The Least Toxic Wood Varnish?
I tested all of the “eco” or, healthy low-VOC, floor finishes.
I was looking first at the odor and VOC levels as the main comparison point for those sensitive to chemicals.
(None of the polyurethanes are odorless when wet, though they are when dried or cured).
Some water-based floor finishes also contain PFAS.
I take a look at the ingredients and claims, but that can only tell us so much.
I also wanted to see what the finishes looked like and how much they changed the color of the wood.
Durability
Each varnish was applied in three coats to oak flooring pieces.
Though I didn’t sand the wood as much as you would for floors in a house, I was still able to get some comparison on durability.
In reality, it takes years to see the full picture of how they hold up.
Which One is Ultimately the Best?
One of the main complaints of these “green” clear floor finishes is that the lowest-odor ones are not always the most durable.
That is somewhat true.
For Furniture and Woodwork Too
The original focus was on varnishes for hardwood floors but many of these brands can be used on furniture, wainscotting, and other interior woodwork. I mention those in the post as well.
Brands Tested
- ECOS Paints
- AFM Safecoat Poly BP and Acrylacq
- BioShield Aqua Resin
- Vermeister
- Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey
- Earthpaint Aqualine and Easy Safe 1 K
This article contains affiliate links, upon purchase I earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Summary:
Vermont Natural Coatings is my top choice because it’s the best mix of low-odor and durable.
Earthpaint and BioShield should be considered by the most chemically sensitive for their very low odor when wet, though see the last section for the durability of these options.
Top Picks:
Lowest Odor When Wet
Earthpaint Aqualine and Easy Safe 1 K
Close second place – BioShield Aqua Resin
Lowest Odor at 24 Hours
Most Invisible Look
BioShield Aqua Resin, followed by AFM Poly BP
Most Durable
Vermeister and Vermont Natural Coatings
Best Mix of Durable and Low Odor
For Hardwood Floors (Clear): AFM Safecoat Poly BP; BioShield Aqua Resin; Vermeister, Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey; Earthpaint Aqualine; and Easy Safe 1 K
For Hardwood Floors (With a Stain): AFM Safecoat Duratone + Poly BP; Earthpaint Aqualine and Earthpaint NanoTech
By Odor Level:
When wet: From most mild to least – Aqualine and Easy Safe 1 K, Biosheild Aqua Resin, Vermont Natural Coatings, ECOS, AFM, then Vermeister.
At 24 Hours – they were mostly all at a similar odor level at 24 hours, though I did find Biosheild Aqua Resin had taken first place at 24 hours.
48 hours – at my level of sensitivity I could not really pick up much at 48 hours off any of the finishes. Some had just a slight off-gassing and some like Bioshield and Nanotech were odorless to me.
There are folks who are more sensitive and more reactive than me.
Please get samples to see which ones are best for you.
By Brand
1. Vermont Natural Coatings
(not oak like the others). For reference, Poly BP is to
the left and Aqualine is to the right.
The top overall pick because it has the best mix of durable and low odor levels of the bunch.
Vermont Natural Coatings is a bio-based polyurethane.
This means part of the polyurethane is derived from whey.
They claim that the co-binders and solvents typically found in conventional wood finishes and polyurethane coatings are replaced by naturally derived ingredients.
I do find it milder than conventional polyurethane.
I have heard others say they found this very similar to AFM Poly BP, but this is clearly a very different formula. The odors are significantly different to me.
PolyWhey Floor Finish is a good option for hardwood floors, bars, tabletops, and other large horizontal surfaces. If your project involves vertical surfaces (like bookcases or chair legs), they recommend using the Furniture Finish.
Polywhey floor finish can be applied over a previous oil-based floor finish. (PS. their exterior PolyWhey is also known to be the most durable low VOC water-based exterior finish).
- Hydro Lacquer Reactive Sealer with PolyWhey – this gives the look of an oil finish. It can be used on furniture and floors. Certainly a different formula than the floor finish. This has a different odor, milder than the floor finish.
