at fiberglass mosquito mesh to use over the windows of a home. And it is causing reactions! The reactions only seem to happen when the product is heated. It gets heated in the sun in the natural course of things of course. We have also experimented with boiling the product and, once again, it causes reactions when heated.
Does this product offgas eventually? Have you ever heard of fiberglass mosquito mesh being made with a bug repellent built into the product? This problem is very confusing and we would appreciate any guidance you could give.
Thanks!
Phil
Corinne
I’m not sure if it’s treated with pesticides but it does have some off gassing that could take a good amount of time to do down.
Dayna
Dear Phil,
I had fiberglass mosquito mesh on a house front door full-time for almost 3 years and it was fine, I spent much time no far from the screen (I left it with the house). I purchased a replacement in 2021 and woooo did it stink. Whatever was on that also stunk up the other contents of the box…so that was a no. Currently have a woven polyester one that isn’t causing any problems, but was only looking for a very temporary solution and I am not hanging out in the room where it is (dog is in and out all night). My suggestion would be to physically sniff anything out before purchase — I don’t know what they are doing, but my first fiberglass one from 2013 or so was fine! Good luck.
Dayna
Stephen
Corinne, thanks for writing this article. Our first child is due to be born (very) soon and the room designated as the nursery of our fixer-upper that I painted 4 months ago is still off gassing paint fumes! I *think* what I smell is the primer, but not 100% sure. Any recomendations? My take away from your article was to try to “bake and vent” … How long might that take if the culprit is primer under a top coat? Thanks!
Laura
I live in a basement rental suite. I spilled liquid laundry detergent (biodegradable Seventh Generation) inside an (I think) unfinished plywood cupboard. I spent many hours cleaning it, but I don’t think it all came up. I think it has soaked into the wood and the off-gassing is bothering my throat and lungs. Do you know how long the off-gassing will last? If I leave it sealed up with tin foil and green painters tape, this blocks the fumes very well (thank you!) but will the fumes ever go away if I leave it sealed up? Do you think I need to ask my landlord if I can use a sealant like shellac on the plywood?
Corinne
it needs to dry out first. It sounds like it’s likely that because it got wet it brought out a smell of the plywood.
Laura
Thanks for replying so quickly. The cupboard has been dry almost all the time since November when I initially spent many hours trying to get all of the detergent off, and it never had any smell – just odorless fumes – which made it hard to tell if I’d gotten all of the detergent up. If it is still the fumes from the detergent, do you know how long it would take for them to outgas? Should I use heat? Would shellac work in this case? Thanks.
Lauren
What are your thoughts on enviroklenz odor eliminator for washing vinyl floors? Does this help at all to remove VOCs? I care less about the odor and more about how I feel in a space.
https://enviroklenz.com/product/enviroklenz-everyday-odor-neutralizer/
Corinne
I’m not sure if that would work. You can ask the company or try it on a sample. LVP has very little offgassing though. Wiping it with vodka is another thing to try.
Lauren Kramer
Thank you!
Jason
Hi Corinne, thank you for your invaluable article. When we moved into our new house, we had the existing kitchen cabinets sanded, primed with shellac primer (Zinsser BIN), and painted with Benjamin Moore waterborne paint during the winter. It was very cold in the house during this process, and as a result, we think the the primer did not fully dry before the paint was added on top of it. It now seems the primer underneath the paint is offgassing constantly because the cabinetry still smells like the primer. I get a headache/dizziness within 10 minutes of entering the kitchen. The work was done in December 2021 and we have been living in the house since January 2021 (it is now March 2022).
The only thing I can think of doing is adding a sealer on top of the cabinetry paint to seal in the offgassing. Does that sound viable? If so, what product would you recommend? Thanks so much.