- PolyWhey Floor Finish – their general bio polyurethane floor finish. This is a little milder than a typical polyurethane. It has a more milky smell when a regular polyurethane which has a sharper more acrid chemical odor. When wet, at 24 hours and at 48 hours it was milder than Poly BP, stronger than Aqualine.
- All-in-One Stain & Finish – their Polywhey with a stain included, this is not recommended for floors. This is milder in odor than both the floor finish and the hydro lacquer.
2. ECOS Paints
Good pick for chemically sensitive folks who don’t do well with polyurethane and don’t need a super durable finish.
ECOS wood finishes (like their paints) are 100% acrylic.
Most hardwood floor finishes are polyurethane.
This wouldn’t be my pick for floors, as it hasn’t proven to be the most durable option.
But for those who do better with acrylic coatings, this can be used on non-floor woodwork. I used it in my tiny house on my kitchen cart and was very happy with it.
You can see a full ingredient list for each product on their website. This is the most transparent of all the brands as all ingredients are listed clearly.
Finishes:
- Interior Satin Clear – only slightly milder than AFM (not that different). At 48 hours there is still a slight sweet smell.
- ECOS Air Purifying Varnish (APV) was stronger when wet than regular ECOS satin, but better than regular satin at 48 hours. At 48 hours could not pick up anything.
- ECOS Wood Conditioner – is milder than the varnishes, but not totally benign.
- ECOS Tinted Varnish – a little milder than the clear varnish (maybe the pigments are diluting it a little).
- ECOS Exterior Satin – not that different from the interior finish. The exterior might even be milder!
3. AFM Safecoat
I like this brand because it’s a tried and true brand that has been around for a while.
Finishes:
- Acrylacq, Satin – much more tolerable when wet compared to Poly BP.
- This sealant is not used on floors but it’s a great durable sealer for furniture, cabinets, and other interior woodwork.
- Ingredients include: Acrylic polymer, Dipropylene Glycol Methyl Ether, Water, and Amorphous Fumed Silica.
- AFM Safecoat Polyureseal BP, Satin – this was the strongest one when wet.
- This is AFM’s main floor finish though it can also be used on furniture. It smelled almost like an acrylic to me, although it’s mainly a polyurethane.
- Ingredients include: Polyurethane Aqueous Dispersion, Dipropylene glycol methyl ether, Water, Acrylic polymer
- AFM SafeCoat DuroTone, is AFM’s wood stain if you want to alter the color of the wood.
- Acralaq or Poly BP (among others) are used as a top coat over it.
- The Cognac which I tested, had a bit of an unexpected smell. I thought it would be milder than it was, but it is milder than the varnishes.
You can also mix the stain into the topcoat which can help provide an even look on woods like oak. You can also get the fumed wood look on white oak with the AFM walnut stain on the wood and then mixed into the Poly BP (or Acralaq).
- I could hardly pick up an odor at 48 hours.
4. BioShield
Top pick for lowest odor at 24 hours.
BioShield makes two varnishes. Their floor finish, Aqua Resin Floor Finish, is polyurethane-based.
The ingredients are listed as alcohol, anti-skinning agent, dispersion of polyurethane in water, micro wax, silicic acid, and silicone.
It can be used on wood, concrete, and cork, as well as wooden doors, molding, work surfaces, tables, floors, stairs, and furniture.
Their Aqua Resin Stain Finish, which is even milder, can be used on children’s cribs, swing sets, windows, doors, and wood furniture (not floors).
The ingredients are alcohol ester, earth pigments, preservative, silica, surfactant, and water.
- Aqua Resin Floor Finish, Clear. It was very mild when wet. It was preferable in my view to Vermiester and ECOS. It was the best of all the options VOC-wise at 24 hours.
- At 48 hours I could not pick up any offgassing.
- Three coats are recommended.
- Although it was slightly less durable than the others, the extremely sensitive will surely want to consider this brand for the very low offgassing.
5. Vermeister
One of the two most durable, but the highest odor option on this list.
Vermeister Zero VOC is a polyurethane that claims to be zero-VOC as you can tell from the name.
I tested the Satin without the booster.
The MSDS does list ammonia (which is an exempt VOC).
The booster part of a polyurethane is usually an isocyanate, but in this case it’s a carbodiimide crosslinker.
It was slightly stronger in odor than AFM Poly BP when wet but they were not that different.
AFM Poly BP does declare their VOC levels at 100g/l so I’m not sure when this product took their 0 VOC measurement (I asked them when the 0 VOC measurement was taken and got no reply).
They could be measuring the VOCs at different times to get those results. Also AFM does not have ammonia, the exempt VOC.
I could hardly pick up off-gassing at 48 hours. So unless you are highly sensitive all that is just nitpicking. At 48 hours I would consider this safe for most people.
Synthetic polyurethane is the standard for floor finishes.
In some ways, this was the most durable of all the options here according to my tests (though not by much), and probably the most conventional, especially if you add the booster.
6. Earthpaint
Top pick for lowest odor levels when wet.
Earthpaint’s finishes ranked among the most tolerable in odor and off-gassing.
If you are applying this yourself or kids are applying it on wood crafts this is a great option.
The Aqualine does not have polyurethane in it, this is a 100% acrylic floor finish. There are no exempt VOCs or solvents.
The Easy Safe 1 K finish is a commercial finish described as a nano acrylic/polyurethane mix. It’s made for wood floors, bar tops, gyms, countertops, restaurant tables, and boats.
Their NanoTech is a wood floor and concrete finish made from nano-sized liquid acrylic resin. It can also be used to block off-gassing from a previously laid finish (including many oil-based finishes). It can be used on the exterior as well.
- NanoTech – can’t pick up odor at 48 hours
- Easy Safe 1K Floor Finish – this one I can still pick up at 48 hours – though I found it significantly better than Vermeister and Poly BP. Better than ECOS when wet. Slightly better than Biosheild when wet.
- Aqualine, satin – This was the best of the Earthpaint finishes when wet. It does seem milder than their 1 K, but not sure if that is accurate. I barely could pick up any odor at 48 hours.
Favorites:
- ECOS Paints, is a trusted acrylic brand for non-flooring projects. If you do best with acrylic coatings and don’t need it to be super durable go with this one.
- AFM Safecoat Poly BP and Acrylacq – this is another trusted brand that’s been around for a long time. If you like AFM products you should check these out, otherwise they didn’t hit any of the top qualities.
- BioShield (Aqua Resin) and Earthpaint (Aqualine) have the lowest odor, especially when wet. If you have severe chemical sensitivities you should test these. These would also be my top picks for kids’ wooden crafts.
- Vermeister tied with Vermont for most durable (except it was the highest odor). This brand is the most conventional in that it’s a two-part polyurethane, which made it the highest odor, and quite durable. But if I was going to go with a two-part higher odor polyurethane I would go with a conventional brand BONA Traffic Go (free of PFAS).
- Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey is definitely my top pick because it’s the best mix of durable and lower odor. My overall top pick for a non-toxic floor finish.
Notes: Results from My Durability Tests:
There was no clear winner in my durability test.
The only one I wouldn’t use on floors myself is ECOs.
Vermeister, Vermont, and Aqualine held up the best in my experiments.
The reason there is no clear winner is that some held up well to some things but not others. And also importantly, my limited experiments cannot replicate long-term wear and tear.
I was not able to replicate the problems that I have seen in real-life situations with ECOS on floors, for example.
This is what I threw at them: water drops, wet rag left on, boiling water, wine, whiskey, ammonia, red wine vinegar, urine, alcohol, smashed-in blueberries, and turmeric.
- 1K and NanoTech have some very slight water circles from water left on until it dried, all passed though.
- All passed: quats (ammonia), wet rag left one, urine 20 seconds, boiling water 1 tablespoon, red wine vinegar.
- Poly BP slightly marred from urine left on for a couple of hours, all the others passed.