Abigail
Hello Corrine! So amazing to find all of this info in one place— thank you for all you do! I was wondering, other than supplements/prescriptions/shelf stable foods, hangers with grips, etc. if it is ok to leave belongings like clothing inside during the 3 to 5 day bake. Furthermore, I was told all I needed to do was ever so slightly crack windows and that that could act as the ventilation (instead of an air exchange 2 to 3 times daily via fully opening windows and doors). Any thoughts on whether window cracking is ineffectual? I’m swelling so badly in an extremely new build (yay, no mold, but VOCs galore), and I’m not sure to what one or many things I’m responding to; the space isn’t large, 640 sq ft. Can smaller places heat up faster? Any advice is deeply appreciated!
Corinne
I would leave your clothes there but if you don’t have enough ventilation you will get reabsorbtion of VOCs into porous items.
Abigail
Thank you so much! I will choose to open things up for the recommended times specified here for enough ventilation, then; no reabsorption wanted! Not having to pack everything up and then having to remove every item out of the space will let me get to it faster. Gonna leave clothing and dishes, for example. This was one of those cases where I had to move fast and couldn’t bake beforehand.
Cyrah
Hi Corinne!
Thank you for the very helpful article. I have a quick question. After discovering my mold sensitivity, my husband and I bought a new Coachman Chaparral for our family to live/travel in while we sell our house and figure out what we want to do next for housing. We’ve been living in it for two months, and I am reacting to something in the air (assuming it’s VOCs because it’s so new, and it doesn’t feel as intense as mold reactions). We are considering doing the bake out method since we never addressed off gassing. Before we give it a shot, is there anything we need to keep in mind doing this method on a travel trailer?
Corinne
Not that I know of, trailers should be able to withstand the hottest desert temperatures. You can ask the company if you are not sure.
Alison David
Hi Corine,
I bought a former garage where there has been paint spraying though it had a good ventilation system at work. It’s dry wall. I want to turn it into a grow room. Is there a way to test toxicity levels? If it is toxic can I cover the walls with something?
Corinne
You could run VOC testing and mold testing. The most important thing would be to get advice on not causing major mold when running a grow room.
Lane
Hi Corrine,
I had open cell SPF installed two months ago in our rim joists having been told it was the “green option.” Reading your only note about SPF above made me sad as a lawsuit isn’t really an option from both a timing and results POV. I’ve reacted strongly to the foam’s presence this whole time, and in the last two weeks it has really ramped up and I went to stay at a neighbor’s after my partner saw me slurring my words. I’m still there.
I was hoping you could weigh in on if sealing the foam with AFM SafeCoat might be a good option after scraping out as much as possible. Or any other option Our general contractor — who did not put in the foam — did that first part and then applied two coats of water based acrylic latex. I’m still reacting the same way to the foam as before.
I don’t have much time before my partner has surgery in a few weeks and will need 6-8 weeks to recuperate with myself and others acting as nurses. So it’s imperative I figure this out quickly, and there’s next to no information online. Thanks for your blog and any advice you or this community could provide.
Corinne
When it’s actually gone wrong, like non-sensitive people have deemed it having done wrong it has to be removed for sure. You will have to figure out if that is the case. It’s also possible to be very sensitive to the offgassing when most people can’t notice it if you yourself are sensitive.
Jeff Walton
Thank you for the great information Corinne. I have a murphy bed made out of furniture grade plywood. Should I use a sealer over the veneer or only the plywood exposed edges?
Kind regards,
Jeff
Corinne
Plywood offgasses very little. The veneer side will have a sealant on it already unless it’s unexposed. So you could see if that sealant is doing a good enough job of blocking it from that side.
Chris
Amazing. So much clear and thorough information, I wish i’d found your site sooner.
This is my go-to site for helping me with MCS issues and healthy building.
Thank you Corinne
Corinne
So glad it has helped you
Aimee
Hi Corinne, thank you for your website. I have just finished renovating our house, making as many nontoxic choices as possible, but then in the last week I accidentally used 1L of Zinsser’s shellac bin, rather than the water-based Zinsser 123, on all our bedroom skirtings. Would you recommend coating the shellaced skirtings with AFM Safecoat Hardseal before we move in? Thank you
Corinne
I dont find that that one takes too long to offgas. Only the most sensitive would find that it could take up to 5 weeks. It’s a great seal for MDF if that is what you were blocking.
Luke
Hi Corrine,there was a bad smell in the office,like cats urine,I removed the lino flooring,and it looked like black mold underneath,;washed the floor with bleach,then I got chest pains and headache. Sealed floor with epoxy/resin but still got headaches and chest pains..Can you help?
Corinne
You will need to find out why the mold is growing there. Likely a point of condensation and correct that source. Remove materials with mold and any mold that can’t be removed should be professionally remediated (not cleaned with bleach). I would not use Epoxy on concrete, it’s not breathable and your reactions is a typical reaction to offgassing after a mold exposure. Cleaning mold is a big exposure and epoxy is very strong at first.
Luke
Thanks Corrine, I have an air purifier in the office and it has improved some bit,but do you think I should cover the epoxy floor or remove it.
Also I don’t see any mold.And is it that ,I have become allergic to these exposures?
Sonia Johnson
Wow! This is an awesome resource! I wish I had of saw it a year ago (sad emoji face).
We have painted over the old carpet glue, but now I think would might should not have. Can baking the house still be effective or should we try to remove the paint 1st?
Wantfreshair
I have chemical sensitivities and a terrible problem with my next door neighbour in my duplex. She has always used lots of perfume and fragrances. But with the virus she cleans, disinfects and does the laundry several times a day and night. I bought the IQ multigas for my bedroom but chemical smells are constantly coming through the furnace vents and baseboards. The air outside is bad because of her. She refuses to change anything.
Any suggestions Corrine?
Corinne
I have an article on keeping out neighbours’ contaminants https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2021/06/how-to-stop-fragrance-smoke-coming-in-from-neighbours.html
Amanda
Oil based polyurethane was used for a window sill, shelves and staircase in a small tiny home I moved into. I got very sick my first night. Landlords had me move in next day after they finished construction.
Is a sealant going to help stop off gassing. Which kind. What’s proper way to seal ? Need to wait a certain time before sealing ?
Will this and air purifier censure I won’t be living in a space I am exposed to voc ????
Corinne
After you have aired and heated the place to promote curing and offgassing, you can then move on to the shellac based sealers.
Penny Vere
We moved into a new home two years ago and had natural gas hooked up by the city supplier. We had all our gas appliance installed professionally, three gas fireplaces, high efficiency gas hot water, gas stove, gas dryer. I have been having some inflammatory health issues since this time and feel there is a direct correlation. Also, my jewellery, some of which I have had for 5o years is suddenly tarnishing at an alarming rate. We have 2 Austin Air Heathmate air purifiers, 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs. Who could possibly shed some light on the potential air quality issue for us. Thanks for any suggestions
Lisa Karasic
My contractor put in a new closet with lots of shelving made of plywood, which was primed and painted. (I imagine the installation also included glue). The smell was terrible and was giving me headaches and a funny taste in my mouth. I assumed it was VOCs.
After 3 weeks of heavy ventilation and many fans, and the smell was still so bad, I put on 3 coats of AFM Safecoat Hardseal — waiting 24 hours in between coats.
It is now three weeks after that last coat and the smell is still very bad. Someone tells me my problem may not have been VOC but terpenes. They recommend Zinsser B-I-N shellac in clear or white. (white would work for my closet)
Do you agree? And, can I put that n the Hardseal without first sanding the Hardseal? Do i need to sand the shellac between coats? How many coats do you recommend?
Thank you.
Joelle
Hi,
After we accidentally left eggs to boil on the stove and left the house, we came back to our (newly renovated) home full of smoke. All was black and we were lucky it didn’t burn down. The smoke stench didn’t go away so the insurance sent a company who used ozone for a few days to get rid of that smell. When we came back to the house the smoke was replaced by a new smell, like chlorine. This was 3 years ago and smell is still here.
What do you suggest we do?
Thanks!
Corinne
Oh wow, that is a really long time for that smell to linger. If you can find where it’s coming from I would see if you can throw out some items – some fabrics for example are badly damaged by ozone. You might be able to use sealants for some of it.