- Aqua Resin, Nanotech, then ECOS, were most affected by a turmeric water paste (30 seconds). Poly BP was only ever so slightly affected. Vermeister and 1 K held up quite well, but all were somewhat affected.
- 1 K and ECOS didn’t hold up as well as the others to alcohol tincture, whiskey, and red wine. Poly BP also had some marks.
- Poly BP failed blueberry sauce smashed in. The others passed.
- Vermont and Vermeister held up the best overall followed by Aqualine.
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.
Join the top Substack on healing from MCS and mold!
Robert
Hi Corinne, for someone with chemical sensitivities brought on by a previous exposure to hardwood stain/finish, who will not be applying the stain/finish, who can stay away from the home for two weeks or more, and it’s in low traffic upstairs bedrooms, do any of those stains stand out as least odor and off gassing a few weeks out?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
see my 48 hour results
Kim
I absolutely love your durability tests! I’m doing turmeric in water and turmeric in oil testing on solid surface (like Corian and other brands) countertop material right now. Turmeric in water surprised me! That was the WORST. BTW, Corian has won out, all the other brands I tried were hard to get the yellow out of.
Excellent testing!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I was surprised that quartz stained so easily as well. are you talking about the all plastic/aluminum corian?
Kim
Acrylic solid surface by Corian (which did the best of the samples). I also tested similar white look Hanex, Hi-Macs, and Livingstone.
We also have a quartz countertop in our current home and it is surprisingly easy to stain with yellow things like CoQ-10, turmeric and quercitin.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
ah ok that is very helpful to know thanks for sharing!
Rachael
I am having renovations done and it will involve sanding and finishing my existing oak flooring. I don’t want the color of the flooring to change. Would Bona sealer and two coats of Bona Mega water-based finish be recommended? Or would one of these other brands be better than Bona, and if so why?
Thanks in advance!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
You’d have to check the VOCs and ask about PFAS, I know last time I looked at Bona they were transitioning away from PFAS.
Rachael
That’s helpful, thank you. I don’t know what was used previously on my floors. Is there anything that I can use that would be durable, clear and in theory encapsulate any bad stuff that was used beforehand?
YL
Purchased your book. Extremely helpful! Really appreciate your work.
We are installing 3 1/4 unfinished white oak in our home, in Maine on an island. I am very health conscious and have chemical sensitivities. I would like a natural Scandinavian white oak look. I see that a lot of products make the wood more yellow.
Priorities are health (nontoxic), lighter look and durability (13 year old boy and possible dog).
Considerations are:
1. Vermont Coatings Polywhey floor finish. Concerns about darkening the floors.
2. AFM Safecoat Durotone + AFM Polyseal. Concerns about color + durability.
3. Rubio Monocoat Nordic white + AFM Safecoat Polyseal. Not sure if I can mix.
4. Bona Nordic White + AFM safecoast Polyseal. Not sure I can mix and concerns about higher toxins in the Bona.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks!!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
cant mix oil based with water based, you can just use rubio monocoat though.
potentially can mix bona with another isf they are both waterbased or stick to the complete bona line.
YL
Thank you. Concerns about Bona is leaving me uneasy. Just purchased some samples of AFM Safecoat Durotone + AFM Polyseal as well as Rubio Monocoat. I will test them out.
KM
This is so helpful.
I have chosen Dura Stain and still deciding between AMF Poly BP and ECOS clear Varnish and possibly the one with air purifying zeolite. I thought they were even on your site but then I looked up specs and the AMF brand has 110/l/g VOC where ECOS is 0. Should this be my deciding factor or am I missing something? A newborn is coming and this needs to be the safest.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
they are both in this post. AFM’s VOCs I believe are measured when wet, ECOS at 11 days.