Trudi Trahan-upchan
Fabulous article.
Trish
This is a great post Corinne! My husband suffers from IEI for the past 2 decades and has been implementing these strategies after all the research he has done and is commending you on the wealth of info you give in your site. We are wanting to add an ADU and a builder we interviewed mentioned they use SABS (Saebi Alternative Building systems) (strataus.com) which is EPS sprayed with GFRC (glass fiber reinforced concrete). My husband did not smell anything when we went to a sample unit but absolutely felt horrible with Chemical Sensitivity fogginess 30 mins after leaving there and it stayed for 2 hours (only spent 20 mins in the unit). I know your post about EPS mentioned it’s not toxic but could it be the PU glue keeping the EPS together or the GFRC that’s causing a reaction? We are lost. Is there a way to block or seal the PU glue or GFRC sprayed on EPS system like SABS? Thank you!
Rachel
Hello! I have a question:
Is there any non-toxic way to get popcorn ceilings removed? I looked into this and it appears they scrape it away and then treat the drywall underneath by adding some new drywall and then using an oil-based primer and then painting. i’m concerned about the drywall product that may be added and couldn’t find any non-toxic oil-based primer with my research. thank you!!
Corinne
You don’t need an oil based primer I’m not sure why your contractor is saying that. Check out the post on paint which has primers as well. You will also need drywall mud, there is a post on that too.
Mrs Carol johnson
What do you think of wineo purline organic click flooring it claims to be solvent and chloride free and free from plastizies also claims to be odour neutral but I tested a sample and I could smell it I’m highly sensitive to chemicals and my current carpet is making me ill
Corinne
It looks very similar to the Shaw Bio Based polyurethane which I quite liked but yes for those of us highly sensitive almost nothing is odor free. Check out the flooring posts for more ideas.
Yvonne Thomson
Thank you so much for your informative article. We recently purchased a new sofa from a furniture store that is going through bankruptcy, so unfortunately there is no option to return it. But the off gassing has caused extreme issues for me. Within a couple of hours after putting the sofa in our living room, I had a severe headache, sore throat, burning eyes, my chest felt “heavy” and I had difficulty breathing. We immediately moved the sofa to our 3 season back porch where we keep the windows open whenever it’s not raining. It’s been a full week and I still smell the toxins whenever I walk out there. I imagine it’s better than it was a week ago, but I’m afraid to bring the sofa back inside since I can still smell it. Would the “baking out” method work for me? The room is not insulated, but does have electric baseboard heaters. Our temps are in the 60’s most days now so I might be able to get the temp up to 85-90 if I turn those heaters up high and leave them on. If you recommend I try this method, how often do I need to ventilate? Do I need to get up through the night to ventilate too? Thank you so much for your help. Anything you could recommend is so greatly appreciated. We just spent almost $2,000 on this sofa and can’t afford another new one. Please help!
Lynn
Hi Yvonne, Im going through a similar issue. I purchased mine 4 days ago and since then nothing I’ve tried has helped. I sprinkled baking soda over the couch then sprayed a mixture of vinegar and water. I also keep my windows open from the time I wake up until about 7 when its getting dark..Im chemical sensitive and the only one affected by this. other people smell it a little but it bothers me. I cant leave mine outside and its too heavy to lift. I should have left it in the garage for a month ugh.
Daniel Tilley
Hello,
We are looking for some advice on a chemical smell issue we are dealing with. We painted our basement/garage floor a few months ago. Fumes started coming up into all floors of the house and started making us sick. Nausea, confusion, sweating, trouble breathing, watery eyes, etc… We have remediated the root cause, but the smell still resides in all rooms of our house and symptoms continue. Ventilation and cleaning has not been effective. The smell latches on to other materials and travels with us everywhere we go. We hired an indoor air quality engineer, but they were unable to solve the issue. The Austin Air Purifier they sold us got overloaded after 3-4 days of use and made things worse. My truck interior has been interior detailed three times and we have had to move out of multiple hotel rooms. We have not found a suitable cleaner/laundry detergent that has been 100% effective. The smell is not offensive. Short of throwing everything we own away is there anything we can do to cleanse our belongings? Thank You for any help you can provide.
Corinne
What was the paint that caused such a big reaction? I would leave the house for a while and bring all new things with you.
Daniel Tilley
Corinne,
We have left the house. Paint is old and the same paint that we used when we painted it 8 years before. Be believe the paint or the concrete cleaner we used reacted with whatever was spilled on the floor over the years. For some reason it only bothers us and not other people. We believe it will get better once the summer gets here. We heard that heat and ventilation is the best option to speed up the off-gassing. We have two specific questions. Can VOC smell transfer from item to item even after we have stopped the source? Is there a product or solution to help remove the VOC smell from these items?
Steve
Daniel..Hi! I know it’s been a few months, but did you ever resolve your issue? We have a similar issue. Had a garage coating put down, something went wrong, and horrible odor everywhere. Had it removed, but still the odor is lingering and it’s been 4 weeks.
Jessica
Thank you, Corinne. Your site has been very helpful for me. We are currently finishing our basement and I’m reacting to the framing. I’ve hadMCS for years, but forgot how much a 2×4 can bother me! I’m considering the best way to seal the framing before they put up drywall. I’d prefer the Shellac option, as that is most readily available for me right now. Do you see any problem with directly applying this to the 2×4’s? I’d have about a week before dry wall is scheduled to be installed. Is that long enough to cure?
Corinne
I would not seal the framing, the framing if it’s right against the concrete will be taking on moisture and drying to the inside. So don’t block that drying ability.
Audrey L Foster
We just installed a new HVAC system. What is the best way to prevent off gassing?
Walter
Thank you so much for this wonderful information. Due to significant cat urine damage, I am in the middle of replacing the hardwood floor of my toddlers’ bedroom. Once, I removed the hardwood, I realized that the urine soaked into the subfloor, which is made of wood. I plan to seal the subfloor, put a layer of Lauan plywood on top of that, seal that as well, and then put new hardwood down.
I am most likely going to use a shellac for sealing both the subfloor and the Lauan. How concerned should I be about the high levels of VOCs I see listed? Do they drop to zero or close to zero when the product dries? I see that you prefer certain Zinsser products over other ones. Are there particular reasons for your preferences?
Of course, my children will not be in the room during any of this construction. I’m just not sure when it will be safe. Thank you so much for your time.
Corinne
Hi, the VOCs are just the alcohol they will be gone very quickly. I like Zinsser because it’s easy but you can certainly mix it yourself.
Walter
Thank you so much for your quick reply, Corinne. Do you think I need to wear some sort of respirator?
Corinne
You’re supposed to yes.
Walter
Thanks again. I appreciate it.
Lisa Foster
Could Vermont Natural Coatings also be used as a sealant for wood products containng formaldehyde, etc? I already have that product for other uses, but cannot find any information as to whether or not it would work to prevent outgassing. I assume it would being that it is a sealant but wanted to ask for confirmation. Thank you!
Corinne
Polyurethanes do provide some sealing but it varies by brand and formula. Depending on what the wood product is and how it’s used it would not be my top choice of sealants.
Noelle
Hi Corinne,
Thanks for this post! I was wondering if you would recommend using a dewaxed shellac on pine? My husband built a crib for our new baby with generic pine from the local lumber store and now I’m paranoid it was pretreated with chemicals (I know arsenic is often used). I wanted to seal it with something to hopefully create a nontoxic layer between any potentially harmful chemicals in the wood and baby. After reading through your posts, I thought a shellac sounded like the best option, but was just wondering if you agreed or had any other helpful advice.
Thank you so much!
Corinne
It won’t contain arsenic that hasn’t been used on most wood for a while. If it is pressure treated it will look like a green color. You can seal it with dewaxed shellac though yes. There is a post on sealing pine that goes more into detail https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2021/01/how-to-stain-pine-with-non-toxic-products.html
Lucy
Hi, thank you so much for your informative site! I am wondering if a product like the safe seal would work to stop offgassing of vocs from a solid soft wood furniture product like pine? Not sure if vocs from natural pine are a big issue or not, If so would you apply it to the unfinished wood before painting with a low voc paint, or if the product is already lacquered could you remove the lacquer first by sanding and then use safe seal? Would removing a lacquer by sanding be enough to stop any further off gassing of the product from the lacquer?