Matthew Lee
Thanks for your research. Did you consider hard oil or hard wax coating? Here is hard oil from Bioshield- https://bioshieldpaint.com/collections/floor-furniture-finishes/products/hard-oil
These require reapplying every so often.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
this article is all about the synthetic finishes, I have another for the oil based and natural finishes where I talk about penetrating oils (some have wax, but wax is not the key ingredient). I would not use that bioshield one though
Matthew Lee
Ok – I’ll look for it. Thanks
Christian
Hey Corinne,
For sealing formaldehyde/VOCs from plywood cabinets, can you use dewaxed shellac and then AFM Safe Seal on top or would you recommend just using shellac/Safe Seal?
Thank you
Diane
What would you suggest for unfinished solid maple kitchen cabinets. I am leaning to natural look with just a sealer, or a very light stain. Vermont naturals I think would be a good choice they have a product heirloom satin.. kinda of a in between from gloss and matt. OR do you suggest gloss in kitchen? Love some ideas on maple finish for kitchen cabinets. BTW I used Barker cabinets in Oregon good company and great quality
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
the main sealer post has a cabinet section
Mer
HI Corrine,
Have you heard any reviews on bona chroma ( water based wood stain)?
If I used a high voc bona oil based stain and put water based sealer over it would the fumes from oil still off gas?
thank you!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
a water based polyurethane, if it’s compatible with going over oil, can block some VOCs. I don’t know that product off the top of my head though
Hannah
Hi! Appreciate the post so much! My husband and I are new to this and any recommendation for high glossy polyurethane?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
yes some of the brands have gloss please look though the brands in the article
Hannah
This is new to us. Are the non toxic products will be as good as generic products? Longevity- wise?
Mari P
Hi, I have a contractor wanting to use Loba Easy Finish, have you tested this product? I tried searching your blog but couldn’t easily find any info. It definitely has higher vocs than this list but wondering about PFAS and if there is a good way to know whether they contain them? Much appreciated!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
PFAS are definitely something to ask the company about
Jaycie Kowolonek
I have this same thing occuring.. did you go with Loba Easy Finish? Did you like it? How did it go for you? I am trying to decide between Loba Easy Finish vs Bona Traffic Go.
Marita
The contractor we went with was able to use Vermont Natural’s PolyWhey EZ-Pro. Fumes-wise it was great, I’m super sensitive and was able to be in the house right after it was finished. It has not held up against my husky’s claws, but that’s kind of a big ask. I have been finishing our trim with the regular PolyWhey floor and the furniture finish. I wear a respirator when I’m working with them but as long as the house is ventilated I’m okay being around them as they dry.
Hope that helps and good luck!
Angela Whitten
Laura,
I love your posts. I’m hoping you might be able to help me. My husband is building cabinets, etc. for our mud room, pantry, etc. with natural wood. The problem is that I am highly sensitive and allergic to smells, chemicals and formaldehyde. He has done some shelves and the smell of the wood and sealants are knocking me out. I don’t know what the wax is (maybe minwax) and the top sealant is odie’s oil. What could he use that leaves a low to no odor after 24 hours and that will seal in the odor of the wood. Any advice would be highly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
see article on odors of wood and how to seal them, i would not use minwax or odies oil
Laura
Hi. My GC wants to use Bona products on our new & existing light-medium caramel stained red oak hardwood floors. Bona Traffic Go finisher (top layer) looks good — as you’ve said. IntenseSeal or Amber Seal layer under the finish look pretty benign too: https://www.bona.com/en-us/search/?searchPhrase=intenseseal. But, what stain can I use on the bottom layer? Can I mix brands? Bona Chroma stain is water-based & mostly benign: https://www.bona.com/en-us/search/?searchPhrase=bona%20chroma, however, with it, you have to use a colorant additive that contains iso-cyanates. I have asthma & sensitivity to smells and irritants, but would the stain be OK since it’s the bottom layer? Other ideas if it’s not a good choice in my case? Thanks!!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I can’t do a detailed review in the comments
Laura
OK. I’ll call Bona and see what they say. Thank you for all the information you provide on this site. It’s incredibly helpful!