I am interested in booking a consult but am in the UK…I know you cannot give specific recommendations re products etc that aren’t North American…but are you able to give general advice on materials such as the questions above?
Many thanks, Lucy
Corinne
Hi Lucy, yes we could do a consult like that. It would help to outline what kind of lacquer it was (like the type not the brand). Check out the pine sealing post as well. https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2021/01/how-to-stain-pine-with-non-toxic-products.html
Robert Haverlock
Love your site! One thing though, baking out is really not a thing anymore… Leed for homes doesn’t recommend as well? I am a sustainable building consultant and have ran into problems with offgassing and Inbedding toxic gasses into drywall and other soft-furniture making the clients pretty ill!
Just a thought
Lesley D
Do you have any knowledge on systems air purifying systems installed in the HVAC system to reduce VOCs? Two products that I am interested in are the APCO-UV and the iWave system (R or C).
Andy
Hi Corrine
Very useful article. I’m wondering if it would be possible to use shellac to seal gap filling foam. We’re going to try and remove it but there’s alot of it so won’t be possible. It’s still off gassing after two years and more needs to be done. Already got piv which has helped a lot but not enough. Based in the UK so don’t really have the option of safecoat. Would the alcohol in the shellac react with the foam or should it be OK?
Thank you so much in advance!
Corinne
Good question I’m not sure. I know you can paint over canned spray foam, so you might need that extra layer before shellac.
Andy
Hi Corrine thanks for the reply. Well I suppose if you can paint over it it might be OK. The foam was used to try and seal a huge gap under a party wall that was causing cooking fumes and cigarette smoke to come through into the bedroom. Little did I know it made matters worse. The vocs have dramatically reduced but that was done about a year and a half ago. Do you have any idea how long that foam takes to fully or almost fully offgas? The piv unit has done wonders and made the room livable with the door open at all times but it makes the house very cold and doesn’t stop the spike at vocs at around 4am every morning when the neighbours heating comes on.
Brittney
I am curious how you would rate an Amaircare Whisper 675 whole home air purification system for VOC off gassing of a new build issue on one end of the house only. Would it be better to have a whole home system or a moveable unit put right where the main issue is?
Much appreciation for your site!
Brittney Omelchuk
Hello, Thanks so much for all the information! We add a 500 sq ft addition to our farm home to have enough room for our kids to have bedrooms and a livingroom and it was unfortunately, unknown to me, built with OSB. I had no idea OSB stinks so bad and I am very sensitive to! I don’t seem to be as sensitive to other building supplies. Do you happen to know which air purifier is best for the price if the sole purpose of helping with OSB off gassing behind our drywall?
We already sealed the floor with shellac the most we could and will seal the baseboards and outlets too once we get to it.
I would really appreciate any extra insight that could help! We have waited a year now not using the new space and cramped into our old house area.
Sydney
Hi, thank you so much for all the information! I am very sensitive to mold and chemicals. I just moved into a small 700 square foot apartment that is full of VOCs. The off-gassing smell is extremely strong and there is new carpet in my bedroom. What would you recommend doing for my small space? I’m currently on the first night of beating the place up while I stay with my parents and will ventilate it tomorrow. I already have a mini molecule, personal air IQ, a MERV 13 filter installed, and 2 small dehumidifiers. I was considering renting a HEPA air scrubbed with a carbon filter once I’m done heating the place up. Thoughts? Should I buy all the sealants for my apartment? Also bought a lot of new furniture since I was coming from a moldy apartment and didn’t keep anything.
Corinne
It partly depends on if you are the owner or not. Do a bake out and then increase ventilation. Those are the most important steps. Then you can go on to the sealing things in. If you are the owner you can remove carpet.
Sandra
Hello Corrine,
Thank you so very much for all the helpful information that you provide on this site. I have a neurological disease and I am sensitive to many chemicals so I appreciate your recommendations.
We are currently in the midst of a remodel on a 1964 house that we closed on during the current pandemic. We have had professional mold and asbestos remediation completed and we’re doing our best to select healthy materials and finishes. However, the Omega Dynasty painted kitchen cabinets that may be installed, while CARB 2 compliant, may pose some off-gassing issues for me due to my heightened sensitivity. If they were more affordable and we were able to get them in 6-8 weeks, we definitely would’ve purchased Crystal cabinets.
Will it help to place dozens of charcoal bags in all the cabinets and drawers for 5-7 days before we move in? All kitchen cabinets and drawers will be lined with natural cork from Portugal. We currently use Honeywell Air Purifiers that utilize the Hepa Filter and the Charcoal Filter. We will probably be purchasing two more air purifiers for this house before we move in so that they can be run in advance.
Also, would it help to have our electrician install a Panasonic Whisper Quiet exhaust fan in the kitchen ceiling or would that be a waste of money?
Abundant thanks for your response and advice.
Corinne
It depends on the composition of the cabinets. It might not have much offgassing at all. CARB is not enough to know what it’s made of and the offgassing levels. You would want to find out more about the materials and then see how much offgassing or air exchange you would need.
Gillian James
Good morning Corinne.
First I want to thank you for all of this valuable information.
Secondly I am looking for advice.
I have been living for 9 years in the mountains of Co. Kerry in Ireland – a damp stone cottage with some mould issues , but isolated and environmentally very clean, no mobile phone or radio or tv signals to speak of and no neighbours in sight , a dead end road in a valley. So I have been spoiled really.
Though I love it here my landlord ha failed to maintain the property, I cannot afford to and my disabled son aged 22 is feeling depressed by the isolation here – so when I was offereda little house in a nearby small town I accepted. I was given the keys in March, but the new paint smell was too much for me and then covid 19 hit so we have not attempted to move in until this last week. We had been going there weekly with some furniture and ventilating for an hour or two – all doors and windows open and had a big honeywell air purifier going full whack.
We moved in on Thursday night along with my 2 elderly dogs – all windows and doors open in the day, but closing them at night xcept for 2 little windows because of security concerns- it is ground floor. I became increasingly ill and so did one of my dogs in particular- my son aged 22 became very pale, had constant heartburn- acid stomach and sore throat. I could not sleep more than an hour at a time, was dizzy, sore throat, headache, felt sick and was deathly pale with increasing facial oedema, eventually on day 3 I was peeing less and less and my face looking worryingly swollen and suspecting kidney damage , we baled out and went back to the cottage which luckily we have not given our notice on. We had 2 dehumidifiers going after day one – which maybe helped a little- and air purifiers of varying abilities in every room. There are only 4 small rooms and a hallway. I suspect the nasty, thick, newly applied paint/varnish which has been used both sides on 5 doors and 5 windowledges.. As I mentioned the house belongs to the local authority and I have been paying rent on both properties since early March. Our finances are very limited , consisting of state benefits. I have had Lyme disease 3 times in the last 3 decades – which is maybe relevant with regard to my sensitivity and vulnerability and I am 65. I am worried and depressed and not sure where to go with all of this. Most of our belongings have been moved into the new house – though we can manage to stay here at the cottage for a good while- better than being poisoned to death to be sure. Your thoughts please ? Yes likely VOCs from the varnish – thinking- remove the doors and place them outside for the council to take away-and hopefully then replace – we could manage to do that ourselves – beyond that- I am hoping for some of your excellent advice.
Corinne
I would need to know your whole story to comment but that sounds like something a lot worse than just the new paint.
Kailey
Thank you so much for this advice! I was wondering, does what’s been said here apply also to VOCs that are offgassing from inside air ducts (rather than from household materials)? About a month ago, elastometric sealant was used to seal ductwork that my air comes through. Ever since, my apartment has smelled faintly of paint thinner, and makes me feel very ill when I remain inside for more than 15-20 minutes. Would ventilation and the “bake-in” strategy be effective for that?