Laura
Hello again. Bona said that the iso-cyanates in the wood stain would become inert after that layer is sealed and has finish layers on top, and all has cured. However, the SDS has a warning about sensitization for people who are prone to allergies and have asthma (like me). Does the warning apply just to installers and those exposed before curing and off-gassing? Or, have you heard of people becoming sensitized to the iso-cyanates even after curing? Thank you!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
depends on VOC levels and how fast it offgasses, there definitely are water based polyurethane finishes that offgas for a while
Cher
My floor person wants us to use Bona Traffic HD which is Greenguard Gold certified. The listed ingredients are water, polymeric resins, and amorphous silica. There’s no info on whether the polymeric resins are natural or synthetic. Do you know anything about this product?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
the resins are synthetic, either polyurethane or maybe polyacrylic. the product offgasses fast but may have PFAS. the company is still phasing out PFAS.
Stephen P Dailey
I am doing some remodeling work in my living room. I previously used a water base acrylic/urethane sealer called” Right-On Crystal Shield Hard Clear Floor Fininsh Environmental Sealer (Environmentally Safe Non-Toxic Hypo-Allergenic – Velvet) [by Pace Chem Industries] on my oak floor and wainscoating and need apply some coating on my new oak wainscoating and trim. But I can’t see where this produce is available anymore. Can you recommend a similar product for me?
Any suggestion would be appreciated!!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
The ones on this list will work, you may need to get samples in order to match the sheen
Bianca
Hello!
Thank you so much for your research! Polyurethane is a plastic and coatings always have plasticizers, right? Is there a way to have plastic-free flooring? I’m worried about PFAS and BPA. You may have written about this already but I’m having a hard time finding it. Thank you!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
Polyurethane even when it’s in a plastic sheet flooring does not have plasticicers so I don’t believe the coatings have plasticizers, they can have added PFAS but the brands on this list should not. Be sure to double check. BPA is only in epoxy and polycarbonate.
Melanie
Thank you for the time put into all these tests! Have you ever or since this article used Magic Oil 2K?
Corinne Segura
i wouldnt use that but see the article on oil finishes for wood, there are good options there
Pascal
What do you think would be best for a bathroom with cedar paneled walls?
Maria Vozza
Hi,
So much information but I’m a bit confused.
I just had my floors stained and refinished. Something is making me really sick. Not sure if it’s the stain, finish or both.
Apparently, I’m very sensitive to the off gassing. I’m assuming it’s the oil based varnish used.
What do you recommend that has zero VOC and off gasing. I haven’t been able to move into my condo. It’s been almost three weeks. And my neighbors are complaining too.
Thank you!
Corinne
This is my list of the best clear synthetic wood finishes.
Elaine
Which do you prefer for scuff resistance and scratch resistance?
Greta Johnson
Corrine,
Thank you for this! Eight years ago we had our red oak floors refinished with some eco friendly citrus finish. It did not last long at all unfortunately. We would love to try again but with something that diminished the red color and add a new matching wood floor to our kitchen. Do you have any recommendation what product might work best. We used to have severe multiple sensitivity disorder to smells but mine has resolved and my husband’s is much better too but not totally gone.
Thanks, Greta
Corinne
Check out the lightening shades of Rubio Monocoat and do some tests for color and sensitivities.
Mila
Have you tested the Bona Traffic HD? My flooring installer is recommending this one for our new unfinished hickory flooring. My husband and I are very chemically sensitive and want the lowest odor, zero VOC , fast cure time and good durability for our new whole house wood flooring. Thank you for all your great info!
Corinne
Bona traffic is quite good, I tested it at a different time. Quite fast to offgas.
Carrie Santti
Have you lived in place that used Bona Traffic HD? Or you used it on a sample board?
How long is quick offgassing?
Corinne
Sample board. 24 hours for the majority of people. make a sample if you are sensitive.
Pam
What about Bona Mega?
Corinne
I don’t see the VOCs for Bona Mega.
Pam
So does that mean there are no VOCs?