Corinne
Yes, though in some cases folks prefer or have to turn off the HVAC system for a while when they are reacting to the HVAC sealants. If you are using that to heat or air the place it could get a little worse before it gets better.
Kailey
That’s good to know, thank you! We live in the southern US, so the apartment will easily reach 85-90 degrees if we just turn off the HVAC system entirely. Thanks again for your help!
Blake
Help! I’ve made a mistake and I’m hoping to find the best remedy. I’m normally good at researching VOC levels and making the safest choice for my family. However, I recently bought a home that needed some kitchen cabinet “updating” color wise, and several people suggested I use minwax gel stain on thee cabinets. I impulsively (and foolishly) tried it without researching first and the fumes are unbearable! They’re even making my eyes and skin burn! I am trying to ventilate the area, but I can’t fully close it off or not use it – because it’s the kitchen in an open concept home. I am curious if there is a sealant I could use that could reduce the offgassing and make it a bit safer. Do you have any specific recommendations for this situation/product? I’d greatly appreciate your advice. At the moment, I am not even sleeping in the house because it’s so strong and I definitely don’t want my children to! Please advise. Thank you.
Mari
Thank you for all of the info! It is very helpful, I may be understanding incorrectly, but it sounds like there might be hope for a home that is a flip! Yet, A flip has so many new materials that it’s an overload, is this info more intended for smaller cases of offgassing?
Corinne
Renovations won’t have as much offgassing as a new build. I wouldn’t go into any house expecting to be able to bring down the offgassing quickly. Unless you are not very sensitive. Flips usually have a lot of not well done renovations too, so I would be very wary of the quality there.
Mari
Thank you! They say it takes 2 years for new materials to off gas, does that sound about right for a flip as well? I’m assuming with these tips it might reduce the time a bit.
But yes you’re right, a lot of things are not done correctly in a flip. We were recently looking into Buying a home that was a flip and it was a nightmare how many things were wrong with it. Even the exterior paint was already chipping and it was only a month old! Thank you for all you do!
Corinne
I wouldn’t agree with the 2 years quote. Some renovations will offgas faster than that. A whole build will take longer. It also depends on which materials they used.
Mari
Really? Wow, it’s great being able to learn about this. Especially to help people who may not know the dangers of some chemicals in building materials. How long would you say it takes for a remoled in a home to off gas if the house is baked? Let’s say a home needed a new kitchen, bathroom, and floor. Vs if it only needed new paint. I once read 60% of pollution is due to the construction industry. I don’t know if it is true but it does make sense that a lot of health issues come from the Chemicals we live with.
orlando
bought a $120 air purifier and it smelled like plastic, horrible smell tanks my room and house, I was coughing here and there, my sinused felt irritated and dry, even had a slight headache but it went away when i opened the windows for hours. I don’t know if is the plastic housing or the filters or the glue used for the filters and reading this page, made me realize all these air purifier suck, maybe the all metal case and housing with better filter would not off gas but who knows especially at those prices
ridiculous how one buys something to improve air quality and actually makes it worse, wouldn’t be surprised if this whole air purifier business is a huge scam, even those expensive ones off gas and don’t purify as much as they want you to believe, is a huge scam with their overpriced filters, that’s how they got you on the hooks for years on end
Corinne
There are a few that have gone that extra mile to make sure the machine won’t contribute to offgassing. If it’s an inexpensive model not mentioned here it’s probably mostly HEPA (won’t get much or any carbon for a low price). In that case they are not meant to reduce offgassing but only to capture spores, dust and other airborne particulates.
Corinne
Definitely depends on the person. I noticed the mineral odour as the main odour there. I'm not sure sensitive to motors anymore.
Anonymous
I purchased an EnviroKlenz air purifier and have been running it in the garage for 2 days to out gas. I think it is the machine motor area. It looks like the thing that spins is some sort of plastic. Do they usually have to out gas for long? It hasn't gotten much better running for 2 days.
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