Corinne
no it means I don’t know the VOC levels
Pam
got it. my contractor has a stong preference for BonaMega and has not used Bona Traffic in years. In your experience with water-based finishes, should be offgassed by the time I move in 2-3 weeks AFTER they apply the finish? and thank you so much for your help! Your website has reduced my stress significantly since I am chemically sensitive in a world that does not seem to understand….
Corinne
you should make up sample boards and see when you feel it is safe for you. no I would not make a guarantee that all water based finishes are offgassed enough for chemically sensitive people at 2-3 weeks but I do not test high VOC products, when I tests and compare products I test the 0 and very low VOC options.
Tarik a yousef
Hi Corrine,
You should take a look at our new organic wood and furniture balm! We are professionals furniture makers and have developed our own blends in order to better suit the real use, function and protection needs of our customers. https://www.tyfinefurniture.com/products/wood-balm-organic-hard-wax-wood-finish
mike
“The only one I wouldn’t use on floors myself is ECOs.”
I was shocked how poor of durability ECOS had after I ordered a sample and tested this myself… Anyone using this, I’d really wonder what sort of usage you could possibly use this for. I wish it was better durability, but it is really not at all useful when durability is a concern (their website doesn’t make this very clear either).
Corinne
Did you get the one that is specifically the floor paint?
JOEY
I saw that Vermont naturals has a outdoor stain and sealer. Do you think that would work for flooring?
Corinne
They have a floor sealer which is what I would use. Or call them for advice if you think you need exterior.
Taylor Nelson
Thank you so much for your research and articles! I currently have LVP flooring and have read that it’s not healthy to have.. I am concerned because I have a baby. I’m trying to figure out if it would be healthier to replace it with hardwood or if the finishes on hardwood are any worse than just keeping my LVP flooring? If I bought hardwood flooring that is already finished is there anything toxic about that? I know it can be when wet, but once already cured, do finishes off-gas or anything?
Thank you so much!
Corinne
The main flooring post gives an overview of these flooring choices, there is also a more detailed post just on vinyl plank and one on engineered wood.
Nick
Thank you for taking the time to do this research and compile it! It was exactly what I was looking for.
Stephanie
Thanks for all your helpful posts! I’m curious what you think about maintenance oil for oiled wood floors. I’m going nuts trying to decide between regular maintenance oil (e.g., https://www.kahrs.com/en/floor/accessories/maintenance/kahrs-satin-oil), or Bona’s version (https://www1.bona.com/globalassets/catalogassets/tds_bona-oil-care.eu.pdf), or Osmo (https://osmouk.com/product/maintenance-oil/.).
I have no sense of whether maintenance oils (even if they are high voc) are as bad as varnishes or other wood finishes once they are cured. The floors I’m purchasing (Kahrs engineered oiled floors) already have a coat of standard oil, and yet test well for VOC’s, so perhaps the oil flashes off quickly? Any views/suggestions/help to make a decision would be great!
Melanie
Hi Corinne, thank you for this amazingly helpful post! I’m curious if you have any experience with using a finish or sealant to encapsulate lead? We’ve wet stripped painted floors in our 200 yr-old house in order to reveal the wood underneath. They will be professionally sanded. We’d hoped to simply oil the floors but with the threat of lead potentially being left behind, we’re looking to seal while trying to maintain as natural a look as possible….very low sheen, no stain. We’ve considered AFM as recommended by Green Building Supply, but wondering if you might suggest otherwise? Either way, definitely buying you a few cups of coffee. Thank you fir sharing your knowledge!
Matt
What should I use to seal a cedar bathroom ceiling? Some websites say to use an exterior sealant.
Corinne
You could use almost anything on cedar it’s already so mold resistant. I like tung oil and Vermont polywhey. They have an exterior grade finish which is good.
Barb Adkins
Hi, you provide a lot of helpful information. I am wrapping a pony wall under a bar top with 1/4″ maple paneling and would like seal it with a clear low or no VOC sealer. Do you have a recommendation? I used Osmo Top Oil on my bar top but I don’t particularly like it on the paneling.
Corinne
All of the finishes in this post would work. But if you are going over OSMO then you have to make sure that is compatible.